Meet d. jylani ma’at brown

Today we’d like to introduce you to d. jylani ma’at brown .

Hi jylani ma’at, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a Brooklyn-born, New York Gyrl living in Los Angeles. I am a sassy creative, compassionate care-giver, fugitive scholar and abolitionist. I am passionate about people, history, travel, and well-being. And, I am a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

I grew up relatively happy. It wasn’t until I was in high school that I began to understand the complexities of family, race and equity.

As a young child, I was ALWAYS helping people- family, friends, etc. At the same time, I could be a quiet, contemplative, intellectually spiritual young person. I loved the outdoors; activities like climbing trees, going to the beach, taking long walks, and enjoying grassy naps. In elementary, middle and high school, In my school days, I was considered gifted, popular, community service-oriented. In my community, I was a service-oriented, college bound, debutante. Until that point, my world seemed pretty simple.

Once I hit university and had the time to really fully be with myself, my introspective journey revealed a lot – what supported my joy, and what clearly did not. I appreciated being away from home and the often unsettling dynamics of family, intergenerational trauma and undiagnosed psychosis. This was a time for deep and revealing contemplation. In retrospect, thank goodness I was raised and supported in a loving Black community that encouraged me to be great. Otherwise, the racist environment that was The University of Virginia would have diminished my spirit and eaten me alive.

Soon into my college experience, I became distracted and disinterested with my studies. For the first time in my life, I had to really deal with cultural differences and  racist conflicts that interferred with my academics. These new experiences shifted who I wanted and need to be. While in Charlottesville, through my work as a Big Sister and substitute teacher, I became a local community advocate. My passion for social justice and Black feminist theory became rooted in my desire to be a change agent for women and girls. It was also at this point that my meditation and spiritual practice bloomed.

It was then that I initiated a more formal love for mentoring, teaching and social justice.

I eventually returned to New York, completed my undergrad, became a nurse and a doula, had a baby, had another baby, and attended grad school. I vascilated between nursing and teaching for years before deciding I wanted something different for us, something more spacious and serene.

My daughters and I started a new life in California. We have lived from Oakland to La Jolla. While living in California, I have really embraced my mindfulness practice through the lens of being a single mother and community advocate.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There have been several challenges, but with grace and determination, my daughters and I have gotten through those moments. We have been blessed to have a community and an abundance of collective care without whom some of the toughest moments could have been a lot worse. There has always been an undercurrent of love and faith for us. Really, my nurturing relationship with my paternal grandmother was the anchor and the most stabilizing force throughout  my life. She was love in all directions. When she transitioned, my whole sense of self and security shifted. I’m hoping she’d be proud of how I am living my life.

I’ve journeyed from EBT (food stamps) to my soon, PhD in Humanistic Clinical Psychology with dual specialties in Complex Trauma/Healing, and Innovative Leadership. There’s work to be done and compassion to share. Nobody successfully does life alone, its a collective effort.

So to answer your question, smooth, no. Joy-filled, yes.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I currently  hold a leadership position at MNDFL.life; serve on the board of The Presence Collective; and I am the principal and co-founder of both blacklotusrising.org and the practice peace project, LLC.

I’m known for creating and delivering dynamic programs, in systemically marginalized and underestimated communities, that shift outcomes and provide access to higher levels of wellness & relevant educational paradigms. I am an integrative wellness + mindfulness professional. My background in nursing and education inform both my professional processess and practices.

I am also proud of the fact that there are communities and families that have a great deal of respect and appreciation for the ways in which I have shown up in their lives. Whether I am in the streets of Brooklyn or the halls of academia, I have created a legacy of generosity, time and toil. People trust me to be honest and compassionate while also being culturally-sensitive and trauma-informed.

What sets me apart from others is that I am useful in many different spaces. I have used both my blessings and burdens to inform how I engage with all types of people. Being from both sides of the track gives me a particular brand of insight and sensitivity. I can use my days on public welfare to relate to the communities that are disenfranchised. I can use my exposure to privileged intellectuals to inform and negotiate.

I use my inherited spiritual wisdom to curate programs that speak to the heart of people across lines of dynamic social, educational, and racial divides.

What matters most to you? Why?
My daughters matter the most. I am most proud of the fact that they are healthy, well-traveled, brilliant, educated, and compassionate people in spite of being neglected by their father and being occasionally under-resourced while experiencing our 24-year journey together.
My daughters and I have created a tee shirt line that speaks to and celebrates our meditation practice (blacklotusrising.org).

Black women and girls matter to me. Quietly, we are the center of the Universe and the least regarded. We have been globally socialized and racialized to be abused, neglected, and disdained, all while we have provided the most care and free labor. In many realities, our global history reflects the violent denial of life’s most critical rights- agency of our bodies, basic human dignity, preservation of family and security for our children, and freedom from physical, sexual and emotional abuse for people’s pleasure and profit. We are desperately in need of deep respite, reconciliation, and reparations.

Love matters to me – offering it and receiving it. I have been blessed in that way. Love allows me to swell with wisdom, passion and motivation. I have been and continue to be loved well. My current partner, an amazing Black man, is nourishing my soul and caring for my heart. We all deserve that.

This is our moment of celebration with all of the people, in all of the ways, centering us!

This is why I am organizing a retreat to do just that. The Respite Retreat 2023 is a  portal for peace, love and celebration (therespiteretreat.org). We all deserve these types of spaces.

R2 provides an opportunity for people to engage with family and friends. If folks cannot attend,  support by sponsoring someone.

Contact Info:

• Website: therespiteretreat.org
• Instagram: jylanimaat
• Other: https://bio.site/jylanimaat