A Blend Of Empathy And Understanding

2006-02-24T14:46:00.000-08:00

She helps because

She has been helped:

Brenda L. Coleman

Speaks straight from the heart

So that Good will triumph over Evil

An Interview By Michael Chacko Daniels

Editor & Publisher, New River Free Press International

In life, in everything we do, we grow from one truth to the next.

If anything, the person I’m interviewing, Brenda L. Coleman, is a straight shooter.

I remember that intrinsic quality about her as she looks straight into my eyes, the twinkle brighter than ever, and says, “I’m a 54-year-old African American woman who has worked for nonprofits for the last 14 years.

“I’m a recovering addict. I’m a mother and grandmother — I’m actually a good mother and grandmother.”

The twinkle in the eye and truth-telling are what I remember most about Ms Coleman from the days (1996 to 2001) that she was a service provider at the Jobs for Homeless Consortium’s Oakland Center, which for most those days was just a couple of doors down from where I am interviewing her on January 12, 2006.

We are seated at 1768 Broadway, Oakland, California, at Chachie’s, the purveyor of gelato, tea, and freshly roasted coffee that has replaced Mojo’s, one of the restaurants at which the Consortium had provided lunch to its homeless clients who attended its two-day Job Preparation Workshop.

“What I appreciate most about Brenda as a co-worker and friend is her balance of compassion and clarity,” writes Cindy Strong in an e-mail, commenting about her experience of Ms Coleman when she had worked alongside her at the Consortium.

Ms Strong, who is currently Employee Programs and Development Officer for San Mateo County Transit District, adds:

“She has that rare blend of deep empathy and simultaneous understanding so that everyone around her knows where she stands and how she will help. I also admire her ability to look beyond dysfunction and see ‘what's really going on.’”

Brenda Coleman, I find out, is happiest when Good triumphs over Evil .

A Brenda L. Coleman Data Bank

High School
Vallejo High

College
Solano Community College

University of California, Berkeley

Teacher that influenced Brenda Coleman the most
Mr. Ennis, Vallejo High School Biology Teacher
He made learning interesting—he engaged
us by telling us what wasn’t in textbooks.
He really enjoyed science. He demanded excellence,
which was very different from any teacher I ever had.

Books that influenced Brenda Coleman
Bible, King James Version
The Stand by Stephen King—I could see
the characters in my mind. It has a classic
struggle between Good and Evil, and Good triumphed.

Favorite Philosopher
Jesus

Favorite Singer
Luther Vandross

Q________________________

New River Free Press International

Tell us about yourself.

What makes you who you are?
_________________________

BC My different life experiences and the people who have been in my life, and the people who are currently in my life. What I do and what I’ve been through. So I’m the type of person who wants to help because I’ve been helped.

I’m a 54-year-old African American woman who has worked for nonprofits for the last 14 years. I’m a recovering addict. I’m a mother and grandmother—I’m actually a good mother and grandmother.

I’ve been told, if I’m nothing else, I’m real. (At the Jobs for Homeless Consortium) Anthony always told me that.

Growing up was good. There are six children in my family—three boys, three girls. I’m the middle child. And my mom was very strict.

After my dad died, my mom re-married, a guy in the Navy. We went across the U. S. six or seven times at least. It was an adventure—it was great!

I’ve always lived around family. As a matter-of-fact, we used to live on Walnut Street in Vallejo and three or four relatives lived down the street and still others on neighboring streets.

Growing up was good—lots of brothers and sisters and cousins, enough to play baseball. Always had things to do.

On Saturday afternoons, Mom would invite kids from the neighborhood and we would have a sock hop (dance) on the hardwood floor.

[From Wikipedia, 2006: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sock_hop: "A sock hop is a term coined in the 1950s in the United States, following the growth in popularity of rock and roll, to refer to informal sponsored dances at American high schools, typically held on the grounds of the high school itself in the gymnasium or cafeteria.

"Initially the term referred to the practice of removing one's shoes in order to dance in stocking feet, typically to spare the floor from the scuff marks of dress shoes.

"In subsequent decades, with the widespread popularity of sneakers and other types of shoes the practice of removing shoes was dropped and the term began to be applied more generally to any informal high school dance." (Copyright Wikipedia.)]

A lot of good memories.

Q________________________

New River Free Press International

What was your vision of

society that brought you to

the work you do?
_________________________

BC I think what started my vision for me was being in Recovery and having a strong sense that everyone should take part in the 12-Step Program, that everyone should treat others the way they wanted to be treated.

That’s what got my visions started.

Because if you work The 12 Steps, you are more truthful, you take responsibility for your actions, you try to work on yourself to be a better person, just like most religions emphasize you should. It (The 12-Step Program) takes its principles from religion although it’s a spiritual program, not a religious one.

My vision was to make life simpler and easier; become a facilitator/social worker working with homeless persons, addicts, veterans, families, kinship families, disabled persons—people who have had a lot of adversities blocking who they want to be.

