Reclaiming Black Cultural Narratives by Shannon Rae Lawes
She’s Lost Control is an ever-evolving journey, and always has been. Being a conscious, or purpose driven brand – however you want to say it – isn’t just words to us. We work hard to transform the industries and spaces we’re part of, which you’ll see throughout Ghosted this month, but to do this we must first be honest about where the land lies.
The horror that surrounded George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement during the pandemic was a much-needed call to action for the white-washed wellness industry. I’m a white founder in an industry that lacks diversity, understanding and accountability. I had a lot of unlearning to do, a lot of action to take, and a lot of business remodelling to work on. The work is ongoing, and regardless of how much diversity coaching and training we have, how many books we read, or how many lived experiences we have within the industry, we’re probably still going to make mistakes. But that shouldn’t deter us from keep going. I guess the important thing is to keep going and to recognise that the collective goal is what matters – equity, diversity and honesty in the wellness space.
This year’s Black History Month theme - Reclaiming Narratives - marks a powerful shift in how we view and celebrate Black history and culture. It’s about challenging the narratives that have historically marginalised Black achievements and instead highlighting stories of resilience, success, and empowerment. So within this theme, we wanted to amplify the voice of a shining light within the SLC team – Shannon Rae Lawes, SLC Event Curator, Artist & Founder of Culture Alchemy. As a POC with Jamaican-Irish heritage, Shannon talks open-heartedly about her take on the wellness industry and its ongoing transformation…
" I’m a white founder in an industry that lacks diversity, understanding and accountability. I had a lot of unlearning to do, a lot of action to take, and a lot of business remodelling to work on. The work is ongoing, and regardless of how much diversity coaching and training we have, how many books we read, or how many lived experiences we have within the industry, we’re probably still going to make mistakes. But that shouldn’t deter us from keep going. I guess the important thing is to keep going and to recognise that the collective goal is what matters – equity, diversity and honesty in the wellness space."
WORDS FROM SHANNON
Throughout time, Black voices, Black stories and Black culture have been silenced, erased or stripped of the truth and molded into something new. Creating a gap between Black people and our connection to our history and healing. And a gap in education for everyone.
Since before the pandemic, there has been a rise in communities and initiatives for POC, but especially during and off the back of the lockdown there were even more communities being birthed, that centred bringing black people together to build community and to build deeper connections to themselves, their lineage and to nature. There are more black running collectives, taking up space on the roads and in marathons. Bird watching and earth tending collectives in green spaces, nurturing the planet. Wellbeing collectives, creating space for people to learn more about their mind, body and soul, ancient healing, vulnerability and rewriting the narratives that we have been sold. The list of community initiatives continues to grow and expand and it is so beautiful to witness and be a part of this reclamation for the people.
We all have a responsibility to educate and empower the next generation. To use the platforms we are creating and the tools we are gaining to be of service, and amplify black voices and leaders that are laying down solid foundations for us to continue to build upon. As well as holding brands, corporations and white-washed industries accountable to do their due diligence, hand over the mic and educate people too.
The more we come together in community and solidarity, the stronger we are in reclaiming our history and making a lasting difference. With my platform Culture Alchemy , I noticed that bringing POC together in one room to explore healing practices, celebrate community and uplift, as well as exchange ideas, history and philosophies, was hugely supportive. Everyone fed back that they felt the most comfortable they’ve felt in ‘these kinda spaces’, safe and that they could be a more authentic version of themselves. They were compelled to share their story and to learn more. Everyone left more informed and connected than when they came and this creates collective healing.
And it’s not just about POC coming together. Creating these safe spaces is a must, but coming together with people from all backgrounds is just as pivotal. The misinformation hasn’t just been fed to us, it’s been fed to everyone. More compassion and an open heart will support us in the direction of where we want to go.
Black culture is THE inspiration for CULTURE. From music, to food, to spirituality, language and aesthetics. We have to continue to rewrite the narratives and take up space, if we don’t, our OWN history will continue to be told by someone else.
With love and hope,
Shannon Rae
x
"We all have a responsibility to educate and empower the next generation. To use the platforms we are creating and the tools we are gaining to be of service, and amplify black voices and leaders that are laying down solid foundations for us to continue to build upon. As well as holding brands, corporations and white-washed industries accountable to do their due diligence, hand over the mic and educate people too."
RECLAIMING NARRATIVES IN THE WELLNESS INDUSTRY
Shannon caught up with some of our Black practitioners to discuss Reclaiming Narratives in the wellness industry.
JESS FRANCIS
What inspired you to go down the path that led you to where you are and making a difference?
