Ep.12/ FREEDOM FOR ALL BEGINS WITH YOU
"A community where black and brown people are not part of the conversation and don't have representation is not a rich community and is devoid of humanity."
Today we are joined by Anti-Oppression Coach and Juici Yoga founder, Selam Debs. Debs discusses her work surrounding social justice and anti-Black racism, including her 12 week, anti-racism program. She shares her journey as a mother to a young, black son and gives suggestions for contributing as an active ally in the ongoing effort for equality.
A message from Selam:
To my Black and Brown Sisters and Brothers, Daughters and Sons, I dedicate my work to you. I created my Antiracism Course with one purpose in mind - To create an equitable world for us, for our families. I live and breathe the hope of community where we are seen, heard, savoured, nourished and uplifted.
To my white allies and accomplices, I honour your willingness and readiness to unlearn, unravel, and dismantle systems of privilege from which you benefit, but which leave so many of us, disenfranchised and fighting to thrive. I created my Antiracism Course for you - to re-learn the histories of our Black, Indigenous, Communities of Colour, that were erased from our education systems. I am grateful to be walking on this journey with you.
I am an anti-racism educator, an anti-oppression coach, a social justice advocate, a specialist in dismantling anti-Black racism, an accomplice in dismantling anti-Indigenous racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia and a believer in Intersectional and LGBTQ2S+ rights.
I am the founder of Juici Yoga, a yoga and meditation instructor, a restorative yoga teacher trainer, a holistic life coach, a reiki master, and a Lululemon Ambassador.
I AM, first and foremost, A MOTHER.
I am a singer and a songwriter, a poet and a practitioner of self-acceptance, self- love, and radical compassion.
My Antiracism work is rooted in the understanding that we must acknowledge and identify the insidiousness of white supremacy before we can dismantle colonial belief systems. The process of undoing, unlearning and re-educating is necessary for white communities to embark on, to support the healing journey for our racialized families.
My personal yoga and meditation practice is deeply connected to my experience that racism and daily oppression tears apart Black bodies and imparts havoc on our nervous systems. We carry these fear responses through generations and without healing, pass our systems of high-alert survival through our DNA. While racism may seem like theory and concepts for white folx, it is experienced in the bodies of Black people, in a deeply ingrained way.
Want to know more about Selam? Connect with her below:
https://www.selamdebs.com/
https://www.instagram.com/selamdebs/
https://twitter.com/selamdebs
