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"“To go back and get it.”

That’s the loose translation of the symbolism of the Sankofa Bird from Ghanaian culture, and it’s always spoken to me. Inherent within it is this idea that we honor our ancestors—we honor the work they did to get us here, which is a big part of why we're looking back. To acknowledge all the work that happened so that we’re able to even start where we are. In this way, it is not only a beautiful symbol of the diaspora, but it is also a teacher. Though the bird is moving forward, its head is turned back, holding a precious egg. One of my favorite encapsulations of this symbolism is: “Sankofa is a phrase that encourages learning from the past to inform the future, reaching back to move forward, and lifting as we climb.”

As Sankofa shows us, moving forward starts by looking back. Only when we revisit what has happened to us and how it has shaped our thoughts and behavior can we begin to change if we want to. In moments of struggle or discomfort, we can say, “I know where that’s coming from, I know why, and I can heal, forgive, or set a necessary boundary.” If we come from a place of seeking to understand, we can give this gift not only to ourselves but to others. This is so important because that’s how we break cycles and create new paths. Once we understand, we have the opportunity to forgive, which is the next step toward healing and growing. "

-An excerpt from Glimmers: Essays on Race and Historical Trauma, the Origins of Compassionate Dialogue, and the Power of Unconditional Love

#MyGlimmers

"The truth is that growing up, I didn’t really experience much deficit thinking about who I was or what I could be. The focus wasn’t on what I didn’t have; we had what we had, and the situation was normal to me. I knew there was a bit of a difference, but I didn’t necessarily see a problem with that difference. Looking back, I can see that being poor was our circumstance, but it didn’t feel like an indication of who we were—both in terms of how we viewed ourselves and how our community viewed us. It works both ways, too: if children grow up privileged and have things handed to them, that sets unrealistic expectations about the world and doesn’t give those kids the skills they need to survive, either. When we perpetuate these stereotypes about not only rich versus wealthy from an economics lens but also a capabilities lens, we perpetuate a mentality that harms people in both groups. As I think about the work I do today, shifting this mentality from poverty being an indictment or marker of character and capability to a circumstance that can be addressed, is crucial to creating the change we want to see."

-An excerpt from Glimmers: Essays on Race and Historical Trauma, the Origins of Compassionate Dialogue, and the Power of Unconditional Love

#MyGlimmers