Q________________________

New River Free Press International

What do you think we

should remember as we remake

the world through the work we do?
_________________________

BC We should remember that we will be remembered through history—what we do will be noted by history.

Q________________________

New River Free Press International

Has your vision changed

as you have participated

in the remaking of the world?
_________________________

BC Always. Continuously. As I grow, I notice different things. My vision is constantly changing and it gets mixed up. Sometimes, to be truthful, I don’t have a vision. Eventually, it comes back in focus.

When I was 25, I was just going on with the flow of life. I had no vision.

In the work I've done in the past 14 years, I began to see the impact of having a vision. Previously, when I was homeless, I did not understand what I began to understand when I began working at Jobs Consortium—how people become homeless, the resources out there, and how I could make a difference.

I’ve found that on each job I’ve had you bring the lessons from the previous jobs. I’ve grown so much in the last 14 years. I think I was asleep before that—it was a waste.

Q________________________

New River Free Press International

What challenges do you

perceive in achieving your

vision of society?
_________________________

BC The real challenge I see is human beings not getting it. It’s all about me, me, me.

And that includes me. Trying to do better, though. We get in the way (of achieving our vision of society).

You want to know how? Because human beings are selfish. That’s really it.

Q________________________

New River Free Press International

What needs to be done

to overcome these challenges?
_________________________

BC Teach. It will take generations. Teach each child so that they can teach the next child that though you are important, this planet is more important, actually.

Q________________________

New River Free Press International

What pointers would you

give young people of the 9/11

generation as they work in

public service assignments?
_________________________

BC Have a vision of your own. And remember, when you’re doing public service, you are helping people and you’re helping society. It's not about you.

Q________________________

New River Free Press International

What personal lessons have

you learned from the effect of war

on children in Africa and Asia?
_________________________

BC I haven’t experienced it personally—only what I’ve read.

War is insane; it doesn’t make sense. You can’t make someone change their point of view through war. Kids are just dying out of adults’ stupidity.

I have a simple philosophy of war: World leaders should fight in hand-to-hand combat on an island and their families should be there with them. I know that is really simplistic, but that’s what I believe.

Q________________________

New River Free Press International

What personal and public lessons

have you learned from the

devastation caused by the

Asian Tsunami and the

South Asian Earthquake?
_________________________

BC I feel bad. I feel bad for the people it happens to. I’d like to help everybody. I also think that we have very powerful governments, although they can’t stop tsunamis and earthquakes, they could send more people and supplies to help. But I know they’re concerned about the cost of helping.

Q__________________________

New River Free Press International

What personal lessons have

you learned from the post-Hurricane

Katrina tragedies in New Orleans?
___________________________

BC This administration doesn’t care about Black people or poor people, people who are socially and economically disadvantaged. It is strange that they are allowing the taking of their property.

I love animals, I love pets, but I don’t understand how people can rescue animals before they rescue people. All life is important, I know, but I can’t understand that.

Q______________________________

New River Free Press International

How have these lessons changed your life?
_______________________________

BC Made me a little bit more passionate about life than I was. I don’t usually watch the news, but I do now. I’m not paranoid about it, but I watch the news.

I’m giving more to charitable agencies. I don’t have a lot, but I’m willing to share. I’m willing to go out of my comfort zone. Before, I wasn’t, but now I’m willing.

______ * ______

About the Editor: San Franciscan Michael Chacko Daniels, formerly a community worker and clown, and now a re-emerging writer and editor, grew up in Bombay. Books: Writers Workshop, Kolkata: Split in Two (1971, 2004), Anything Out of Place Is Dirt (1971, 2004), and That Damn Romantic Fool (1972, 2005). Read all about his Indian and American journey at http://indiawritingstation.com/community-service-calls/.

All views expressed in the interview are those of the interviewee

and not those of the editor or this website.

This Interview Is Also Published On

http://indiawritingstation.squarespace.com/coleman-whats-really-going-on/

NOTE: THIS INTERVIEW FORMAT IS THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OF

MICHAEL CHACKO DANIELS AND HIS ELECTRONIC PUBLICATIONS:

NEW RIVER FREE PRESS INTERNATIONAL: US-INDIA WRITING STATION AND CAREER VISIONS FOR A SMALL PLANET.

