ON LEARNING.

I am learning, first and foremost, that it isn’t about me. My feelings about racism and Black Lives does not need to be broadcasted in these public spaces because right now, we MUST amplify the voices of Black and Indigenous Folx. The incredible pain and suffering of Black and Indigenous Folx can no longer be ignored. We must give rise to Black and Brown stories. We must acknowledge and accept their truths, without judgement, without tone policing, and with great empathy and using active listening. We must educate ourselves beyond what we’ve learned in school. We must ask questions about the things we’ve learned to value in our society, like the quality of speaking and writing articulately, and why is this equated with The Queen’s English? 

Non-Black Folx must challenge the status-quo and question the covert ways in which we perpetuate white supremacy. We must ask questions like, how have we conformed to white supremacy, white fragility, and white silence? What stereotypes have we consciously and unconsciously believed, and how has that influenced the way that we treat BIPOC? In what ways am I privileged (race, gender, sexual orientation, education, class, ability, age, etc.)?

This work is not easy. It is incredibly challenging to go inward and realize some hard truths, especially while in the midst of a pandemic. But the reality is, there is never a “good time” to do work like this. Sometimes we may feel helpless and overwhelmed and we may get caught up in whether or not we are doing and saying the right things. But what matters is that we stay open to learning. We must not stop our anti-racism work. Black Lives Matter is not just a trending hashtag. We must acknowledge our privilege. We must sit with our discomfort, and be vigilant in our self-care everyday so that we can have the capacity to support others. We must take action to the best of our abilities and push for change. 

Some helpful resources by Black Folx and Black-owned businesses below:

Rebeckah Price @iriseyoga @thewellcollectiveto:

I met Beckah in the yoga teaching community in Toronto and she has a wealth of knowledge about privilege, particularly in the wellness sector. I highly recommend attending @thewellcollectiveto workshops. Along with Co-founder Snjezana Pruginic @snjezana_wellness, the pair host discussions with BIPOC in the wellness sector all over the globe. 

Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad @laylafsaad:

This 28-day workbook includes in-depth definitions of terms like white fragility, white superiority and white silence. Each day includes crucial questions for reflection and self-discovery. Layla F. Saad also has vast resources on her Instagram, web and podcast. 

Shully Sapphire and Eddy Bucardo @unchainedathletics:

I have worked with Unchained Athletics for over a year now, and I am proud to say that our team has always prided ourselves on offering classes for all, including youth in underserved communities. Owners Eddy and Shully are deeply passionate about creating accessible classes and spreading knowledge about systemic racism. 

Taylor Nolan @taymocha:

Taylor Nolan is a psychotherapist that recently shared a very powerful video that discusses the significance of impact over intention. This video really stuck with me, because in yoga we talk a lot about our Sankalpa, or intention, however this sometimes creates confusion in us yoga-lovers, because sometimes we mask challenges through spiritual bypassing, rather than being truly candid about our impact. She also has a great podcast, “Let’s Talk About It.”

Rachel Rickettes @iamrachelricketts:

Rachel Ricketts is an author and healer. She provides incredible knowledge in anti-racism and grief and she also hosts webinars for activism. I highly recommend her beautiful meditations on Insight Timer. 

Rachel Cargle @rachel.cargle:

Rachel Cargle offers crucial work in unlearning and dismantling systems. She has an course called, The Great Unlearn @thegreatunlearn, which challenges our semantics and what we are conditioned and taught in schools. 

This is just a small list of people to learn from. If you are able to support in any way, I highly recommend becoming a patron through their pages listed above. Non-Black Folx - let’s learn and unlearn together! Email me at hello@valteeyoga.com. 

Art by Danielle Coke @ohhappydani