Sole to Soul Healing

I know it has been a while since I have been on social media, but I promised several of you that I would share this news publicly: I am humbled and honored to announce that I have been recognized by Rev. angel Kyodo Williams (a prime leader in the field of embodied social justice-author of the book "Being Black: Zen and the Art of Living With Fearlessness and Grace") and Resmaa Menakem (author of the book "My Grandmother's Hands) as one of their 50 Black Leaders-Titan Healers for my work in embodied social justice. I will be heading to Montgomery Alabama the weekend of September 7th to spend 4 days with these two incredible beings along with the 49 other recipients in collaboration and creation.

I have been sitting on this for a few days, simply breathing in the words Titan Healer. When I started on the path several years ago of studying how the brain and the nervous system interpret social pain and physical pain the same, I never imagined such an honor. When I started to exam the effects microaggressions, biases and social norms have on the body-how they land/stay in our tissues unless we physically move them out, I never imagined such an honor. When I started to bring these concepts into my fitness classes, I never imagined such an honor. I love when life grants me dreams and wishes that I didn't even know I had.

Will be spending the next couple of weeks getting ready to step into what life has for me next. I will check in again soon!

I'm excited to share that Jennifer Hicks Dance Fitness with Jenn Hicks and I will be presenting at the Body Positive Fitness Alliance’s FitPro Summit May 18th & 19th in Philadelphia, PA.

We're delighted to have been chosen to present our work in Embodied Social Justice that prioritizes accessibility and inclusivity by emphasizing safety, dignity and belonging in movement experiences.

We are also looking forward to connecting with fellow fitness professionals who are doing the brave work of deconstructing toxic fitness culture and who are committed to equitable access to exercise.

Join us in person or online if you can!

More info below ⬇️

https://www.bodypositivefitness.org/summit-2024/

I have been fortunate enough to hear in person many of the musicians who are upholding the legacy of using their talents to advocate for social justice. I want to acknowledge a few here:
Kyshona Music, Allison Russell Rhiannon Giddens Crys Matthews, Danielle Ponder, Mickey Guyton, Jake Blount, Devon Gilfillian

These individuals have been instrumental in helping me find my voice: to speak up and out about social injustices.

Thank you for continuing the work!!

Today I honor the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee and all the activist who attended, especially Jamila Jones.

During the Civils Right Movement, activists from around the United States went to Highlander to be trained in nonviolent philosophy and learn the songs of the movement.

Jamila Jones grew up in Alabama and sang professionally as a teenager with the Montgomery Gospel Trio. In 1958, Jamila went to the Highlander Folk School for nonviolent training. In a oral history project conducted by the Library of Congress, Jamila recounts a time when the police raided Highlander. The police started the raid by shutting off the lights. In the darkness, Jamila found the strength to sing out adding a new verse "WE ARE NOT AFRAID" to the song "We Shall Overcome."

"And we got louder and louder with singing that verse, until one of the policemen came and he said to me, 'If you have to sing' and he was actually shaking, 'do you have to sing so loud' And I could not believe it. Here these people had all the guns, the billy clubs, the power, we thought. And he was asking me, with a shake, if I would not sing so loud. And it was that time that I really understood the power of our music."-Jamila Jones Oral History of the Civil Rights History Project, The Library of Congress

Sam Cooke! "A Change Is Gonna Come"

An anthem of hope and optimism following a tumultuous year in America.

Written at the of end of 1963 following the summer of marches and the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama and the assassination of President Kennedy in November, who had promised an end to racist inequality in America.

"There been times that I thought I couldn't last for long but now, I think I'm able to carry on. It's been a long, a long time coming, but I know A change gon' come, Oh yes, it will"-Lyrics "A Change is Gonna Come"

Celebrating Sam Cooke and his legacy to social justice.

Up today is the advocate for social and environmental justice, Marvin Gaye.

Marvin Gaye used his music as a call to action for positive changes in the world.

In 1971, Marvin Gaye wrote and produced the album "What's Going On." The nine tracks-35 minutes long was inspired by the social unrest in the United States and his brother's three year tour in Vietnam. Berry Gordy (head of Motown) would admit years later that he was "terrified" when Marvin Gay said he wanted to make a "protest album." And what a protest album it was!

"What's Going On is a concept album with most of its songs segueing into the next and has been categorized as a song cycle. The narrative established by the songs is told from the point of view of a Vietnam veteran returning to his home country to witness hatred, suffering and injustice."-NPR

"Oh, make me want to holler, the way they do my life. Make me want to holler the way they do my life" Lyrics from Inner City Blues

Celebrating and honoring Marvin Gaye and his legacy.

For those who know me well, I'm sure you are surprised that I waited this long to say these two words: Nina Simone.

"Revolution", "To Be Young, Gifted and Black," "Backlash Blues" "Four Women" "Mississippi Goddam" She also did a rendition of "Strange Fruit" (see yesterday's post regarding Billie Holiday)

"Just try to do your very best, Stand up, be counted with all the rest, 'Cause everybody knows about Mississippi, goddamn"-Lyrics from Mississippi Goddam. You can find a video of Nina singing this song if you Google it. Many parts of the song are still relevant today.

