Today, at the Frank Collymore Hall, one of Black Hollywood’s favourite mamas, Jennifer Lewis, sat down with Barbadian youth and shared some of her wisdom.
The conversation covered many avenues of life, moving from discussions about her career and past traumas to overcoming them, while offering uplifting words encouraging the youth to dream and live a hearty life that brings them joy.
When discussing her career, Lewis emphasised that life is not easy. It’s like a rose garden, and within a rose garden, there will always be thorns.
She spoke about her humble beginnings as a poor girl from a Black self-governed town in Missouri, one of only a few to exist at the time. Despite growing up in poverty, she never saw herself as less than, nor did she ever feel limited in what she could achieve in life.
Lewis said she knew from a young age that she was born to be a star, and nothing could change that. No obstacle thrown her way was ever taken lying down.
“I was five years old when I got up in church and sang a solo and everybody started screaming and clapping. I was so excited and when I saw their reaction, I said to myself, this is my passion.”
One of the most touching segments of the session came when a young gentleman asked for attention to be brought to the creation of a sex offenders list in Barbados. In response, Lewis shared a very personal part of her story.
She reflected on her traumatic experience as a child, when she was molested by the pastor of her church. She described that period of her life, when she fell into depression, as one of the most hurtful thorns she has experienced, knowing that someone was capable of stealing her joy, her peace, her comfort, her safety and even her belief.
Lewis went on to discuss how being vocal and taking action on issues like these can revolutionise society, encouraging youth to amplify their voices on issues that directly affect them.
She urged them not to wait for permission from the Government alone, but to get its attention by rallying together in protest to make the changes they want to see on this island.
“ In the event where your voice is not being heard, get a group of friends and you go to that person and confront them publicly”
During the Q&A portion of the event, many young creative enthusiasts got an opportunity to speak to Lewis directly and pick her brain on how she achieved her success.
The discussion covered details of her acting career, the challenges she faced, including criticism of her creative work, the pushback she experienced throughout her lifespan of activism, and her personal struggles with bipolar disorder.
Lewis also spoke openly about the importance of destigmatising mental health issues, their commonality and the importance of seeking help. Sharing that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 30, she assured the audience that she got the help she needed. In the face of being pricked by yet another thorn, having to deal with a lot of grief due to the AIDS epidemic and the buildup of life events, Lewis also stepped into her role as an activist.
She took nothing lying down, expressing the importance for this upcoming generation to do the same by fighting against all the obstacles life throws at them, rather than simply taking them lying down, and to rise above.
Lewis’s story was a reminder that while life may be a rose garden filled with thorns, those thorns do not have to stop you from blooming.
Her message to Barbados’ youth was clear; chase your dreams, use your voice, rise above adversity and choose to be a light in the world that can often times feel dark.
“We all have a story, what you have to decide is what your chapters will be named.”
