Moving Beyond Bad History

05/28/21 • 58 min

Breathe, Baby, Breathe: The Fresh Air of African Values

"We can catch our own babies....We owe it to our ancestors to get all-the-way free."
–Melanie Funchess
In love, Jackie Dozier, Melanie Funchess, aka "Mama Mel," and Sherita D. Bullock, aka "The Baby Lady," are leading the effort in Rochester, NY, to rebuild the Black "Village." Known as "Shermakie," a combination of their three names, Jackie, Melanie, and Sherita are self-described gatekeepers of the Black village. Jackie, Melanie, and Sherita are modern-day QueenMothers who demonstrate not only the centrality of Black women in the movement for emotional emancipation and the complete liberation of people of African ancestry, but the sheer power of Black sisterhood.

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Circles of Black Self-Love

"Black love, provide the adequate electric for what is lapsed and lenient in us now. Rouse us from blur. Call us." –Gwendolyn Brooks
"Love is both a noun and a verb....When we are in close proximity, love multiplies....When we come together our natural selves come through."
–Dominic Coleman
What does it mean to love? What does it mean to be loved? What does it mean for Black people to love each other? The journey towards emotional emancipation is a journey of courage fueled by love. Join us in this discovery of Black self-love, individually and collectively, with a husband and wife team of Emotional Emancipation Facilitators.
Kia Lanae and Dominic Coleman are a modern-day renaissance couple! As certified emotional emancipation facilitators and community-oriented entrepreneurs, they have partnered with multiple community organizations and initiatives over the past 20 years, particularly those that empower and uplift the African American community and spirit. By trade, Dominic is a licensed general contractor and Kia is an empowerment speaker, writer, artist, and creator of “Edify Newsletter” whose mission is to inspire, uplift, and honor the African Diaspora. For more information visit edifynewsletter.com.