Influenced by her friendship with playwright Lorraine Hansberry and individuals in her inner circle like James Baldwin, Stokely Carmichael and Langston Hughes, social commentary became an expected part of her performances.

If you only think of Nina Simone for "I Put a Spell on You" or "Feeling Good", I ask you to take another look.

Her voice coming from the stage and through records as been recognized for helping to fuel the fledgling civil rights movement.

Today, I honor and celebrate NINA SIMONE and her legacy of advocating for social justice.

Today I recognize the amazing Billie Holiday. I'm not sure what haunted me more growing up; reading about lynchings as described by James Baldwin in his books or hearing about them as sung by Billie Holiday in "Strange Fruit"

"Southern trees bearing strange fruit blood on the leaves and blood at the roots, Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees"-lyrics from Strange Fruit

Although initially hesitant to sing the song as she didn't want to politicize her performances and was worried about being targeted at her performances, by the late 1930s Billie Holiday was closing out every performance with the song.

Holiday approached her regular label Columbia about recording the song but they declined because they feared backlash. She later went to an independent jazz label, Commodore Records, who recorded the song with her in 1939.

Despite resistance from radio stations, especially those in the south who refused to play the song, the song rose in the charts. "Strange Fruit" eventually sold 1 million copies and became the best selling record of Holiday's career.

I don't have time to write it all here, but what the government did to her, led by Harry Anslinger, to destroy her and stop her message about segregation and racism is beyond despicable!

Thank you to Billie Holiday for having the courage to stand up and speak up!!

Today will be the last post regarding authors and social justice/activism. Tomorrow, I will pivot to musicians and social justice. BUCKLE UP!

Today, however, I honor, Professor Farah Jasmine Griffin and her book "Read Until You Understand." Farah is a professor of African American and African diaspora studies and English and comparative literature at Columbia University. "Read Until You Understand" was the recipient of the 2022 PBS NewsHour Best Book of the Year and Phi Beta Kappa Christian Gauss Award.

"Read" is an inquiry into the literary roots of Black culture and many of the writers (and themes) that helped to cultivate it.

"Griffin entwines memoir, history, and art while she keeps her finger on the pulse of the present, asking us to grapple with the continuing struggle for Black freedom and the ongoing project that is American democracy. She challenges us to reckon with our commitment to all the nation's inhabitants and our responsibilities to all humanity."

Professor Griffin is continuing the tradition of writer/social justice activist.

I celebrate Professor Farah Jasmine Griffin and her commitment to the legacy!

Today, I want to acknowledge two poets who touched my life: Nikki Giovanni and Maya Angelou. In college I belonged to the Nikki Giovanni club. We would gather and write and read poetry and discuss being Black at a majority white school. How our lived experience was different from many of our classmates. Her words helped me get through college as did Maya's. Performing "And Still I Rise" with a friend as part of a class assignment is one of the highlights from my college years (standing ovation and an A). Seeing and finding myself in their words-what a gift! Combining their words with social activism as a given, as a responsibility has been imprinted on my life.

"If you don't understand yourself, you don't understand anybody else."-Nikki Giovanni

"I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it."-Maya Angelou

Celebrating Nikki Giovanni and Maya Angelou and what they have brought to my life!

Today I honor a legend among legends: JAMES BALDWIN! I was first introduced to James Baldwin in high school when a teacher recommend I read his novels as part of a literature project that required us to read 3 to 5 novels by one author and then write about themes found in the books. The first book I read: "Go Tell It on the Mountain" I was immediately hooked and have read countless others. While writing his amazing books, James Baldwin used his platform to raise awareness of racial and sexual oppression in the United States. Where to begin with picking a quote? I will leave you with a couple on this first Saturday of 2024 Black History Month:

"Please try to remember that what they believe, as well as what they do and cause you to endure does not testify to your inferiority but to their inhumanity."-James Baldwin

"The victim who is able to articulate the situation of the victim has ceased to be a victim: he or she has become a threat."-James Baldwin

It is nearly impossible for me to name a favorite author/activist, but if you forced me to choose, I would say Toni Morrison. The Bluest Eye, Beloved, Song of Solomon, Home, A Mercy, Tar Baby-I could go on and on! In addition she used her platform to advocate for social justice, particularly for Black women-speaking out against racism, sexism and other forms of oppression.

"This is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal." Toni Morrison

Today I celebrate the legacy of Toni Morrison.

The 2024 theme for Black History Month is "African Americans and the Arts" spanning the many impacts Black Americans have had on visual arts, music, cultural movements, and more. One of my passions is studying and learning how Black artists have used their platforms for social justice. Learning about Paul Robeson and reading his book "Here I Stand" was a life changer for me in college. Paul Robeson used his platform as a singer and actor to advocate for the freedom, independence and equality for all humans. He believed artists should use their talents and exposure to advocate for societal changes. He received pushback and lost opportunities to act and sing; individuals even demanding that he shut-up and remain silent except for when he was acting or singing. Paul Robeson famously wrote: "The artist must elect to fight for freedom or slavery. I have made my choice."
Celebrating Paul Robeson's legacy today.

