As a Black American, I sadly don't know much about my family tree. Honestly, it's only recently that I've showed interest in learning more about it. I am now on a journey to connect with my ancestors. This is a step i'm taking spiritually as a Black woman to better understand my purpose and who I am. Since moving back home to Philly a few months ago, I've been asking close family members questions about our roots. My uncle recently told me about my great grandmother Vennie and how her home 'down south' always had mysterious jars filled liquids and plants. Jars she told him contained, "medicine".
Sadly, due to spiritual taboos and modern medicine this isn't a part of our family history that is widely shared. That's because it turns out my great grandmother was a healer. Not a modern medicine practitioner, but an intuitive healer and to my surprise i've developed a calling to follow in her footsteps.
While I do believe in modern medicine, I (and my ancestors) strongly believe that "God" has also placed the cure to every illness on this earth.
Following this journey, has led me back to Philly and into the arms of Taylor Johnson-Gordon founder of Sistah of The Yam. a herbalism organization made by a Black Woman exclusively for Black Women. YES ya'll a FUBU healing organization! Let me set the stage and share that since I’ve begun my journey it was quickly made apparent that the herbalism space is white AF. I've attended too many workshops where I’ve been the only POC. Sadly, this is the effect after years of us being taught to let go of our heritage and our traditional healing. So finding SOTY or any Black herbalist for that matter is EVERYTHING.
I recently enrolled in her "Resilient Remedies" course. An intimate and intensive herbalism class which allowed 10 Black women to connect, learn and create traditional preventative + restorative herbal remedies for the cold, winter months. This was the first time I entered the space of plant medicine with sisterhood in mind.
"Healing" is a complex topic that looks different for everyone. It's not just a matter of "disease" and "cure" or "pain" and "relief". At its core, for some, healing looks like unapologetic self-love. During this course as a small group of Black Women we saw that in our space "healing" meant de-medicalizing "health", decolonizing "wellness" and reclaiming our ancestral connection with God + Mother Earth (through herbs).
Eco-womanism, was a term I learned. Understanding the parallel's between the Black Woman's body and the earth; both so precious yet terribly exploited.
This course lovingly reminded us to look at ourselves and re-reconnect with mind, body and spirit.
It reminded us to look at our healing through a holistic lens, not piece by piece because we are complex.
It meant that as we grow as herbalists, we should take our time to slowly connect with each herb. Don't rush through things. Trust the process.
We needed to slow down and take space to see how we interacted with each plant, because there is no one size fits all when it comes to healing. Our healing is as delicate as each herb.
Herbalism [and this course] reminded us that this journey of healing means we need to take space to learn and unlearn. In life we tend to focus on treating a major symptom, but it is important to stop and explore the root cause of the issue. Trust me, i've seen this in my life many times, like saying someone i've dated was "toxic" [instead of looking deep and realizing] I had 'toxic' behaviors allowed that man in my space. Or being so stressed out by work + people that I accepted chronic headaches were just a part of my life instead of accepting that [at the core] I was sick because I didn't know how to say no and set boundaries in my life. So girl yes, I know, sometimes it's easier to put on a bandaid or pop a Tylenol instead of acknowledging the actual wound [both figuratively and literally].
Thank God our traditional herbalism asks you to take time to listen to your whole body and deeply explore the symptoms and how an issue effects different parts of your life. Something we as Black people and especially Black Women have lost touch with. Our healing has become so one sided, to the point where we have forgotten about us.
As a group we sat and discussed our herbalism journeys, because like many good stories it starts long before us. As a group we saw that all of our stories started in Africa and continued in the American South, where working the root was or death. As individuals we explored our roots deeper. Some of our stories began in Okinawa, where the beaches have star shaped sand and the indigenous women are recorded to live the longest in the world. Another woman's story traced into the Caribbean where the sea and earth intertwine. Mine, in Hollyhill, South Carolina (as far as i've been able to trace thus far).
Re-telling our stories in this class also meant that as women and healers the pen has been passed down to us. Our story of healing, our story as healers are ours to be written. As mothers, as sisters and daughters of the soil we are healers.
Thank you Taylor.
Sistah of the yam was founded by the amazing Taylor Johnson-Gordon, a food educator, herbalist, mama and home-cook. She teaches interactive and engaging sessions on plant-based cooking, food, nutrition and herbal medicine throughout the greater Philadelphia region. For more information, visit: https://www.sistahoftheyam.com
