Oct 14, 2022
The moment where George Floyd died,
and the Black Lives Matter movement was born, changed the
trajectory of a lifetime for Olukemi Ogunyemi. Racism, violence and
abuse, further complicated by the trauma of living with anorexia,
were layers of a lifetime that she consigns to not knowing any
different; until international outcry and condemnation gave
permission for a completely different conversation.
Telling her story became the thing that Olukemi couldn’t not do.
Spurred on by the permission suddenly created by white people
taking responsibility and initiating action to create change,
Olukemi started writing. Hearing other people saying ‘it’s not ok’
compelled her to share her life experience, determined to challenge
racism and create a world that would be different for her children
and grandchildren.
In this deeply challenging conversation, body therapist and author
Olukemi Ogunyemi shares the story of her upbringing in Scotland as
a mixed-race child, and brings her book “Brown Girl in the Ring” to
life. It’s a conversation about the trauma of experiencing racial
abuse and the responsibilities of individuals, communities and
organisations to raise awareness of racism (personal and
institutional), create impactful change and build a better
future.
Made all the more pertinent by the Sheku Bayoh Public Inquiry,
currently being heard in Scotland, this episode is for anyone who
wants to learn more about how anti-racism can and must be
everyone’s agenda if we are to build a safe, tolerant and
compassionate future. It’s also for those who are interested in
developing their understanding of personal identity and how knowing
who we are reduces the risk of violence and harm in our
communities.
MORE ABOUT MY GUEST: OLUKEMI OGUNYEMI
Olukemi Ogunyemi is a highly
successful body therapist who also speaks and blogs on racism and
transgender issues. In her book, Brown Girl in the
Ring, she tells of her momentous struggle growing up as a
mixed race child in Scotland. She describes in horrific,
gut-wrenching detail the acts of racism that continued into
adulthood and wreaked havoc for her as a wife and mother of four
children.
Olukemi is on a mission to tackle racism head on through compassion
and not blame and, in doing so, to create a different world and a
better future for her children and grandchildren.
Olukemi’s full bio and contact details can be found on her personal
guest
page.
ABOUT YOUR HOST: SUE REVELL
Sue is on a mission to STOP women playing small so that they can create the legacy they want to leave in the world. With over 30 years coaching and leadership experience, Sue loves nothing more than disrupting the unhelpful thinking that often holds women back, so that they can think, dream and BE bigger in leading the change they want to see. Coaching internationally, Sue’s clients are primarily world-changing women who want to lead with confidence, increase their impact and live a life that matters.
TO CONNECT WITH / HEAR MORE FROM SUE:
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RESOURCES REFERENCED IN THIS
EPISODE:
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Brown Girl in the Ring by Olukemi Ogunyemi