This payday Amber and Erika are joined by Adrienne Fikes, the Soul Power Coach and Founder of the Parent Leadership Training Institute of Alexandria, Virginia. Adrienne helps us unpack the often insidious ways that racism seeps into the pathology of Black people, impacting our family dynamics and parenting choices. It is undeniable that living in a society that denies our full humanity shapes our norms, values, and sense of self – all things that affect how we parent. We examine the increasingly popular trend of “gentle parenting”, reflecting on the ways that it fails to account for the realities of parenting amidst systemic injustice. Adrienne arms Black caretakers with practical tools and encouragement to reimagine how we can parent our Black babies and equip them to be whole, happy, and empowered. Press play to get the scoop!
Adrienne Fikes, M.Ed., PCC is a seventh-generation Virginian with deep North Carolina roots. Her childhood was spent growing up as the 1st generation to live in the planned community of Columbia, Maryland. She is the Soul Power Coach™ specializing in inclusive leadership, organizational development, civic advocacy and family history. Adrienne is also the director of The Parent Leadership Training Institute of Alexandria. PLTI empowers parent advocacy and builds community with structural racial justice initiatives like the Alumni Racial Justice Fellowship and the Alexandria People’s Assembly.