Are you longing to connect with others in a safe environment to talk about the impact of racism and the need for racial healing? Join Yeefah Thurman, Racial Healing Practitioner.
Come together with community members in a safe environment to affirm the inherent value of all people, cultivate a culture of belonging, and deepen our understanding of the differences we face racially and ethnically.
Race is a construct we live with every day, yet it is often the elephant in the room in our daily conversations. A racial healing circle allows participants to connect through our shared humanity, expand our empathy, and broaden our capacity for compassion. It is a way for us to repair the damages caused by racism and build trust across the racial divide.
Through facilitated conversation, embodiment and mindfulness practices, participants can begin to generate connections to heal the wounds of racial trauma. A healing circle offers a chance to be authentic and vulnerable and take collective action for change.
"A healing circle's purpose is to reaffirm the humanity in all of us. And it lifts up what unites us rather than what divides us, while discovering, respecting and honoring the unique experiences of each person." - W.K. Kellogg Foundation
The Racial Healing circle is open to all races.
Yeefah Thurman is a Somatic Transformation Life Coach and Racial Healing Practitioner. Her motto is "If there is a difficult situation that causes stress, anger, sadness, or anything else, remember that tomorrow is a new day and a new chance to handle the situation in a different way."
She was born in NYC to progressive parents – an entrepreneur who founded the first Black brokerage firm on Wall Street and an educator who co-founded a “freedom” school focused on cultural immersion. Her extended family history includes Civil Rights activists like her maternal grandmother, Gloria (Blackwell) Rackley who is noted in South Carolina history, for her role in desegregating public facilities as a leader in the Orangeburg Movement for Civil and Economic Rights.
With such influences, Yeefah understood that essential human rights include equality for all people and freedom to stand up for oneself and others. In her childhood home, TV was limited, and conversation, books, music, and art were emphasized. This fostered her deep desire for gathering information and communicating with others.
An artist by nature, she attended the famous Music and Art high school in New York City. Today, her assemblage artwork centers around racial justice and belonging. She is an advocate for public art and has exhibited her work with Art In Place and Terrain Biennial.
Yeefah is driven to experience other cultures and to understand people the way "they" want to be understood. A lifelong learner currently studying Spanish, she already has a working knowledge of German from the years she lived in Austria. She owns her own hairstyling salon while building her body of work as an artist. Her previous careers include modeling, clothing design, selling African fabric, and advising clients on holistic health care. Over the years she has won numerous awards and scholarships including the Gates Millennium Scholarship.
She has raised four children who follow in her eclectic footsteps, pursuing what motivates them: aviation mechanic, hairstylist-artist and dancer, and singer songwriters.
To request ADA accommodation for a program, service, or activity, call 847-866-2919.
The City of Evanston is committed to promoting a Citywide culture of accessibility and inclusivity. To request an accommodation for a program, service, or activity, please call 847-866-2919 to make an ADA service request or fill out a request form online.
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