When George Floyd was murdered earlier this year, our city felt it deeply. Outrage, grief, and anger swept through our cities. Our world seemed to turn upside down, as painful realities were brought forward to be more widely examined and (hopefully) changed.
We’re still in the midst of a social uprising (not to mention a pandemic), and many in our community are in need of help and healing. The good news is there are many people and groups doing incredible work at a local level.
One of these people is Zedé Harut, a local holistic healer and mother who took it upon herself to begin a mutual aid fund for BIPOC mothers and birthers. Her fund raised over $38,000 in a matter of weeks. She’s redistributed that money to BIPOC mothers and families to cover both basic needs and much needed healing sessions.
She joined me on the Well Connected Twin Cities podcast to talk about how she got started, the impact she’s been making with her work, and how she plans to continue caring for this underserved group.
How it started
Zedé began the Rebellion Relief Fund three days after George Floyd was murdered as a way to redistribute funds to birthers and parents who needed help. She coordinated volunteers to do supply runs, provide transportation, and give healing sessions at low or no cost.
Over the first two months they helped over 300 families.
Healing events
Holistic healing modalities like acupuncture, massage, and chiropractic care are powerful ways to release stress and trauma that can be held in the body. Zedé began offering free outdoor healing sessions to help support BIPOC birthers and parents.
Many of the people who showed up had never experienced these services before, and, Zedé says, “[it was] so beautiful.”
Healing is justice.
Zedé Harut
Zedé hits on an important point in our interview. Healing arts should not just be accessible to those who can afford a $200 treatment. How can we make traditional healing practices more widely available?
She has some ideas, so wellness practitioners can take note:
- Offer sliding scale pricing options to make your services more accessible to folx at different income levels.
- Consider adding some pro bono work – volunteer with an organization or find another way to give free or reduced rate healing sessions.
How to support or get involved
Want to support this work? You can give to the Rebellion Relief Fund or contact Zedé through her website Holistic Heaux if you’re interested in donating your time. BIPOC birthers can request support through the website as well.
Follow Holistic Heaux on Instagram or Facebook to get updates on their fundraising efforts and hear about upcoming events.