What inspired me to travel this path was the realisation that there is so much more to this world that meets the eye. The journey started before I arrived here and I have been re membering with each step, each breath and with each person I meet. I’ve always been creative, using my hands and I’ve found that it’s important to follow the direction of my creativity – it’s one of my gifts and it’s another way of conversing with Spirit. When I was 14 years old, I began attending a weekly forum for children and young people from the African Diaspora where we’d learn about African history. It wasn’t centred on spirituality, but I realise you cannot speak about Afrika without referring to Spirit. That led me to work in prisons at the age of 19 as I wanted to help young people and adults at the face of the system. I found myself helping individuals in a way that came naturally to me. I now co-direct the Ubuntu Black Leadership Project for young people with my brother Callum Reddish. It’s important that we guide children so that they have a strong rooted foundation in where they are coming from so that they can walk the road of their highest paths and fulfil what they came here to accomplish. Somewhere between the age of 14-19, I deepened my practice of meditation and through sitting in stillness and prayer, I was able to tune into the healer within me which opened up the path of hands-on-healing, reiki, sekhem, womb massage, herbal medicine and the ancient art of sound. What continues to inspire me is my environment and the people around me. It’s very much a part of my mission to guide people to rediscover their gifts and to attain Maat balance and harmony in the universe.
Why is reclaiming narratives and taking up space important?
To reclaim a narrative means to educate, to enlighten and to embody. This is important as many have lacked a true education in history. When miseducation occurs and key information is hidden, the truth remains untold. There is a proverb that says, “History is written by the victors. Until the lion learns how to write, every story will always glorify the hunter!” The original story tellers are the Griots who derive from the empire of Mali. Taking up space is important as we are not here to be small. We are here to become the living embodiment of the highest truth, to honour and to be honoured through our existence.
What would you say to the next generation of black change makers, community founders, practitioners and healers?
Be rooted, keep your intimacy with spirit strong, meditate, rest to create, walk in gratitude, listen to your self, remember why you came here, keep creating, return to the ancient way of education, it’s integral to sing, live in community and always live according to the law and the scales of Maat.
MARY SMILEY
What inspired you to go down the path that led you to where you are and making a difference?
To be fair, I ignored this path until I couldn’t. When your dharma is ripening there is no way forward if you don’t accept it, so sometimes when it's said that we have free will I often wonder if we really do hmmm… anyway, I fought it until I couldn’t any longer because all other paths were closed off to me. It can be difficult to accept it especially if the family is religious.
But one of my earliest memories is that my mother was a strong believer in the mystical and esoteric way. As a young girl, I remember us taking these trips to soothsayers, mystics and mediums when she needed advice on certain matters. She never shared her problems with friends - she said they would judge her; so instead, she would visit these “powerful people” as she called them and they would give her readings and advice. They all had very different but yet potent gifts that really soothed my mother especially in times of turbulence. I observed her countenance switch from agitated and stressed to physically refreshed and relaxed. My mum isn't a relaxed person so I was always in awe of the “powerful people”. I didn't know then that I had similar gifts that would somehow shift the perspective of others but I knew that the work they did was life changing and that I would love to do something similar someday.
Today, I realise that the gift was always there, but it took a focussed awareness to surrender to it and a deep trust to share it with others to the point of making a difference. So my inspiration came from a deep knowing that unapologetically, harnessing your inner power (powerful people) can change the trajectory of your journey. I view it as an honour to be in such a position to see deeply into another in the way I do.
My definition of power is a channelled potent confidence to show people another way (just in case)...
Why is reclaiming narratives and taking up space important?
We have nothing if we cannot be ourselves. What I’m realising as I get older is that people don’t want you to be yourself, they want you to be what THEY require. This is basically what The Matrix taught us. You can take the red pill or blue one. One of the pills takes down the societal pleasing route of following orders and keeping the status quo. The other leads to amazing adventures, magical routes that allow your heart to sing. In this curriculum of school we call life, we have to realise that our souls came here to sing and not just singing the blues, we came here to share a melody that is unique to us and where not everyone will dance to it, there will be a group of people who will adore and cherish it. This is essentially what taking up space is to me. Being heard and seen especially in spaces where we have not been given a seat.
I am finding myself taking seats at tables before I’m invited because if I don’t it won’t happen. Taking up space is our birthright.
What would you say to the next generation of black change makers, community founders, practitioners and healers?
Do not be afraid to shake some tables. Pull up and take a seat at the table before it’s even offered because trust me it won’t be offered willingly; and be a part of those conversations and narratives you usually wouldn't be privy to. I'm always shaking tables and consistently in trouble lol but it's worth it because I came here to sing a song no one has ever heard before! Take the pill that offers you an extraordinary, magical life of discovery because that is where you will discover more of your gifts and the confidence to be unapologetically you. Remember there is no one else like you. That alone is a beautiful thing.
DESIREE DIAZ
What inspired you to go down the path that led you to where you are and making a difference?
