Racism is evil. Keesha McLaren’s faith commands her to overcome evil with good. Racism shows a lack of love. Keesha’s faith asks that she love unconditionally. Love means to be patient with those who look down on you; it means to be kind to those who judge you for the color of your skin. The most challenging is that she cannot keep a record of any wrongs. Keesha has to persevere and hope for the best outcome. The faith that she follows asks her to get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, slander, malice, and to forgive and be compassionate towards those who have called her names because of her color.

‘Evil is powerful, but good is more powerful. In fact, evil is so powerful that only good has the power to overcome evil. Darkness can be driven away only by light.’ ― Jay E. Adams, How to Overcome Evil

I personally love people of all colors, races, creeds, backgrounds, sexual orientations, and nationalities. I have interviewed Mayple Dorrington, Casey Palmer, Michelle Marshall, Dr. Valerie Fitzpatrick, Sonia, Davianna, Bobby Ray Jones Jr., Paula Eriya, Zenovia Shaw, Kunle Tauhid, and Sherron Grant. They are members of the black community and are chiropractors, chefs, authors, principals at a school, entrepreneurs, Vice-Presidents at a bank, and game-changers.

Fourcolumns will be an agent for change and the conscience of our society. We cannot allow this discussion to become a flavor of the month. However, we need to have a discussion with a flavor of peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, lament, compassion, and forgiveness. Each and every one of us who is reading has to look at our own mental, psychological, physical, emotional, cultural, financial, and spiritual biases.

Two weeks back I reached out to Keesha as to how she was doing. I was humbled by her response. ‘I’m doing well. I’m healthy, I have food to eat, a place to live and for the moment a job. God loves me and is taking great care of me so I have absolutely nothing to complain about.’ I had to talk to her. I wanted to get her perspective on the current climate.

Keesha, good to connect after a long time. Please tell me a little bit about you?

Hi, my name is Keesha McLaren and I’m a Registered Holistic Nutritionist. I’m a sister, an aunt, a plant-based foodie, and an aspiring yogi. I have a passion for God, health, and helping others. My ultimate goal is to make my corner of the world a little better by helping my clients find a healthier version of themselves.

Let’s get honest here. Talk to me about how you are feeling concerning George Floyd?

In a word disgusted. The way those police officers treated Mr. Floyd was inhumane. Regardless of what he had done, he did not deserve the treatment he received. I’m sickened by the way Officer Chauvin used his knee to choke the life out of Mr. Floyd; all the while with his hands in his pocket, looking around as if he was kneeling on a rubber snake and not a living human being begging for his life.

What goes on in the mind of one human that makes him think it’s okay to treat another human like that without thought, care, compassion, or feeling?

Black Lives Matter is important. We need to have this conversation. We need to lament and lift our brothers and sisters. Please comment?

I am downright astounded that after the abolishment of slavery, the civil rights movement, the collapse of apartheid, and the brutality of Rodney King that society is in the same place where it started. “Black Lives Matter” why is this even up for debate? Are black people not also human? Why should we need to point this out? The same society who fights vehemently for the rights of animals also disregards the life of its fellow citizens – appalling. Why should anyone be treated differently because of something as unimportant as the color of their skin? Who chooses their skin color? Is a brown dog less of a dog than a black one or white one or a spotted one? Of course not, its just skin!

Black people are asking for equality, not to be treated better, not for a handout or a hand up, all they are asking is to be given the same opportunity as their fellow white citizens to live. The thing I find truly amazing is that after the treatment black people have had to endure for the last four hundred years they’re seeking equality and not revenge.

Talk to me about your own experience growing up black in Toronto?

To be honest I’ve had a good life. I moved to Canada, Toronto specifically as a fifteen-year-old. I lived in a good area and attend a good school so I didn’t experience any overt prejudice. This is a sad thing to say that as a black person you have lived a good life if all you have experienced is covert prejudice.

