Leading with Joy with Akaya Windwood

*Special dedication episode to Nikishka’s grandfather, or her “Tha-Tha”*

This episode – dedicated to host Nikishka's newest ancestor (her grandfather who helped raise her) – offers glimpses into personal transformation, the power of intentional choices, and alternative approaches to accountability. Akaya Windwood shares her experience as a seasoned hospice worker, death doula, and the transformative power of bearing witness to the dying process. She recounts a story of compassion and transformation about a racist woman she took care of who gradually transformed her views over time, highlighting that it is not always the burden of marginalized individuals to be the bigger person, but it can be a conscious choice that can be empowering. The conversation also touches on the need for new methods of accountability and the invitation for others to join the journey on the road to repair without coercion or leaving anyone behind.

Highlights:

• A powerful story of transformation: a moving story of a hospice worker’s/death doula’s journey with a dying woman who initially held racist views, but then undergoes a transformation, challenging deeply ingrained beliefs and prejudices.

• The importance of choosing grace and compassion: Akaya discusses her experience of consciously choosing to respond with compassion instead of reacting from a place of anger or resentment

• Rethinking accountability and transformative justice: Akaya emphasizes the need to hold individuals accountable while still recognizing their humanity and invites listeners to question and reimagine existing systems of accountability.

You can check out the Show Notes for this episode (eg: Guest Bio, Links to Relevant Resources, and Transcript) at www.theroadtorepair.com/s2-ep4