Thank you to all my friends and family for your unconditional love and support as I continue to make major transitions in my life. A HUGE debt of gratitude for those who shared with me the same quote:

"If you are silent about your pain then they will kill you and say that you have enjoyed it." Zora Neale Hurston

PRESSING ON!!

I am excited to announce I will be delivering my first in-person Nia Art of Sensation training. Through this training, participants have the opportunity to relearn the foundational language of living: sensations! We will also learn through movement how to ignite and listen to body sensations. This training will be held over two weekends in April in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

Nia ART OF SENSATION (NEW White Belt) with Teresa Myers 04/14/23 A Sensory Journey of Movement, Mindfulness, Connection + Joy Explore 13 body-centered principles that guides you home to your body where you will discover and connect with your authentic self.

An American Girl by Teresa M Written by Your Song participant Teresa M as part of her 1:1 therapeutic songwriting experience.

"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant." Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech

"It's the people's unbroken love for themselves that motivates me even when faced with dehumanizing norms of a system that leads to the loss of life over simply being Black." Colin Kaepernick

"Race and racism is a reality that so many of us grow up learning to just deal with. But it we ever hope to move past it, it can't just be on people of color to deal with it. It's up to all of us-Black, white, everyone-no matter how well-meaning we think we might be, to do the honest, uncomfortable work of rooting it out." Michelle Obama

"Black history isn't a separate history. This is all of our history, this is American history, and we need to understand that. It has such an impact on kids and their values and how they view black people." Karyn Parsons

"One day our descendants will think it incredible that we paid so much attention to things like the amount of melanin in our skin or the shape of our eyes or our gender instead of the unique identities of each of us as complex human beings." Franklin Thomas

"As Black women, we're always given these seemingly devastating experiences-experiences that could absolutely break us. But what the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls the butterfly. What we do as Black women is take the worst situations and create from that point." Viola Davis

"Justice is what love sounds like when it speaks in public." Michael Eric Dyson

“It may well be that we will have to repent in this generation. Not merely for the vitriolic words and the violent actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence and indifference of the good people who sit around and say, ‘Wait on time.’” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"The very serious function of racism is distraction. It keeps you from doing your work. It keeps you explaining, over and over again, your reason for being." Toni Morrison

"We envision a world where we use power to heal rather than destroy. One where we are free to fully feel our lives and are never forced into numbness or reactivity." Prentis Hemphill

"In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute."-Thurgood Marshall

Embodied Social Justice is the study of how bodies are shaped and influenced within unequal societies. For many bodies that have been "othered" in society, turning off sensations or not listening to body sensations has become a mechanism for survival. Nia Dance Fitness with Jenn Hicks and I are honored to present Art of Sensation through the lens of social justice. Through this training your body will relearn the foundational language of living: sensations. You will also learn through movement how to ignite and listen to your sensations. Through sensations we come home to our bodies. In our bodies, we are at the seat of our own liberation!

Nia ART OF SENSATION (NEW White Belt) with Teresa Myers & Jennifer Hicks 03/04/23 A Sensory Journey of Movement, Mindfulness, Connection + Joy Explore 13 body-centered principles that guides you home to your body where you will discover and connect with your authentic self.

FREE Online Workshop: Movement and Sensation as Keys to Embodiment and Social Justice.
Sat Feb 4 2-3:30pm ET
Join myself and Jennifer Hicks (of Nia Dance Fitness with Jenn Hicks) Nia Dance Fitness with Jenn Hicks) for this free 90 minute workshop on the Art of Sensation, which will introduce you to the awareness of sensation, the foundational language of living. You will learn how somatic movement is used to ignite sensation in the body and how this can enhance a sense of aliveness and vitality. You will discover that when we are home in our bodies, we are at the seat of our own liberation which is key to social justice for all of humanity.
Please come prepared to move.
More info and registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/movement-and-sensation-keys-to-embodiment-and-social-justice-tickets-519209568797

This is one of my favorite events of the year. The opportunity to come together with other Nia teachers and hold space and honor Black History Month. Black History Month 2023 Nia & Healing Arts Jam - The history of Black people in America has been a history of resistance and resilience. A continuous struggle for freedom, justice and equality. Throughout this fight, Black people have sought ways to nurture and protect Black lives. Music and movement have played an integral part in this nurturing and protection of the Black body.
JOIN us on Saturday, February 25th for this SENSATIONal event as we consciously choose music and movements to dance for the safety, dignity and belonging of all humanity.
This event will be recorded and will be available for 24 hour replay for all who register.
To Register-Scan QR Code or click on link:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-history-month-nia-and-healing-arts-jam-tickets-490524490957