I don't think I had much of a choice other than having to listen to the calling and to my ancestors on how they were guiding me back to old and new traditions. I was brought up spiritual, and as I kept growing the path became stronger and stronger. Ultimately what brought me to making a difference is seeing how certain traditions have been claimed from closed practices, how certain spaces weren't safe at all, so it's been my mission to create safe spaces and create a community where we can connect deeper as we learn about spirituality and our magick.
Why is reclaiming narratives and taking up space important?
For the longest time we have allowed others to speak up for part of spirituality that are either closed practices, or come from traditions that are a lot deeper but have been westernized to make them easier, not giving respect where respect is due. It's important to reclaim the narrative that some traditions are bad because they are "black" which is not the case. Magick, hoodoo, conjuring is neither good or bad, it's what to make of it. The Spiritual industry has made certain practices, or beliefs as not "love and light" or "low vibration" which is not the case, the importance is to show up with integrity. Unfortunately white washing is real. We see it all the time, we see it in major campaigns where it seems self care and wellness is never for people of colour, we deserve healing, we deserve space held, we deserve having the light shine upon us too especially when certain practices come from us.
What would you say to the next generation of black change makers, community founders, practitioners and healers?
Reconnect with your roots, let your ancestors guide you and don't be afraid to stand your ground with integrity. You deserve to have a space in this!
AURELIE
What inspired you to go down the path that led you to where you are and making a difference?
I guess I want to be the person I needed to meet back in the days. I understand that spirituality is different for everyone, but it's needed for everyone. I've always been the one people go to for advice and answers, to hear hard but necessary truths. I also know that by healing others, I heal myself. That's the tea! My inspiration for being of service as a healer comes from my own soul and physical life journey. I believe that I can find shortcuts for people, using images, and my intuition. My Grandma was a Matriarch in charge of a big family, looked up to for her wisdom and strength, and I'm carrying her light with me.
Why is reclaiming narratives and taking up space important?
Because it is.
The space BEEN taken.
Ancestral spirituality has been wiped out, taken from us, shrunken, removed, and now it's almost like we have to ask for our due back.
It's wild.
So when we take up space, when we speak our truth, we reclaim our narratives, we investigate, and we find ourselves again.
That is an act of radicalism, that is an act of self-care, of resistance, and it is what is required for both ourselves and for others to thrive.
What would you say to the next generation of black change makers, community founders, practitioners and healers?
Just go for it. There are not enough of us, and yet there is SPACE.
As I said, most of us have parents that have had their Ancestral spirituality wiped out by Colonialism, Christianity, and they struggle to understand wtf we are doing, but it shouldn't be a stop on your journey.
The World needs more POC practitioners and healers, so EVERYONE can see themselves in those spaces.
REBECCA MOORE
What inspired you to go down the path that led you to where you are and making a difference?
I spent a long time feeling lost, alone, and in need of support, without knowing or trusting where to turn. Being introduced to yoga and developing a curiosity for spirituality led me to discover practices that transformed how I experience life. I want everyone, regardless of their background or walk of life, to have access to support, tools for self-healing and warm loving spaces where they can lean into community.
Why is reclaiming narratives and taking up space important?
When we take control of our stories, we affirm our experiences and truths. By taking up space, we assert that we deserve to be seen, heard, and valued. In wellness spaces, which have historically been exclusionary, it’s especially important to create environments where our unique experiences are acknowledged, and healing, joy, and connection are prioritised.
What would you say to the next generation of black change makers, community founders, practitioners and healers?
Honour your journey, even when it’s difficult. You are carrying forward a legacy of resilience, brilliance, creativity, and strength. There’s a whole world out there that needs your heart, your magic, and your voice. It matters more than you know.
HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?
The theme of Black History Month is raising an important question for us within the wellness space - do some of the practices we adopt originate with POC? From yoga and meditation to shamanism, what is the true narrative, and how represented are the origins of such practices. Here at SLC we hope to create a safe space to discuss this topic further, so we are handing the mic to some of our POC practitioners to delve deeper during a panel talk on reclaiming narratives next Tuesday 15th October.
Joining us next Tuesday is Rebecca Moore, Breathwork Guide, Author of "Radical Self-Care: Rituals for Inner Resilience' and Founder of Inner Landing, a new inclusive wellness space and studio located in the heart of NW London. Jessica Francis, Jessica is a Healing Guide and Co-Director of the Black Leadership Project, a self-empowerment programme for young people of the African Diaspora. Jess has been practicing the art of stillness and meditation for 10+ years. She recognises her path to help guide people inward, in reconnection with their true nature for greater fulfilment and happiness. and Camille Leforis, Founder of The Black Wellbeing Collective, a mental health and wellbeing service that prioritises the lived experiences of the Black community to heal from racial trauma, racial bias, racism and discrimination, operating as a platform for collective healing.
We hope you can join us. All donations will go to the Hurricane Beryl Relief Fund , run by Black Curatorial.
Thanks you for your continued support of this indie little brand!
Jill