“Acknowledging and allowing yourself to feel the emotion and then release the emotion. Some people try to release the emotion without feeling it,” Jean Latting shared on day two of the Author’s Stage. Her intentional anecdote was universal and a stellar way to address how one should sit in their emotions rather than aiming to bury them. For the intimate panel, Latting was accompanied by writers Tara Wallis and Ronald Olivier. The moderator Dr. Jamila T. Davis who is a motivational coach and speaker offered equally compelling insights.
Topics that were raised during the discussion included navigating the complexities of love, family dynamics, and also community. Other core tenets shared by each panelist spanned intergenerational trauma in addition to the collective power of healing and empathy.
One moment that stood out was when Latting expounded upon the strength of apologizing effectively. Apologies should be meaningful, according to Latting. “When you do apologize it’s not your responsibility to control the other way the person thinks,” Wallis says.
Latting then said she doesn’t necessarily look at this method of communication from this perspective. “Being receptive is about being [aware] of how others are receiving you. If they’re not receiving you the way you want, try to adapt what [you’re] saying,” Latting added.
Moderator Dr. Jamila T. Davis offered words of reflection on being incarcerated. She said that women of color who she was incarcerated with for close to a decade were there because of trauma. “Something that happened in our lives that took us to a dark place–healing has to occur within.”
Davis also noted that healing is a journey and she wants tools such as interactive and reflective books plus therapy to become normalized. I Love Me More by her and Wallis is an example of the former.
Author Ronald Olivier expressed that men rarely show emotion. “Men are very closed–we shut down easily.” Olivier said it is normal for many men to hide how they truly feel. He shared that he is hopeful that through his work like his book 27 Summers men become inspired to open up and be honest with themselves. The title of the book alludes to the summers he spent away serving in Mississippi.
Ronald added that 27 Summers is an effective guide to navigating how to accurately work through expressing yourself, especially as a man. “My book helps you to open up.”
One final word of advice from Wallis: “Seek your healing, take you seriously.” Notably, she said: “There is no reward for suffering,” yet another poignant declaration.
