Ep. 19 - Racial Diversity In Wellness with Writer, Poet & Black Equality Advocate Vean Ima

In what is arguably one of our most important episodes to date, and in the wake of the tragic and heart-breaking death of George Floyd which has sparked global outcry for an end to systemic racism, we speak to poet, writer, wife and mother of six, Vean Ima, whose work centres around the themes of womanhood, identity and race, inspired by her own journey to self-love and self-acceptance. Though we are not a current affairs podcast, we don’t believe in having a platform and a voice yet remaining silent on issues that require affirmative action to effect change. We are a wellness podcast, but wellness to us does not mean kale salads and expensive workout gear. It means bettering ourselves and being committed to constant spiritual growth. It means raising conscious kids. It means living intentionally. The wellness industry isn’t reflective of the society we live in and we feel it is our responsibility as two white women working in the industry to be part of the change that needs to happen.

In the episode we go deep into the nuances of systemic racism, the reason it exists, why it persists, and what we can do to make real, tangible, long-lasting changes. We talk to Vean about life as a black woman in Britain and what that actually means, offering us the opportunity to move into a deeper understanding of the battles black people have been facing for centuries. As Candice Brathwaite describes it: “The smaller specs of racism that eat away at a black British person every day.”

We go on to discuss wellness and why, as an industry, it is so heavily populated by white people. We speak about organisations who are trying to change this and what we can all do, on an individual level, to make small but profound changes ourselves.

We urge you to listen to the whole thing, take notes, and use the show notes for a comprehensive (yet by no means conclusive) list of resources.

You can follow Vean on Instagram @vean_ima

Resources

Non-Fiction Books:

I Am Not Your Baby Mother – Candice Brathwaite

Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race – Reni Eddo-Lodge

White Fragility – Robin Diangelo

The New Jim Crow – Michelle Alexander

How To Be Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi

White Rage by Carol Anderson

Me And White Supremacy – Layla F Saad

Hood Feminism – Mikki Kendall

Roots – Alex Haley

I know Why the Caged Bird Sings – Maya Angelou

Becoming – Michelle Obama

Raising White Kids – Jennifer Harvey

My Name Is Why – Lemn Sissay

Biased – Jennifer L. Eberhardt

Mira Jacob – Good Talk

Democracy in Black – Eddie S. Glaude Jr.

I’m Still Here – Austin Channing Brown

Nigger, An Autobiography – Dick Gregory

A Sin By Any Other Name – Robert W. Lee

The Inner Work of Racial Justice

Twelve Years A Slave – Solomon Northup

 

 

Fiction:

Americanah - Chimamanda Ngozi-Adichie

Yellow Crocus – Laila Ibrahim

Underground Railroad – Colson Whitehead

Kindred – Octavia Butler

Girl, Woman, Other – Bernadine Evaristo

The Hate U Give – Angie Thomas

To Kill A Mockingbird – Harper Lee

An American Marriage – Tayari Jones

Such A Fun Age – Kiley Reid

Uncle Tom’s Cabin – Harriet Beecher Stowe

Queenie – Candice Carty-Williams

Homegoing – Yaa Gyasi

The Colour Purple – Alice Walker

An American Marriage – Tayari Jones

We Cast A Shadow – Maurice Carlos Ruffin

Noughts And Crosses – Mallory Blackman

Hang A Thousand Trees with Ribbons – Ann Rinaldi

The Book of Night Women – Marlon James-

 

Books for kids:

All Are Welcome – Alexandra Penfold

The Ordinary People Change The World series

My Grandma And Me – Mina Javaherbin

One Day In The Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree – Daniel Bernstrom

Are Your Stars My Stars? – Leslie Helakoski

Mixed – Arree Chung

It’s Ok to Be Different – Sharon Purtill

Ruby’s Worry – Tom Percival

Backyard Fairies – Phoebe Wahl

Welcome to the Party – Gabrielle Union

A Boy Like You – Frank Murphy

Someday Is Now – Clara Luper

Ada Twist, Scientist – Andrea Beaty

 

Listen to and follow:

Rachel Cargle

Akala

Candice Brathwaite

Reni Eddo-Lodge

Tayari Jones

Chimamanda Ngozi-Adichie

Tarana Burke

Windrush

Mikaela Loach

Vean Ima

Bernice A King

Austin Channing

Ijeoma Oluo

Layla F. Saad

Luvvie Ajayi Jones

Brittany Packnett Cunningham

 

 

Causes To Donate To:

Black Lives Matter

Black Protest Legal Support UK by Ife Thompson

Liberty Human Rights

Stop Hate UK

Green Tree Yoga in LA

Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust

Innocence Project

 

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You can get my FREE 6-Step Guide to Complete Wellbeing by subscribing over at www.laurenvaknine.co.uk and if you’d like to connect with me, get in touch on Instagram. You can also see me over on my YouTube channel.

 

Reconditioned with Lauren Vaknine supports Solace Women’s Aid Charity, who support survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence, working with over 27,000 people each year to build safe lives and strong futures.

 

Season 2 of Healthy Happy Home is sponsored by Megahome Water Distillers. Use the code HHH5 at checkout for a 5% discount www.megahome-distillers.co.uk @megahomedistillers1