How Racial Identity Can Impact Your Relationship With Food w/ SharRon Jamison

Learning how to put yourself in someone else’s shoes is critical for understanding the political, pathological, and personal ways in which black women and women of color experience their relationship to food. The truth is, food affects people differently, especially when it comes to their racial identity, and it is only by shedding the societal ‘should’s’ and outdated believes that we can soar higher.

Key Takeaways

If You Want To Better Understand Why Food Is Political, Pathological, and Personal You Should:

1. Hold space for the anger of black women and women of color 
2. Stand with black women and women of color in solidarity 
3. Do not shrink into shame but instead shine in power
4. Ask how best you can support black women and women of color
5. Become committed to the sisterhood and stop living from a scarcity mindset
6. Understand the lasting effects of food insecurity and racism
7. Create space for people to work through their pain without trying to rescue them
8. Embrace the incredible journey of discovering your own soul
9. Let go of the beliefs that undermine your gifts and strengths

Putting Yourself in Someone Else’s Shoes with SharRon Jamison

SharRon Jamison is a teacher, leader, minister, author, entrepreneur, and life strategist who is passionate about helping others be who they were born to be instead of settling for what society has told them to be. Through her own experience with racial injustice, eating disorders, and the patriarchy, SharRon breaks down boundaries and exposes inequalities so that women can come together and heal as a community.

Down With the Patriarchy

The patriarchy that we have been socialized into thrives by pitting women against each other and forcing a scarcity mindset. We are told not to trust other women and to compete with them as if there is only room for one of us at the top. While there is evidence of a light being turned on in America, we are still at the beginning stages of this illumination.

SharRon sees the first step to dismantling the patriarchy as white women coming together and standing with black women and women of color. Next, we need to embrace our ability to not shrink in shame but rather to shine in our power. Thirdly, white cis-gendered people need to be vocal about asking marginalized communities how they can provide support. Finally, by being committed to the sisterhood, we can spread the education necessary to stop wounding people of color.

Racism, Food, and the Diet Industry

Food is political, can be pathological, and is very personal. Many things may impact your ability to be healthy that are not directly in your control. This plays into the patriarchal system by keeping those oppressed and giving them very little opportunity to rise up from that oppression. 

The BUGS (beliefs that undermine your strengths and gifts) that society has told you to believe are true are keeping people suffering. SharRon wants you to remember who you were before society told you that you were not enough, and work to help others without the same privileges to stop being ignored by this broken system. Equip yourself with the tools, remember who you are, and advocate for other people so that we can step into the illumination that so many desperately need to see.

Have you ever connected the dots between systematic oppression, patriarchy, diet culture, and racism? Share how you are working to heal the ‘sister wound’ through sisterhood in the comments on the episode page.

 

In This Episode

• The four steps that you can take to come together with other women and heal the collective wounds of the patriarchy (9:03)
• Personal ways that being a black woman has altered SharRon’s relationship with food (15:29)
• Why food carries different political, pathological, and personal weight for women of color (18:32)
• How your racial background and socioeconomic status can impact your health and wellbeing (24:01)
• The importance of decolonizing your thinking and connecting your history to your density (28:15)

 

Quotes

“We are being used as puppets to wound each other. And when we are aware of what is happening, we will stop wounding each other and start winning with each other and change the entire status quo.” (8:05)

“Just like a fish does not know they are swimming in water, sometimes we do not know that we are swimming in this toxic pool called white supremacy.” (11:32)

“I think that it is really, really important that people see how racism touches every aspect of their lives. So now, a lot of black women are not getting help, and anytime you don’t get help, you don’t get hope.” (18:10)

“People are hurting, and it is overlooked because when you are a person of color, you don’t have visibility. Or you are deemed as less valuable. So I feel pain, but I also feel pride. I feel pride because, despite limited resources, people find a way.” (24:42)

“Who were you before society told you who you were? You were amazing before you were socialized to be second class, before racism, before sexism, before ableism. You came to the world amazing, greatness is in your DNA!” (28:47)

 

Links

Join the Tune In Membership Here

SharRon Jamison Website

What Not To Say To Women Of Color by SharRon Jamison

Dare To Be Me Program

Deciding To Soar 2: Unwrapping Your Purpose by SharRon Jamison

Follow SharRon on Facebook | Instagram

Join the Listen To Your Body Newsletter

Steph Gaudreau Website

Check out the full show notes here!

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