EP. 39 | Anita Lakshman – From ‘access’ to ‘acceptance’

It’s with great excitement that I get to introduce you to this week’s guest, my friend, Anita Lakshman. Social justice advocate and dedicated member of the community. Anita holds a Master’s Degree in English Literature from Temple University in Philadelphia and uses her voice continually to advocate for growth and healing in every space she engages. This loving mama to three and committed wife, speaks from her heart today and I know you are going to learn so much through her voice. 

Anita and her family experienced COVID first hand, when her Husband Thiru, a practicing MD, was exposed and tested positive at the very beginning of the Pandemic. Ultimately, Anita also contracted COVID and had to quarantine in her daughter’s room. Their three children were left trying to care for them both in the midst of also adjusting to the new routine of a remote learning environment. Anita talks about holding space for the fear her children walked through and then learning to navigate isolation and feelings of being isolated and ostracized in the aftermath and re-entry into life post their recovery. 

Anita and I talk about the racial tension we have collectively engaged over these past few months, specifically as it has become a topic of conversation in our own community. She touches on systematic racism and the ways that it has been so apparent to her in the healthcare system, especially during COVID. Anita brings a unique perspective to the conversation, sharing her experience as a woman of color living in America, including how at times she can still feel like an outsider living in the primarily white community.  At a moment in time when we are all being challenged, Anita speaks her truth with honesty and heart. Her voice is such a tender reminder of how important it is for us to lean in and listen as we broaden our ideas of what it means to love our neighbor well. 

Our conversation sums up what Speak Life is all about. A conversation where two people, from different backgrounds, with different religions, and who see the world from different points of view can come together and build a relationship built on love and respect. Learning to hold space for the ways they see the world differently, as they honor what pulls them together versus focusing on that which seeks to divide them. My friendship with Anita has provided new perspectives and created opportunities for conversations that have challenged me to grow, empathize and become a more aware listener in the face of challenging conversations. I believe this conversation can do the same for you!