Healing is the Revolution Institute of Women & Ethnic Studies

This episode focuses on one man’s journey to care for himself and his community during a time of loss and hardship. Flozell’s childhood epitomized the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child,” as he grew up in a tight-knit and supportive family and community. But within every community, there is a tragedy, and the loss of Flozell’s son significantly impacted his path in life. In that experience, Flozell has risen up as a compassionate leader, while also turning to his community for suppo...

This episode explores the concept of freedom in two very different expressions. First, we hear back from Arnold, who exemplifies the idea that 60 is the new age of enlightenment. With every year, Arnold has found it easier to let go of his anxieties, his control, and the ghosts of his past that haunt him. Thanks to this new approach to life, Arnold has shed many of his self-imposed constrictions and found a new zest for life. While Arnold is thriving in his version of stability, Jasmine, on t...

This episode focuses on two women that are dedicated to breaking the cycle of trauma in their families and who are using their stories as a means to help heal others. First, we hear from Lauren, a board-certified child and adult psychiatrist, and pediatrician, who feels that there was no amount of training that could have prepared her for the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the difficulties, she continues to bring comfort to the patients she virtually meets with, all while continuing on the path o...

This episode focuses on two people whose healing journeys have been highly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the unique processes each one uses to cope. In spite of the traumatic experiences that marked his childhood, Brennan’s resilient spirit kept him on his path to become a devoted father and beloved math teacher. Yet, the COVID-19 pandemic has majorly impacted both him and other members of his family in a very lasting way. In this episode, Brennan reflects on how the pandemic has aff...

If pain is indeed inspiration for art, then poet, health advocate, and educator Nikki Napoleon’s first few decades were not short of material. From the layers of trauma in her home - heartbreakingly brushed off as “just learned behavior” by relatives who could have intervened - to losing some of her beloved siblings, Nikki could have drowned in a reservoir of pain. But “Earth Angels” like her maternal grandmother turned her on to reading books and writing poetry, in which she found healing an...

Since the age of four, artist and activist Jasmine Davis was very clear about who she was, yet she felt burdened by the weight of other people’s prejudice, expectations and projections onto her, and she had to constantly navigate this lack of acceptance and understanding everywhere in her world—from church, to school, to even within her own family. Finally successful in her self definition and in harmony with the people in her life and work, now Jasmine honestly and openly recounts her path t...