What's In An Education

In the mind of our creator, Almighty God, we were perfect.  Yet because of one choice made, outside of His design, through manipulative and deceptive language, trauma entered into existence.   Therefore, we are perfect creations in imperfect bodies, living in an imperfect world, using restorative practices to heal from the trauma we were born into, the trauma we live in, and the trauma we have experienced. Since we all were created to be perfect, in the image of God and God is the ultimate leader of this universe, we were all created to be leaders. However, through time and free-will decision making, we lead through a capacity of trauma.  Thus, It is important for adults and youth to effectively and qualitatively lead through a posture of understanding individual, historical, and collective trauma. So in this final episode of “Iona Speaks about Defending Self-Justice,” in 2023, listeners are invited to a dynamic and insightful conversation with Dr. Durryle Brooks, CEO and founder of Love & Justice Consulting LLC (https://www.loveandjusticeconsulting.com/ ).  I am both honored and blessed to have this enlightening dialogue with Dr. Brooks, a native of Baltimore who leads through a posture of trauma with grace, knowledge, and healing.  Also, Dr. Brooks uses his education, heritage, and life experiences to provide executive coaching for individuals, corporations, governmental agencies, and non-profit organizations.  In this discussion he explains, “Emotional Emancipation,” and poses the question, “When we do take on self-care in a much more radical act, it invites us to consider what…part of my socialization has me not to want to be quiet and sit in silence…or to be present that I have to be so busy in doing something all of the time?”  Do not miss listening to this podcast, as we round the corner for 2023 and look ahead to Season 5 in 2024.  Let us be intentional about being the leaders God created us to be, exercising His dominion, as we learn about how there is value in trauma.  

Whether it be physical, mental, spiritual, or psychological, healthcare is essential to the lifestyle of every human being in this world.  For centuries there have been disparities in how adults and children, men and women, races and ethnicities, as well as chosen lifestyles, and forced lifestyles through abusive situations are provided healthcare.  When we speak about receiving emergency healthcare, there are a variety of emotions experienced across the spectrum of peaceful contentment to extreme anxiety.   Have you experienced one of these emotions?  In my lifetime, from an adolescent I have experienced different levels of anxiety when entering into an emergency room.  Therefore, I am honored and privileged to engage in an empowering conversation about emergent care with a world renowned and highly esteemed emergency care physician, Dr. Sharon Waters.  A native of New York, currently practicing in the Atlanta, Georgia region at Kaiser Permanente, Dr. Waters helps to dispel some of the myths of emergent care by explaining how emergency room care should be provided.  Listeners will receive vital information about expectations when entering a hospital emergency room as Dr. Waters expounds upon her 3 C's of care delivery, Check what's life threatening, Care and treat the situation, and Call for any additional care needed.    So as you listen to this podcast episode, be open-minded and open-hearted to what you will hear. 

There is a beautiful, complex, and transformative bond between daughters and their mothers. Some relationships are close, some are stagnant, some are distant, and some are even nonexistent.  In celebrating these unique relationships filled with triumphs, love, challenges, lessons, and a multiplicity of memories, the mother daughter relationship is to be cherished.   Through tough times and growing pains, healing in this powerful bond brings emotional validation.  The journey of this relationship lasts a lifetime.  In this episode, listeners will hear a remarkable story of how a mother risked everything, her family, her home, her life, for the safety of her daughter. Hear from Amy M. Le, CEO and Founder of Quill Hawk Publishing (https://quillhawkpublishing.com/) as she takes us through this beautiful journey of a Daughter’s Love.  Amy has received several Literary awards such as Firebird for the Snow Trilogy, while being a national and international bestselling author.   So sit back, take a deep breath, and open your heart as we delve into a descriptive journey of love through trauma from Saigon to Seattle. 

September is nationally recognized as Hispanic Heritage month.  The theme of 2023 is "Latinos: Driving Prosperity, Power, and Progress in America".  What a powerful dynamic it is for individuals to know and understand their culture in order to promote their contributions to the educational, economical, political, and social growth of the United States.  However, is culture limited to just a specific heritage?  As we enter into the Fall season, this episode wll be focused on how beautiful memories can set every human being onto a trajectory of making an impact within their sphere of influence and beyond that is connected to WHO and WHAT they were born to be.  These impacts are intergenerational and help add substance to the fabric of our nation as we continue to heal and grow into God's ordained creation.  Naomi Rudisill-Burrell is a Black woman of African American and Native American descent.  Her culture of identity is not just defined by her heritage but also through her choices.  She has a rich history with twists and turns that have led her to soar like an eagle as a professional woman.  Although she experienced abandonment as a child, this did not hinder her vision of life because she was covered with abundant love and support through a great community of extended family.  As you listen to this heartwarming episode, may you feel Inspired to be a Defender of Self-Justice as God has created you to be.  To see all that Naomi is doing you can connect with her through Facebook  MissBeInspired and Instagram missbeinspired  

