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“Acknowledge the emotion, accept that you feel it, and then release the emotion. Some people try to release the emotion by not feeling it,” said Jean Latting on the second day of the Author Stage. Her purposeful anecdote is universal and a great way to illustrate how to work with emotions instead of bottled them up. Authors Tara Wallis and Ronald Olivier joined Latting on the intimate panel. Moderator Jamila T. Davis, PhD, a motivational coach and speaker, offered similarly compelling insights.
Topics covered during the discussion included navigating the complexities of love, family dynamics, and community. Other core beliefs shared by each panelist ranged from intergenerational trauma to the collective power of healing and compassion.
One moment that stood out to me was when Ratting emphasized the importance of apologizing effectively. According to Ratting, an apology should mean something. “When you apologize, it’s not your responsibility to control the other person’s thinking,” Wallis said.
Latting said he doesn’t necessarily see this method of communication in this light. “Being receptive is [aware] Know how others perceive you. If they don’t perceive you the way you want them to, [you’re] “Say it,” added Mr. Latting.
Moderator Dr. Jamila T. Davis shared her own recollections of being incarcerated. She said the women of color she and she had been incarcerated for nearly a decade were there because of trauma. “Something that happened in our lives brought us to a dark place. Healing has to happen from within.”
Davis also said healing is a journey, and she would like to see tools like interactive, reflective books and therapy become the norm. I love myself more Her work with Wallis is an example of the former.
Author Ronald Olivier said that men rarely show emotion. “Men are so closed off. We close off so easily.” Olivier said it was normal for many men to hide their true feelings. He said that through works such as his books, 27 Summer The man is encouraged to open up and be true to himself, and the book’s title alludes to the summer he spent serving in the military in Mississippi.
Ronald added: 27 Summer is an effective guide to how to express yourself accurately, especially as a man. “My book will help you open up.”
Wallis’ final advice is to “seek your own healing and take yourself seriously.” Notably, she also says, “There is no reward for suffering,” another poignant statement.
