For all the Black, Indigenous People of Color being gaslit into believing we are not enough:

Oppression is traumatic. This trauma has been passed down multiple generations from our ancestors.

We experience this oppression because we exist in a capitalist economy that needs inequality in order to thrive. This economy feeds on white supremacy and these other systems of oppression that dehumanizes us in order to exploit us. In order for these systems to work, we have to believe that you are inherently unworthy, so that we will always look externally to validate our sense of worth.

In response to oppression, we often feel a wide range of deep emotions, like rage, grief, and fear – and these emotions are felt and stored in our bodies. Somatically, our bodies are reacting because our core human needs of safety and belonging are under attack.

In order to survive this oppressive world we’ve inherited, most of us disconnect from our bodies and our feelings. This often results as a conflict between our inner knowing and emotions and the limits of how we are allowed to show up  in a white supremacist culture (because we know what would happen if we showed our anger!).

Therefore, healing and liberation from white supremacy is about reconnection what’s been disconnected – both within ourselves, and with each other. Connection and reconnection can only happen when we feel safe – psychologically, emotionally, and somatically. 

Because trauma is stored in our bodies, our healing must also happen at a somatic level. Our bodies hold the keys to our truth, the wisdom of our intuition, our creativity, and our freedom. Healing happens when we safely reconnect ourselves to our emotions and feelings through somatic and embodiment practices. This requires both vulnerability and courage.

And this is my work in this world.