In 2022 the Administration on Community Living (ACL) published a report on the National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers  2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers.  This report was created to demonstrate the need for more bolstered and ethical practices to support the multimillions of caregivers in the world today, who are unpaid.    Increasing disabilities from sickness and disease can be debilitating for diagnosed individuals, their primary caregivers, immediate family members, and household members. During this episode, listeners will hear an intimate conversation with Karla Jackson, a primary caregiver for her husband of 30 years.  This vulnerable discussion brings enlightenment to how some legislative efforts and insurance plans, intentionally designed to be helpful have unfortunately become harmful.  Proverbs 13:12 declares "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life." Listen how  Karla's testimony is a revelatory journey into becoming a Defender of Self-Justice. Her story is impactful, enlightening, encouraging, and inspiring to those with and without hope. 

Being a Defender of Self-Justice is not a "catch phrase" or an after thought but an intentional divine posture of identity.  A defender is someone who can be defined as a protector, a guardian, a steward, and a champion for what is right.  Simply put, the Defender of Self-Justice is a preserver of the righteuous gifts God has orchestrated within each of us that dictates how we should live, regardless of situations we might encounter.  In this episode, listeners will hear the blessed testimony of a connection between our guest, Ms. Tina Pollard and her twin sister.  This relationship is powerful and great that begins, ends and flows through one heartbeat.  Listen how Tina shares about the synthesis of the twin connection and the beauty of this relationship.  Even though she and her twin shared the same birth sac, she explains how they were also uniquely made to be the trustees of the gifts that God individually created within them.  

In the last episode, we unearthed another perspective of motherhood as it relates to infertility.  Since there is so much to discuss about this topic, we wanted to share more.  In this episode, we begin to delve into Michelle Browder's sculpture , "The Mothers of Gynecology," that was unveiled during the month of May in Montgomery, Alabama.  This sculpture highlights three emerging adults (Anarcha, Lucy, and Betsey https://www.anarchalucybetsey.org/), who were African Slaves in the 1800s and had their human rights stripped away from them to be grossly experimented on in the name of "Science" by Dr. James Marion Sims.  Listen to this rivoting conversation about how the unspoken testimonies of 3 identified "Divine Appointed Image Bearers" help to reframe the truth about historical patterns regarding the healthcare of Black Indigenous women of Color.  Kathy Bruce, a familiar guest of this podcast and host of "Kitchen Table Conversations with Kathy", uses her gift of navigating through the systemic weeds of racism to bring light and life to this story and other stories, whose silent testimonies birthed out of brutality, bless us today.

On September 24, 2021 in Montgomery, Alabama, a 15 foot high monument was unveiled entitled, "The Mothers of Gynecology", bringing enlightenment to and exposure of the  horrific and torturous true practices of Black enslaved women (Anarcha, Lucy, and Betsey: https://www.anarchalucybetsey.org/) by Dr. J. Marion Sims in the 19th century.  Nationally acclaimed artist, Michelle Browder, with contributions from nationally acclaimed artist, Deborah Shedrick used discarded, damaged, and recycled metal to design this monument, depicting the beauty and value of  Black, Indigenous Women of Color.  This monument, in the intricacies of its creation, reveals that although the physical body of a woman might be broken and discarded, their spiritual body is Full of life and reproduction.   In this episode you are invited to hear the expressive journey towards motherhood from an amazing woman, Jesaira L. Glover, owner and CEO of "Create Your Own Oasis" (https://www.createyourownoasis.com/)  as she shares pieces of her life. 

Grief is a journey that we will all experience in different capacities. 
Pain and joy can coexist in grief because when there is a loss of a relationship, a person, or even a situation that impacts individual functionality the intense emotions cannot be simply defined. Yvette Nicole Brown, award winning actress in speaking about the grief she experienced during the death of her mother says, “Grief is always equal to the love….It is an honor to be this destroyed.” This statement helps to explain the parralled power of joy and pain in grief. In this podcast, you will hear an uplifting and vulnerable conversation about the beauty of grief with Tobi Morris. Tobi is a best-selling author and certified life coach, who is the owner of "Inspired Quotables" https://inspiredquotables.com/. Tobi says, "If your loss is great, your love is great." Join me in this insightful and inspiring conversation.

"The breath is a river crashing into the mountainside until there is a hole large enough for history to come through." This poetic phrase written by Shanda Buchanan speaks volumes about the force and nature of the power we hold in our breath. Breathing in is just as important as exhaling. We can breathe in a multitude of emotions, scents, and ideas yet we can't forget to exhale our streghths, gifts, and purpose. In this 1st episode of season 4, you are invited to hear the vulnerable threads of one of my journeys that expresses the truth of who I am. We all have a journey that was expertly handcrafted just for us that is powerful and beautiful in the midst of pain. So take a deep breath as we go on this journey together throughout this season.