Check out this post by KJ Landis author of Happy Healthy You
I am a lover, not a hater. I feel so deeply for my brothers and sisters of color. My heart is cracked wide open. My husband is African American. My children are African American. I am concerned for their lives. What type of future are we leaving for our world’s children? What examples are we setting forth when we cannot trust those who are paid to protect and serve? Serve?
There are good people everywhere. There are bad seeds everywhere. It really is how one is brought up, and how messages are passed down from generation to generation. I have been a victim of racism traveling across the USA with an African American friend. I have been pulled over by an officer with my husband in Beverly Hills because it was 10PM. We broke no rules or laws. If I was not in the car with my husband on my birthday, coming home from dinner, I believe he may have fared quite differently.
As a Jewish woman whose family has immigrated from country to country over the past 600 years, I have been the keeper of stories received from my elders. Racism does not discriminate. My family fled for their lives multiple times throughout the centuries because of racism! Anyone who is perceived as different should be celebrated, not degraded.
I believe it can change for the better. I am a hopeful and love-filled human. I stand with my family, friends, and tribe in speaking out for those who cannot or will not speak out for themselves due to fear or pain, anger or inner turmoil. Silence no more. Silence is a form of discrimination.
When my son was baptized at Glide church, Maya Angelou happened to be the guest speaker. She spoke of injustice and what we can do as a community. She pointed to my infant in my arms who had just been baptized and said, “If you do not have the courage to speak up, have the courage to leave the room. Do it for Golden’s sake.”
Not one more life should cease unnecessarily. Speak up. Write up. Show up. Lift up.
Blessings,
KJ Landis
Happy healthy you
Your Total Wellness Toolkit For Renewing Body, Soul, and Mind
Health and wellness: Happy Healthy You is a multidisciplinary approach to reclaiming ultimate wellness. We are all so busy nowadays, and tackling all those to-do lists can leave us drained, worn down, and lacking energy. When you take a deeper look inside, you will also discover patterns, old habits, and past events blocking self-growth. Life coach extraordinaire KJ Landis helps identify how, why, and where we got stuck in the first place, and how we can utilize past trauma and drama as a springboard to becoming our most authentic, vibrant selves. As one of KJ’s students enthuses, “She has taught me several tangible strategies to cope with stress…I am using KJ’s simple techniques to achieve my lifelong health goals.'”