#38 - Social Justice with Angela Johnson Peters

Awaken The Rebel

This week’s rebel spotlight is Angela Johnson Peters, a longtime community activist, associate director of a social justice learning institute, and one of my clients (who could definitely school me in coaching haha). She dives into what’s going on currently with the Black Lives Matter Movement/Protests and how the past feeds into today’s moments of injustice and systematic racism. Sharing her own personal story of awakening and pursuing a career with social justice, Angela dives into ways a person can self-educate and how they can lend a hand towards change.

In the episode you will hear:

• About Angela’s background and own self-awakening with critical consciousness while at school at Berkeley.
• How Angela left her consulting practice to join Social Justice Learning Institute and what the organization does to create a better future.
• How opportunities are being created for change and that hope can be found during this time of grief. Plus, how to be resilient as traumatizing events and history are revealed.
• History of past and present socio-economic oppression of black Americans in the U.S. and materials for self-education.
• How people within the U.S. and other countries are coming together to protest treatment toward black people and standing in unity with Black Lives Matter Movement.
• What needs to be done in each individual’s life in order to be anti-racist and make genuine connections with people in the black community and people of color.
• Next steps: what each person can do to be proactive in making a change - volunteering, voting, education, etc.

Quotes:

“In addition to the grief, and the anger, and the sadness, there is also hope and optimism and feeling like there is real change happening.” - Angela Johnson Peters

“The Social Justice Learning Institute is dedicated to the education, health, and wellbeing of youth and communities of color. We do that through training, education, and community mobilization. We empower through education, create thriving communities, and create systems change.” - Angela Johnson Peters

“Being in this space, with the Social Justice Learning Institute, has really provided me with not only a community that’s dedicated to hearing voice, listening to voice, we’re an organization that is led by the voices of young people and community members.” - Angela Johnson Peters

“People want to know, people want to do something and I understand people wanting to do something. Because that’s what makes us feel alive, so that we’re not disconnected or isolated, understanding that we’re in this together.” - Angela Johnson Peters

“The entire socio-economic position of the United States is based on the backs of black, brown, and native peoples. I can remember when I first became aware of all this history and just...it’s so heavy, it’s so much. And the more you learn - it’s like more, and more, and more. How do you get up in the morning? So that’s when resiliency comes in.” - Angela Johnson Peters

“It’s important to become educated, but the pain and anger is also what fuels the passion to make the change.” - Angela Johnson Peters

“Being anti-racist is actively calling out racism and doing something to dismantle white supremacy.” - Angela Johnson Peters

“The movements of social change are accelerated because of moments like this [George Floyd’s lynching/murder] but there’s never been a moment like this because there’s never been such a worldwide acknowledgement that Black Lives Matter and we have to do something.” - Angela Johnson Peters

“You can’t talk about equity and black people achieving, not only their potential but achieving their due, if you don’t address the economics.” -Angela Johnson Peters

“You can’t really address what’s going on today without looking at what’s gone on for generations” -Shereen

“It’s difficult, and people are scared or people don’t want to say the wrong thing, but you have to do something. You have to start.” -Angela Johnson Peters

Awaken the Rebel Podcast Resources:Are you inspired to take action?

Angela Johnson Peters, Associate Director of Programs & Development Social Justice Learning Institute: https://sjli.org/ Connect with Angela on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angela.j.peters Get involved and find Angela on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelajohnsonpeters

Host, Shereen Thor Get the 7 essential happiness techniques I learned at Yale! Download the Happiness Cheatsheet now! Find Shereen at: www.awakentherebel.com