Esther Armah is a self-proclaimed “global black chick”, having spent the majority of her life living between three cities that shaped her identity - London, New York, and Accra. As a young Black girl in London, she remembers being told by a teacher that college wasn’t for her. But Esther challenged this and she pushed through this systemic bias to carve out her own path, eventually becoming a successful journalist before evolving into a pioneering voice in emotional justice. 

Today, Esther is the CEO of the Armah Institute of Emotional Justice, a visionary organization that centers emotionality as an integral part in dismantling oppression. It was experiences like coming up as a young reporter at the BBC, covering South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and listening to her own mother’s stories that led Esther to build this idea of emotional justice, and helped fuel her passion to help Black people, particularly women, through the process of racial healing. 

In this episode, Esther unpacks her own journey and dives deep into the meaning of emotional justice. We talk about important concepts like “emotional patriarchy”, the critical need for Black women to build a relationship with rest, and Esther breaks down the experiences that shaped her and lead her to where she is today. 

Tune into Episode 6 of Black Girl Back Talk and let’s explore the power of emotional justice with Esther Armah.

Some Questions I Ask:

• When you did go to college, did you experience any racial bias there? (10:18)
• How did [systemic racism] lead to your work around emotional justice? (17:11)
• What have you, in some of the stories that women have told you about their experiences, discovered around the impact of those stories? (44:27)
• How can emotional justice be helpful in this political climate? (1:10:32)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• About Esther’s girlhood and racial bias she experienced at the time and as she grew up (5:00)
• How systemic racism showed up for Esther in her professional life (11:40)
• What the term “emotional patriarchy” means (27:15)
• What the leader vs learner binary is and how it connects to the language of whiteness (33:34)
• What it looks like to “integrate” rest into your day (54:58)

Resources:

• The Armah Institute of Emotional Justice

Connect with Esther Armah:

• LinkedIn

Let's Connect:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

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