AGREEMENT: NEW RIVER FREE PRESS INTERNATIONAL/US-INDIA WRITING STATION/AND/OR CAREER VISIONS FOR A SMALL PLANET WILL RETAIN THE FOLLOWING RIGHTS: ALL RIGHTS TO PUBLISH THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW, OR PART(S) OF IT, IN ELECTRONIC, AUDIO, VIDEO, AND/OR PRINT VERSIONS; ALL RIGHTS TO RETAIN IT IN ITS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ARCHIVES INDEFINITELY; AND ALL RIGHTS TO INCLUDE IT IN FUTURE PRINTED COMPENDIUMS AND BOOKS. THE EDITOR RETAINS THE EDITOR'S PREROGATIVE TO EDIT THE INTERVIEW FOR GRAMMAR, STYLE, CONTENT, AND LENGTH. THE INTERVIEWEE FULLY UNDERSTANDS THAT HE/SHE WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY PAYMENT, EITHER NOW, OR IN THE FUTURE, FOR PARTICIPATING IN THIS INTERVIEW. BY SUBMITTING WRITTEN AND/OR ORAL RESPONSES TO THE ABOVE QUESTIONS BY ANY METHOD, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ELECTRONIC, TELEPHONIC, MANUAL, AND/OR POSTAL METHODS, THE INTERVIEWEE AGREES TO THE ABOVE CONDITIONS AND STIPULATIONS. AFTER FIRST PUBLICATION BY NEW RIVER FREE PRESS INTERNATIONAL/ US-INDIA WRITING STATION/AND/OR CAREER VISIONS FOR A SMALL PLANET, THE INTERVIEWEE RETAINS THE RIGHT TO USE HER/HIS IDEAS AND WORDS THAT ARE CONTAINED IN HER/HIS RESPONSES IN THE INTERVIEW FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS. THE FORMAT OF THE INTERVIEW AND THE QUESTIONS WILL REMAIN THE PROPERTY OF THE EDITOR AND PUBLISHER.

-END-

__________________________

Have you visited the rest of

Michael Chacko Daniels' website,

US-India Writing Station?

If not, please do and be sure to

bookmark this site. If you wish to

refer others to it, here's the URL:

http://indiawritingstation.squarespace.com/

Feel free to visit, and explore: Fiction, Poetry, Community Service, Homeless, Commentary, & Discussion On The Road To Remaking The World We Live In . . . San Francisco, Grand Rapids, Evanston, Bombay, Kerala, Oakland, Berkeley, Monterey, Bangalore, Calcutta . . .

Feel free to share the above link with others.

____________________________

Have you read Michael Chacko Daniels' flash fiction story,
Sing an Indian Name, on Denver Syntax's free online magazine?
If not, here's the URL:

http://www.denversyntax.com/issue5/fiction/daniels/indian.html

Feel free to share the above link with others.

______ * ______

Have you read Michael Chacko Daniels'
short story set in Bombay in 1958:
Three Dozen Mangoes for Mr. Diefenbaker
on Drexel University's online magazine, Dragonfire?
If not, here's the URL:

http://www.dfire.org/x2089.xml

______ * ______

Daniels is donating to university and public libraries, the second revised editions of his three books--for inclusion in their uncensored permanent India, Asia, or World Literature collections. First preference will be given to libraries that currently have the first edition of these books. Ask your local library to request Anything Out of Place Is Dirt (Novel), That Damn Romantic Fool (Novel), and Split in Two (Poetry) today from: Michael Chacko Daniels, Post Office Box 641724, San Francisco, CA 94109, USA.

The mind's torment, the heart's embrace

That Damn Romantic Fool

Journeying from the battle lines

of the intellect to the heart's warm embrace,

the characters in Michael Chacko Daniels'

novels struggle with what keeps us apart

and might bring us together.

Fable's yearning and song will linger

Front Page

"I found myself entranced by the evocative,

poetic, often soaring beauty of the writing."

"Barthalomew's search for love, meaning,

and societal healing is also youth's quest."

--From the Introduction by Naomi Rose

Click here to view entire book on Google Print.

Beautiful, poignant, and wryly funny book

Front Page

"Daniels is a deft artisan of language, as well

as a writer of open heart and keen intelligence.

He is equally home with family portraits,

philosophical musings, love poems, wry

self-reflection, and satire."

"Don't miss a rich reading opportunity."

From the Introduction by Ralph Dranow

Click here to view entire book on Google Print.

______ * ______

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Career Visions for a Small Planet #11

A Blend Of Empathy And Understanding

The mind's torment, the heart's embrace

Journeying from the battle lines

of the intellect to the heart's warm embrace,

the characters in Michael Chacko Daniels'

novels struggle with what keeps us apart

and might bring us together.

Fable's yearning and song will linger

Front Page

"I found myself entranced by the evocative,

poetic, often soaring beauty of the writing."

"Barthalomew's search for love, meaning,

and societal healing is also youth's quest."

Click here to view entire book on Google Print.

Beautiful, poignant, and wryly funny book

Front Page

"Daniels is a deft artisan of language, as well

as a writer of open heart and keen intelligence.

He is equally home with family portraits,

philosophical musings, love poems, wry

self-reflection, and satire."

"Don't miss a rich reading opportunity."

Click here to view entire book on Google Print.

You are invited to visit

New River Free Press International's

And the following

Popular History Pages