( ENSPIRE Community Spotlight ) Shelley Meche’tte, Certified Life Purpose Coach, Offers Method to Combat Racism
ENSPIRE Contributor: Amitha Bhat
Our world has gone through intense turmoil in the last few days with the unjustified death of George Floyd, a Black man, killed at the hands of a White ex-policeman. In response to unheard cries of justice, many cities rebelled with protests, which were interrupted by agitators. How do we change the narrative, when it comes to the equality and safety of Black men and women? How do we as a society move past the anger?
With over fifteen years of experience, Certified Life Purpose Coach and Author of “70 Days of Happy: Life is BETTER When You Smile”, Shelley Meche’tte says that there is a way to begin the healing process for our communities and for our country…and that healing begins with honesty about self.
Admission: Before anything can change in our society, honest self-reflection will be needed. Those with supremacist mentalities will need to admit the toxicity of their views and those in authoritative positions need to be removed. That type of toxicity is a complete danger. Everyone has a right to feel safe and if someone’s misguided view is disrupting that safety, then it must be dealt with.
Re-Learn: People with toxic views need to be willing to re-learn how they see others who aren’t like them. No one is born with “isms”. Racism, Colorism, Classism and so on. These things are taught. And things change when we are willing to no longer hang onto ideologies that are unjustly harmful towards others.
Teach: Teach our next generation, a new way to love and co-exist with one another. This current generation won’t always be here. Is this what you want to leave your grandchildren and great-grandchildren with? If not, show them a new way…that ALL life is precious and ALL people are equal.
Justice: The best way for the anger and pain to end…is for justice to begin! We have to stop making excuses for those using authority to break the law. Stop protecting the guilty and punishing the innocent. If we truly want the healing process of our world to not only be put in motion now but to continue to move forward, we must make people responsible for their actions, giving proper consequences for their crimes. The question isn’t if we can do better as a society, but rather…will we?
