“I really believe our primary work is to do the work of healing and self-reclamation, because it has taken so much away from us in ways we cannot even fathom. This is why I do this inner work right alongside the outer work. Before we go out and change the world we deserve to get the healing, to reconnect with that source inside of ourselves that feels worthy and is good. That is very revolutionary because it’s remaking the world.” ~ Layla Saad
E76 – LAYLA SAAD ON SELF RECLAMATION, WHITE SUPREMACY AND UNDERSTANDING PRIVILEGE // BEING A GOOD ANCESTOR
Listen to the conversation:
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About this interview:
How does white supremacy show up in our lives and what is our work to do?
In this episode Amisha shares a moment with author, speaker and teacher, Layla Saad.
After her open letter “I need to talk to spiritual white women about white supremacy” went viral on the internet, Layla has gone on to write and publish a book called ‘Me and White Supremacy’. Since that time she has been called upon as an educator and guide by other people, of all colours, who are seeking to navigate their own journey of understanding how white supremacy shows up in their life and those of others around them.
In this interview Layla speaks about her own journey of awakening into the full expression of herself as a black woman, and unravelling the ways in which external and internal white supremacy and conditioning has kept her light low until now.
Layla tells her story of pivotal moments that catalysed her own awakening and how she began to change the way that she showed up and reconstruct her internal universe. She explains how she learned to be of service rather than be a servant, and to deliver her work in the world from a place of strong boundaries and self-nurturing.
Together, Amisha and Layla speak about their experiences as women of colour, of working and living in predominantly white spaces, encountering deeply ingrained white supremacy in spaces that they had expected to be free of it, and of the ways they have had to adapt to survive under these conditions.
“The world is set up so that a very specific group of people can thrive, and the rest of us have to adjust ourselves. So that reformation work is peeling back each of the layers and looking at the seed thought or belief that started the whole thing about how I see myself. How do I rewrite that with something that is more true of who I know myself to be?” ~ Layla Saad
Layla Saad is a globally respected writer, speaker and podcast host on the topics of race, identity, leadership, personal transformation and social change.
As an East African, Arab, British, Black, Muslim woman who was born and grew up in the West, and lives in Middle East, Layla has always sat at a unique intersection of identities from which she is able to draw rich and intriguing perspectives. Layla’s work is driven by her powerful desire to ‘become a good ancestor’; to live and work in ways that leave a legacy of healing and liberation for those who will come after she is gone.
Me and White Supremacy is Layla’s first book. Initially offered for free following an Instagram challenge under the same name, the best-selling digital Me And White Supremacy Workbook was downloaded by close to ninety thousand people around the world in the space of six months, before becoming a traditionally published book. Layla’s work has been brought into homes, educational institutions and workplaces around the world that are seeking to create personal and collective change.
Layla earned her Bachelor of Law degree from Lancaster University in the United Kingdom. She lives in Doha, Qatar with her husband, Sam, and two children, Maya and Mohamed.
To find out more about Layla visit laylafsaad.com To connect or work with Amisha, visit amisha.co.uk
Since this episode was published, Layla’s book was released and has become a New York Times Best Seller – Me and White Supremacy: How to recognise your privilege, combat racism and change the world.
Links from this episode:
Open Letter: “I need to talk to spiritual white women about white supremacy”
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