Monica A. Coleman's Blog, page 6
August 12, 2019
Bipolar Faith Reviewed on Syndicate – Lisa Powell
SEXISM, ABLEISM, RACISM in the ACADEMY
”How do faculty assign copious amounts of reading for seminars and exams and fail to include women and scholars of color, time after time? In a program surrounded by a disproportionate number of men, taught by men, reading only men—it’s no wonder women sometimes become sick.”
Lisa Powell talks about the racism, sexism and ableism within the academy – an undercurrent to much of what I wrote in BIPOLAR FAITH. And she encouraged me to talk about those things ...
August 8, 2019
I’ve Been Quiet
I didn’t know I had a lisp. Not until I was 15 and a boy I liked teased me about it. Once he pointed it out, I stopped talking as much. I immediately asked my parents about it. They said they knew it was there, but didn’t think it was a big deal. They thought I would outgrow it. This was, actually, one of the great things about my parents. They shrugged off what other people saw as deficiencies in me. Or fiercely protected me against a system they knew cared nothing about the promise of a young ...
January 2, 2019
Top 10 stories from 10 years of Faith & Leadership
In January 2009, we posted the first story on Faith & Leadership — aptly titled “Starting Well.” In the decade since, we’ve offered almost 1,600 pieces of original content, including feature stories, essays, interviews, sermons, videos, pho...
August 6, 2018
Beyonce’s complicated ancestry and the scars of our past
New York Daily News quotes me in an article about Beyonce, trauma and healing.
The past traumas of Beyoncé’s ancestors have taken a major toll on her.
The pop star told Vogue she had to come to grips after learning she’s the descendant of a slave owner who “fell in love with and married a slave,” and she says her family history is filled with abuses of power and “broken” relationships between men and women.
“I had to process that revelation over time,” she said. “I questioned what it m...
June 17, 2018
BackPage of BPHOPE
Honored to be featured on the back page of bp hope, the magazine offering hope and harmony for people with bipolar. Linda Childers interviewed me and
This scholar, minister, and author of Bipolar Faith: A Black Woman’s Journey with Depression and Faith talks stigma, faith, and the creativity of vegan cooking.
As an author, scholar, and minister, Monica A. Coleman, PhD, knows what it’s like to navigate the intersection between race, faith, and mental health. The 43-year-old professor of Construc...
April 1, 2018
Remember This Day
Remember this day. I told myself to remember this day. This was the day when it all ended. This was the day I was raped.
It ended before I had words for it. .
My ability to sleep well. My ability to focus. My ability to trust. My ability to pray. My ability to believe. It all ended.
Months of therapy healed parts of my life, but it did not give me back the life I lost that day.
I learned to say the words. I learned to say “rape.” I learned to say “survivor.” I learned to own what I lost. And I v...
March 31, 2018
Remember This Day
Remember this day. I told myself to remember this day. This was the day when it all ended. This was the day I was raped.
It ended before I had words for it. .
My ability to sleep well. My ability to focus. My ability to trust. My ability to pray. My ability to believe. It all ended.
Months of therapy healed parts of my life, but it did not give me back the life I lost that day.
I learned to say the words. I learned to say “rape.” I learned to say “survivor.” I learned to own what I lost. And...
October 29, 2017
The First I Press On Community Read!
Bipolar Faith by Monica Coleman is the first I Press On community read. I must admit that I didn’t have any expectations about the book before I began reading it. I simply chose to read the book because from what I know, Monica Coleman seems to be genuine in her efforts to promote mental wellness (meaning that she doesn’t seem to be about making money and advancing her career the way s...
August 2, 2017
He Would Have Adored Her
He called too early in the morning. Every year on my birthday. My father called to tell me happy birthday. And to tell me that he held me first.
“We saw that your hair was black. And I held you first.”
“I know Daddy.”
This year marks ten years since my father died. He was too young, but, like so many other things, he did it his way. Alone. At home. With his paperwork and business in place.
I don’t miss my father. My father and I had a complicated relationship. He was a functional alcoholic who b...
August 1, 2017
He Would Have Adored Her
He called too early in the morning. Every year on my birthday. My father called to tell me happy birthday. And to tell me that he held me first.
“We saw that your hair was black. And I held you first.”
“I know Daddy.”
This year marks ten years since my father died. He was too young, but, like so many other things, he did it his way. Alone. At home. With his paperwork and business in place.
I don’t miss my father. My father and I had a complicated relationship. He was a functional alcoholic wh...
