Iyanla Vanzant, a nationally recognized spiritual life coach.
In the wake of the police shooting of Michael Brown and the resulting unrest in Ferguson, Mo., Black leaders of all stripes have traveled there to seek justice, support the residents and bring resolution to the ongoing conflict.
Iyanla Vanzant, a nationally recognized spiritual life coach, was among those leaders. And, in an upcoming special episode of “Iyanla: Fix My Life,” which airs on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, the ordained minister takes to the streets of the city to listen and talk to the people who have been negatively impacted and join the community in its search for a path from violence to healing.
“My heart hurts for the family of Michael Brown and the citizens of Ferguson,” Vanzant said in a statement. “In the wake of this tragic death, it is my responsibility as a mother, grandmother and teacher to show my support and to offer the community a chance to share its story with the nation. In addition, I hope to provide a set of tools to begin the healing process while also promoting peaceful change.”
Spiritual teacher Iyanla Vanzant, right, consoles Shirley Scale, a resident at the Canfield Apartments, at the shrine to Michael Brown where he was shot and killed on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2014, in Ferguson, Mo. Vanzant, from the “Fix My Life” t.v. show was visiting to bless the site and give support to the community. (AP Photo/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Curtis Compton)
In an Aug. 21 Facebook post accompanied by photos of Vanzant in Ferguson, she invited her followers to join the people of Ferguson in a moment of prayer.
“Beloveds, I’ve been on the ground in #Ferguson, ‘Doing the Work’ and filming for #FixMyLife so that our healing can be your healing. My invitation still stands to join the people of Ferguson today at 3 p.m. (Central Time) in a National prayer for peace and to kick off a 14 Day Peace Challenge,” she wrote.
The situation in Ferguson seems custom-made for Vanzant, whose ministry and work on the show is focused on resolving conflict and helping people in crisis to move past their pain.
Vanzant’s advice may come from a personal place. The author of 15 published books, including five New York Times best sellers, Vanzant has long been hailed as one of the nation’s leading inspirational speakers and spiritual leaders. Ebony magazine once said of Vanzant that “her books, lectures and television appearances have made her a multimedia high priestess of healthy relationships.”
Spiritual teacher Iyanla Vanzant pours holy water on a shrine for Michael Brown where he was shot and killed in the Canfield Apartments on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2014, in Ferguson, Mo. Vanzant, from the “Fix My Life” t.v. show was visiting to bless the site and give support to the community. (AP Photo/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Curtis Compton)
But even as Vanzant shared her wisdom as a regular guest on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and then on her own daily talk show, “Iyanla,” her marriage was crumbling and her daughter was losing her battle with cancer, according to a biography on her website.
“What I have learned from all of the difficulties in my own life is that human beings have very thick skin. I call that skin, spirit, our Highest Most Powerful self,” she said in a quote published on her site. “Spirit is the key to everything we desire. It is our weather-proofing, our Teflon, our line of credit that assures if we just keep putting one foot in front of the other, one day; there will be a miraculous payoff.”
