I am 44% indigenous native American, perupeche
22% White/ Sevilla, spain (gypsy)
18% Mali, Africa, and
16% Turk, Anunaki
I grew up with a lot of shame towards my darker skin and curly hair and received the shame handed down to me by my own mother, grandmother, and uncles as I grew up. My features were highlighted to me in shameful ways by them as I was coming up. Now I have realized how exotic and beautiful my mixture is. I had to reconciliate that I also carry the blood of the oppressor/raper/abuser. With this BLM movement, I feel the divide and separation forced in my own body as I carry both the abused epigenic genes and the abuser genes. I feel the connection with others when I am in all black people surrounding. I feel the connection when I am around my gypsy communities. I mostly identify as indigenous native American with my deep connection to our earth. I feel somewhat comfortable around my white counterparts. For me what has helped me is to celebrate the good of each genetic part of me, process the abuse passed down to me, and take the good from each and actively choose to leave/stop the destructive patterns behind

Brilliant discussion! Great incorporation of the buddhadharma in the discussion of the African Diaspora. I realized that for all people of color – we are part of the diaspora. We cannot be separate. I love the discussion of the need to connect to the earth and the deep almost genetic connection I feel around people of color

Thank you, Dawa, Suryagupta and Sebene for bringing many diverse perspectives to the discussion, especially how conditioning works in our minds sometimes unconsciously.

Oh my goodness, all these have been incredible! I’m never disappointed when I hear Black Buddhist teachers speak together. Thank you so much for putting this together. This is truly the medicine I need as an unapologetically Black woman decolonizing wellness spaces here in Finland. Much love to you all ❤️

Thank you for the blessing of this Summit. It has allowed me to explore the pain of the women of my family. (I have a pattern of withdrawing when I’m hurt so this is progress for me). Here it is: Great grandmother was white, a servant in a white home in Boston. She had a baby that was obviously not pure white and was forced to place my grandmother for adoption. She grew up with a black family and married my grandfather, a mixed blood man and they produced my green eyed mother. My mother paid for her lightness with every blow she received from my jealous father until the night she was found dead in my father’s plumbing truck with plastic pipe neatly connecting the exhaust to the passenger window. It was deemed suicide. The death of a “pale” Black woman didn’t matter. A being with a mix of blood carries the special burden of being rejected by both blacks and whites and being referred to as “pale” feels like more of that, as if I am a “pale” version of blackness, someone who doesn’t belong. But I know you don’t mean to hurt anyone so I decided to just say what I feel. Thank you for hearing me.

Excellant session on the effect of growing up in a diaspora. Insight, openness, and sharing are all part and parcel of everyone’s learning. May we all learn and grow a better world together.

Simply beautiful: filled with light, truth, hope. Thank you.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to participate in this summit!
I am a white female psychotherapist from germany; I work with traumatized patients and try to apply awareness and compassion wherever I can (within myself and in contact with the world).
I think it is so important that we share the feeling and knowing of interconnectedness, for being human, for being vulnerable and resiliant at the same time. And to learn from each other and our individual and collective history. This summit is a great chance for that learning – thank you!