Hey there,
Here’s what’s true: when voices are missing from the conversation, when people are missing from the room, we’re all poorer for it.
Sonali Fiske is someone who is doing tremendous work at helping bring missing voices, voices that have by no means been silent in any way, but have simply gone unheard, ignored. The voices of women, and especially women of color, and indigenous women.
My friendship with Sonali has been a heart-touching one, and I have yet to speak with her when we don’t both end up crying. In fact, this interview starts with some tears from our pre-interview conversation.
What we cover is tender, is fierce, is alive. I think all of us can benefit from hearing this. May it nourish you deeply.
I know she’s starting one of her groups. For Black, Indigenous Women of Color– Pick Your Platform And Raise Your Voice groups in the new year, subtitled: A 12-week program to get you onto the TedX Stage, Get a Keynote, or a Podcast Interview.
It goes without saying, but I will say it, that I recommend her highly. You can tell for yourself how powerful and moving her presence is, as well as her skill. (And yes, she does work with white women, too, quite happily.)
Go find Sonali here: http://www.sonalifiske.com
peace
Mark Silver, M.Div.
Heart of Business, Inc.
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1 Response
This resonates with me, as just this afternoon I was speaking to two other (white male) members of a writers group I attend about the very topic of cultural misappropriation, in relation to music and the popular song ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ where the chorus was originally misheard and is usually sung as ‘a-whim-away’ which makes no sense, but the correct wording is ‘Iuimbube’ meaning ‘you are a lion’ in the African language.
And the reason why I as a white woman have an awareness of this issue of invisibility of cultural roots, is through having come into contact with indigenous African people and been exposed to their culture and language.
So I think that illustrates how having a voice and becoming more visible can have an impact and raise awareness and change perceptions in the wider population and the dominant race