JLove Calderon is a name which stands for peace, truth, and social justice. She is the author of three widely acclaimed books: That White Girl, We Got Issues! and Conscious Women Rock the Page! Her mission for progress and change has manifested itself in all forms of contemporary media, from articles published in The New York Times and Self Magazine to a personal blog offering reflections on her literary and motivational work.

As a Certified Empowerment Facilitator, Ms. Calderon also hosts workshops and private one-on-one sessions for individuals seeking inspiration and guidance. For over a decade, she has served as an educator at El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice and in her spare time also acts as Project Director of an arts not-for-profit organization called 1+1+1=ONE where she focuses her energies on two programs in particular: We Got Issues! Leadership Institute for Young Women and Eradicating Racism. Ms. Calderon is the recipient of several prestigious awards which include Self Magazine‘s Self Starter of the Year Award and the Union Square Award.

GGG: How did you begin your career as an activist, educator, and author? Who and what inspired you when you were younger? What compelled you to undertake such a journey?

JLove: Becoming an activist was an organic process for me, which grew out of a desire to clean up my own life first, and then try to help others clean up theirs. As a teenager, I was very self-destructive and made a lot of bad decisions that put others and myself in danger. I was starving for people to love me because I didn’t know how to love myself. A series of precarious events gave me a wake-up call, and I decided I wanted to live.

As soon as I made that decision, I knew that part of my destiny was to help other young people live. I started working at a homeless shelter for street kids in San Diego, and joined the Universal Zulu Nation, where we involved kids in positive Hip-Hop events and created a chapter that gave them an alternative to joining a gang. From there, I began learning about some of the root causes of homelessness, poverty, and racism, and I understood that I had to join a movement to create real systemic change, or that everything would remain the same, and we’d keep losing people.

GGG: Over the course of your career, you have served as a Certified Empowerment Facilitator? Can you explain what that is?

JLove: Empowerment is a specific technology that works with the principles that we each have what it takes inside of us to create the life we want. It is about personal growth and transformation. Understanding that we are accountable and responsible for how we experience life. Most importantly, through a strong practice of shifting our mindset and belief system from negative to positive, we can empower ourselves to live up to our highest ideal of ourselves.

I went through an intensive training with the Empowerment Institute and got certified so that I can facilitate Empowerment sessions for individuals and groups. This work has been tremendously helpful for me personally and has allowed me to break through many, many deeply ingrained personal challenges and barriers. Today, I face my fears head on and believe that I am capable of manifesting my dreams and aspirations.

GGG: What recent projects have you undertaken to eradicate racism and to empower young individuals out there who need guidance?

JLove: I have facilitated workshops at several colleges, community centers, and high schools working with people to engage in deep and authentic dialogue about white supremacy, racism, and white privilege. The goal is the dialogue. Through dialogue, we can begin to heal from the wounds of inequality and move toward collective action to bring about a more just world.

GGG: In addition to being an activist, you are also a prominent writer. How did you become interested in writing? What part does writing serve in your overall mission?

JLove: I have been writing since I was a little girl with my first Hello Kitty Diary, which I kept under lock and key! Writing has always helped me process experiences. I am also an avid reader, and books have heavily influenced my life. I use my writing to inform, educate, and agitate! It is a fabulous tool to organize!

GGG: What is the condition of racism in society today? How do you encourage people to change their mentality and prejudices?

JLove: Our country was built on racism, and it is still so powerful that it determines who lives and who dies. Institutional racism has infiltrated every system we have, from education to healthcare to housing to the prison industrial complex. It is, in my opinion, the most lethal issue in the world. How I encourage people to change their mentality is by showing them, and proving to them, that racism is alive and well, encouraging them to dig deep inside and explore how racism and privilege have impacted their lives (no matter what ethnicity you are), and talk about it. Once we get past the defenses, I find that people are really deeply affected by racism and want so badly to be part of the solution. That is where action comes in. This model I created I call AHA: Acknowledge, Heal, Act.

GGG: On your website, you offer one-on-one coaching sessions for individuals as well as hands-on workshops. What do these sessions and workshops entail? What do you mean by their being transformational?

JLove: Like I mentioned with my Empowerment work, these sessions entail me asking questions, holding powerful space, and allowing my clients to listen to their inner wisdom to get clear on some really important questions. Who are you? What is your purpose? What are your passions? If you had it your way, what would your life look like? What gets in the way? After those questions are answered, where we go to work is figuring out “what gets in your way.” 100% of the time, we get in our own way! I work with clients to help them get out of their own way!

GGG: Do you think there are any ties between the sexism in society today and the ongoing racism? Are they linked in any way?

JLove: I believe that all “isms” are linked, in that the formula is the same. One group of people oppressing another group of people because they are different, whether it be race, gender, sexuality, class, etc. Once we can break down the fact that we are all one, and we can all prosper, and that the world is abundant, and that one group does not have to “be on top” in order to win/succeed whatever, then I think that the “isms” have a chance of subsiding. But until the power dynamic shifts, “isms” have real implications when it comes to racism and sexism.

GGG: What would be the perfect world for you?

JLove: I am dedicated to Truth, Love, and Freedom. I envision a world of justice, peace, safety, and harmony. I envision a world where every human being has the freedom to live to his or her fullest and highest potential.

No related posts.

Tags: Person of the Week, Striving for Success