The high school I went to was predominantly Jewish and I remember vividly on my first visit the guidance counselor saying I would likely find it challenging to fit in because most of the students attended the same elementary and junior high schools so they have formed tight friendship bonds. In reality “tight friendship bonds” was not the problem, it was prejudice. The prejudice of color, economics, and culture prevented those white students from socializing with me or even being civil. I was the wrong color, from the wrong end of the economic spectrum and came from the wrong place. It was as crystal clear to me then as it is to me now looking back. I guess some experiences were the regular shenanigans common to the high school experience of most students but some experiences were definitely outside the norm. I was always the last one picked in physed class even though I was fitter and faster than even some of the boys. No one wanted to partner with me for group projects and when I was in a group I always had to work harder than everyone else to prove myself. I remember the guidance counselor suggesting to me that maybe I should set my sights on an easier university to get into “just in case I don’t get into my preferred school.”

At university, the color was less of an issue and I felt I could be myself. The student population was very diverse and in general, I think university students are more socially advanced than the rest of society so acceptance was not a challenge.

After leaving university and entering the corporate world, the reality of prejudice smacked me in the face again and has not left. I have been passed over for promotions, given unfair evaluations that could not be justified, my workload was always heavy and I could never get any help regardless of the number of times I asked. I was never offered any of the perks my other coworkers received.

Being treated as less than and undeserving has been my reality first as a black teenager and now as an adult.

The faith you follow talks about peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, compassion, and the big one forgiveness. How are you reconciling everything you are going through, feeling, and your faith?

My belief in God and his principles grounds me when there is injustice all around me. My faith does not insulate me against hardship, it puts it into perspective. Bad situations are not made better but it helps me to not become bitter in my pain. I can move past hardship because God loves me. I can forgive and be merciful towards others because God did that for me. I cannot and must not sit in the seat of self-righteousness and judge others when I myself am imperfect and worthy of judgment. God forgives me for my wrongs and this allows me to forgive others for theirs. Now don’t get me wrong, I have not forgotten the wrongs but I decided not to allow the behavior of others to determine how I live my life.

The older I get, I find it is important to be resilient to cling on to your goals, ethos, and values.  Please comment?

It is important to stay true to your values. As the saying goes “if you don’t stand for anything, you will fall for everything.” It has been my experience that if you clearly mark your boundary lines people are less likely to cross them. I don’t expect anyone to know my values so the onus is on me to tell them. I have to tell them what and where my boundaries are so they know how far I am willing to go. I also have to decide for myself what the repercussions for crossing them will be and stick to them – otherwise what is the point of having them?

In your own words, what does women empowerment mean to you?

Female empowerment to me means that I have the right and the space to say what I believe without coercion or the fear of consequences from those who may disagree with me.

Life is tough, challenging and sometimes you feel like you are in the tunnel for a long time. Have you had such a moment in your life and how did you deal with it?

Everyone goes through difficult seasons its called life. It is hurt, disappointments, injustices, pain, and the like but as long as I have a life I have to persevere and I have to have hope. Some days all I can do is focus on the current minute that I am living in and when I make it through I focus on the next. Life is messy, sometimes everything is great, and sometimes it’s not but you have to keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep going forward. One day you’ll look up and there will be light.

How do you balance food, faith, finance, and family?

With prayer, patience, and perseverance. I ask God to give me what I need and to help me to desire what I need as opposed to what I want. As I have gotten older I have discovered that I don’t need a lot of “stuff” and this realization helps me not spend time and energy chasing what I don’t have and be content and grateful for what I do have. God for His own purpose has chosen to bless me by meeting all my needs, I can truly say I lack nothing. As a young adult I often meditated on Proverbs 30: 8-9 “…give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.” Thankfully, so far God has honored this prayer.

Finally, give yourself advice at 15, 25, and 35?

The advice I would give my 15-year-old self is to work harder than you feel you’re working. And don’t be in such a rush to grow up, time goes flying by much faster than you realize.

To my 25-year-old self I say, think about, plan out and work for the life you desire. Don’t procrastinate! Be ready to seize every opportunity and don’t be so easily discouraged. Focus on yourself and don’t worry about the people around you because you never know what they have done or are doing to get to where they are.

To my 35-year-old self I say, recognize your worth and don’t settle for less.

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