Racial Responsibility Summer Series Teacher Spotlight:  Kara Edmison

We can learn from each other on and off our mat. Hear how Kara develops her cultural awareness of herself and others and develops her competencies to grow more full and complete as an amazing human being and community healer.

What have you learned about yourself from books, podcasts, essays, speeches and words of Black and brown people?

Words of someone’s life experiences to shape their view and motivation to share their point-of-view is always inspiring.

What can you do to counter the idolization and demonization of Black and Brown people?

What I do to counter misinterpretations is to keep my mindset open to always meet the person in front of me and apply that to subconscious ways of societal influences. Meeting people and getting to know an individual’s life, a life that’s different and unique than you or how you were raised, is one of the ways to see the world more as it is instead of a blurred stereotype.

Where has/does binary thinking create a barrier to your growth in your anti-racism social justice work?

Binary thinking is instilled in us for the years we were influenced by the people and media in our early years. That’s the way it can create a barrier. If I go into interactions with people then I’m not seeing them as the person they are. It takes conscious effort to see beyond your upbringing and to grow in thinking, I strive to continue broadening my perspective.

Question to ask yourself- “What questions are missing to practice truth and reconciliation as I continue to take responsibility for racism and acknowledge it in me, around me, and in the systems, I partake in?”

Being confident enough to admit how little I know. I am still looking to be part of conversations that intimidate me, for how I am viewed. I want to be part of the conversation in, for instance, with the Racial Dialogue Workshops US offers. And once I was intimidated, as with thoughts of ‘How I Belong?’ in the conversation. I now feel that I am welcome but now it’s a matter of making my schedule mesh, as the meet-ups are on Sunday and the class I teach is early Mondays. I am looking forward to later sun in the day to make my first workshop. All in all, I want to be educated in how to appreciate the lives and viewpoints of others.

Thank you for your energy, time, voice and presence in studio and within the community! Sending you so much love and gratitude as you are a true force of allyship and representation of possibilities of UNITY!!