The Power of Deep Listening & Witnessing

Erica Peng’s listening gathering was very helpful for me. 

The gathering occurred days after I was accosted on my daily walk by a dog running toward me.  I was very stressed by this.  When I asked the owner to leash his dog, this person swore at me! (This happened only a day after Amy Cooper threatened a Black man in Central Park.)

There is a racial dynamic to my encounter too, because the man was white and I’m a Black woman who was just walking close to my neighborhood.

It was frightening and no one came to my aid. 

I had been agitated since the incident and reluctant to continue my daily walks, which I really enjoyed.  At Erica’s session, my partner (whom I had not met before) listened deeply to my story and witnessed my energetic state. The impact was immediate and profound. He was a white man and I suppose I wondered whether he’d be able to hear my story in the way I had experienced it. 

My partner’s listening helped me feel heard and calmed me down.

I was able to sustain the calming effect, even during the workshop I had to deliver that evening.  I was also able to use the listening skills later in the week during stressful conversations. 

My personal experience of a white man listening to and empathizing with me, a Black woman, gives me hope that it is possible to transform the perceived divides of racial prejudice by listening deeply to someone who looks, thinks, and acts differently.

I want to encourage people to experience Erica’s gatherings, learn from her, and step across the divide.  This can work for any divide you perceive in your life or your world. Listen and Learn. 

Dr. Lynne Morrow

Professor, Sonoma Statue University
Music Director, Oakland Symphony Chorus