People of Complexity (POC): Unpacking Christianity & Reclaiming Spirituality

*Please note the event date has been changed to December 11th 3 PM EST*

Join us for a courageous conversation in a panel discussion and Q&A format where the panelist will touch on topics about:

• Their personal religion and spiritual stories
• Christianity's impact on African and Indigenous spirituality
• The complexity of racial identity and spirituality
• Healing colonized religion/spirituality
• Liberation in the context of religion and spirituality

Online Event

Will be recorded and available for download

Captions available

*Disclaimer*

This is an experiential space more than educational. The facilitators do not claim to be experts. They are bringing their lived experiences and stories to have this complex and courageous conversation. 

Courageous Conversations Online Panel with:

Grecia: honorary guest panelist

Grecia (sher/her) is a little bruja born and raised in La Habana, Cuba. Her desire is to provide pure and authentic products and services and bring her ache (personal power) to you. Grecia has generated many followers and critics when it comes to identity politics and has been vocal of the complexities of being a Black Cuban woman living in America. Espiritista, Yayi Nkisi, creator of the Witches and Wine event, and Activist for Cuban Liberation are a few of her many roles. Grecia uses her platform to lift her voice and of others in support of the Cuban people and political prisoners. She is also an educator providing a series of workshops and mentorship programs for those seeking to dive deeper into their spiritual roots. When not creating political, witchy,ancestral healing events for the community, she is selling clothes and accessories in her online boutique MaConjure Boutique LLC.

Rysse Guzman: moderator

Rysse Guzman (she, they) is a Healer, Psychospiritual Coach, Buddhist Psychotherapist, and writer. She is a second-generation immigrant from the island of Quisqueya. Rysse identifies as a mixed-race, queer, cis-woman, of Afro-Indigenous-European descent; holding the complexity and privilege of being a person of color that is white coded and with both colonizer and colonized ancestry. Rysse comes from a lineage of curanderas and brujas. She is passionate about integrating and reclaiming ancestral medicine with holistic therapy, plant medicine, and somatic trauma healing. Rysse's life purpose is to be a guide to the light. She engages spirituality as a praxis of social justice, as in spiritual work is not separate from the work of collective liberation. She aims to dismantle oppressive systems internally and in community. 

Inaruti Araní: panelist

As far as Inaruti Araní (she/her) can recall, she has always considered herself a soul that was destined to serve. Currently, she is serving children and adults at various organizations throughout New York City including Green Generations and Little Flower Yoga. She launched her own studio and provides yoga-based workshops, ancestral wisdom-shares, afro-indigenous events and ceremonies that support self–awareness and healing. She is a traditional birthkeeper serving life carriers in the Bronx. She has dedicated her life to community. Inaruti started her professional journey working in the social services field with at risk children and adults. Inaruti continues to work alongside other like-minded people in advocating a more conscious and positive way of life for all. Not just for us but for our future generations.

Betsabé Luna: panelist

Betsabé Luna (she/her/ella) is a certified yoga teacher, Reiki Master, herbalist and counselor based in New York City. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Harlem, NY, Betsabé has focused her career and studies around serving marginalized communities. As a student of Theravada Buddhism and Sōtō Zen, Betsabé is interested in embodied spirituality and social justice as interdependent practices. Betsabé also loves to travel and experience different cultures. She has participated in spiritual retreats, ceremonies and workshops around the world, blending her love of learning the ancient arts with travel. Traveling has allowed Betsabé to cultivate beautiful friendships, intercultural understanding and a sense of freedom that is indescribable, but deeply felt. In her free time at home, Betsabé finds joy being in sangha (spiritual community), playing with herbs, and riding her bike around the city.

Ashley Zayas: panelist

Ashley Zayas (they/xe), LCSW, is a therapist and the founder of BIPOC Restorative Therapy LCSW. Some identities that xe holds are: Puerto Rican, transgender, Catholic raised, agnostic atheist current, dog parent, bilingual, able-bodied, white-bodied, thin-bodied and queer. They are constantly unlearning harmful things that were explicitly taught or modeled by family and society in regards to all -isms. Ashley is a lifelong learner in all forms of the passage of knowledge from one to another. Xe loves to travel, meeting new people, listening to podcasts and eating new foods.

Ashley is passionate about supporting others on their healing journey and processing the damage/trauma that white supremacy and colonization cause.