A conversation with my dear friend Tiffany Cooper. She lives near New York and since she was campaigning for Kamala Harris before the election, I wanted to know how she feels now about the actual situation in the US. Tiffany hosts the podcast “Woman on her Path”, and she is also a mother, an energy worker, community herbalist and a bhakti yogi.
Simone: Tiffany, I just realized that we know each other for seven years now! What is the biggest change within the last few years in the US for you? What changed in your personal surrounding?
Tiffany: The biggest and most disturbing change I have seen is the level of division and anger in our society. It is disappointing to see how we have gone from a society of understanding that we should be friendly and helpful to our “neighbors” to being a society that doesn’t know whether we can trust our neighbors. In regular daily interactions people are dismissive or cold to one another. There is also a certain level of intolerance and aggression that is challenging to deal with. In my personal surroundings, especially as an African-American woman, I have experienced harsh looks from others and people saying inconsiderate things about my race.
Simone: How do you deal with dark moments in your soul?
Tiffany: When I feel dark moments I tend to separate myself from others and become introspective. I question myself about my expectations and remind myself that I am simply doing my best to be a compassionate human like most people. I try to be compassionate with myself and give myself time to process my feelings. To accept what I’m feeling and allow my feelings to move through me. I also ask myself what I am meant to learn from dark moments and how I can apply what I learn in a practical way.
Simone: What was the most unexpected fact you experienced while campaigning for Kamala Harris?
Tiffany: The most unexpected fact that I learned is how many people actually believe the conspiracy theories and blatant lies that are spread throughout American culture. I knew they were out there. Over the years I have spoken to many people who believe these things, however I did not expect this phenomenon to be so widespread.
I also did not realize how isolated people have become while sadly sitting in their homes glued to social media, until I started knocking on doors and engaging people in conversations.
I now see that this is a tremendous problem and why so many Americans are ill informed.
Simone: And how was the moment for you personally, when you realized that Kamala Harris lost the election?
Tiffany: Though I campaigned hard for the Harris-Walz ticket, it was not a complete surprise that they lost. It was clear that Kamala Harris was qualified, much more so than who she was running against, but as an African-American woman I knew it was not out of the scope of possibility for her to lose the election. When you grow up as a minority in the U.S. you are constantly confronted with certain truths. Racism and sexism are always present and minorities are rarely treated as equal.
I have been fortunate enough to transcend a lot of what other minorities experience through the environments that I inhabit, but I still get looks or am treated to a rude comment from time to time due to my skin color. At the same time it was disappointing because I knew what was coming if she didn’t win. Most of all I was concerned for my children’s future and all of my descendants as the Trump regime does not seem to care about the future of humanity.
Simone: I felt the same way. What are your helpful, maybe daily resources or practices you have?
Tiffany: My spiritual practice is my salvation! I chant, meditate and study sacred texts. There is so much wisdom available to us all if we just take the time to connect to it. In addition I teach yoga and try to spend as much time as possible in nature. These things keep me grounded and give me a sense of peace. It also allows me to stay tuned to current events without getting lost within them.
Simone: What is helpful for your clients? Are you sometimes surprised about what is helpful for them and what is not .. ?
Tiffany: What I find is most helpful to them is having someone to talk to. When so much change is happening one can feel alone as if they are the only ones experiencing certain emotions. Again, because of the isolation in the U.S., people tend to get so wrapped up in the virtual world of social media that they lose track of the actual world. They forget that there are alternatives to what they believe and how they feel. I often recommend clients get some form of physical exercise, preferably in nature, to get their endorphins pumping and find a sense of clarity. People often ignore that advice because it seems so simple, but it can truly make a huge difference in our lives.
Simone: Your podcast is about Women on their path – why did you choose this focus? How has the situation changed for women? And how for black people? Do you experience more racism and more devaluation as a woman these days?
Tiffany: I started my podcast for two main reasons….first, I had female clients who requested it and second, I found myself saying the same things over and over to my female clients! I realized that so many women were confused about walking their own paths and living in a way that gave them a sense of fulfillment. I wanted to empower women and encourage them to use their energy to affect the world in a positive way.
I also started the podcast just after the Dobbs Decision overturning Roe V. Wade. That was a devastating moment for so many women who realized that our government would actually take rights away from us. Whether one supports abortion or not, taking away the right to have an abortion was taking away the right to bodily autonomy for women. Those of us who were paying attention knew it was just the beginning. Now Republican members of Congress are introducing bills like the Save Act, which could make it difficult for women who take their husband’s surnames to vote.
We have Project 2025 that aims for a nationwide abortion ban. It also stigmatizes single-parenthood and suggests cutting programs that support single-parent families. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives are being reversed in the Federal government. These initiatives have benefitted women more than any other group that does not have fair representation in our government.
As I’m sure you know our current President was found liable for sexual abuse and has chosen other men and a woman to serve in his cabinet, who have been accused or found liable for similar acts. It is not uncommon to hear young men making crude jokes about women these days. It is a daunting time for women in the United States.
92% of black women and 78% of black men voted for Kamala Harris. We know that many non-black people did not vote for her because she is a black and South Asian woman. Again, few of us are under illusion when it comes to racism in the U.S. Whether subtle or flagrant, we live with it day in and day out. During the campaign and since the election, things have become more tense. People are more open about their racism and have become bolder in their expressions of it.
I have not seen or experienced the current level of racism in the States since I was a child growing up near Kentucky and Indiana.
Kentucky is below the Mason Dixon Line, which historically divided the (free) Northern States from the (slave holding) Southern States. Indiana, though above the Mason Dixon Line, was known as “Klan Country” in the area I grew up in, due to it being a stronghold for the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920’s. At that time the Governor and more than half of the state legislature were members of the Klan. So you can imagine the sort of environment I grew up in. I often say to myself that “I truly do not want to go back to dealing with that kind of racism again…it is exhausting!” However, it looks like I may not have a choice.
Simone: What concerns me right now is when we see that some immigrants who voted for Trump are now being arrested – they thought their loyalty to Trump would help and protect them and this is something that also happened in the Nazi regime. People (like Jewish collaborators) were used and later murdered anyway – So, I wonder, you feel anger or pity for these types of Trump supporters?
Tiffany: This is a very tricky question! My first inclination is to feel sympathy for anyone who was swindled into thinking that Trump would protect them if they voted for him. On the other hand, it is difficult to understand how they would think that he would protect them in the first place.
It is also impossible to discern who of them voted for Trump out of wanting protection and who voted for him because they support his points of view. I have gone in and out of feeling sorry for them and feeling angry at them. During his campaign Trump made it very clear what he was planning to do. I lived in New York City in the late 1980’s to early 1990’s when he was a failed, malicious business man. I saw how he took advantage of people and stirred hate among people. He has not changed since then. He just has a larger platform to spew his atrocious ideas. I don’t know how so many people could possibly not know who he is and what he is all about.
Some who did vote for him are now saying that they regret their votes after they have now seen how his policies are affecting them. It is hard to come to terms with their change of heart when they were aware of how his presidency would affect others when went to the ballot box. Essentially, they only regret when they are at risk but they are not concerned about other’s lives. That is hard to understand. Ultimately, I do know that we are all human beings with our own levels of frailty. We are prone to committing mistakes. I believe that our collective consciousness is truly what put us all in this situation.
Trump is a symptom of a great sickness that has been spreading in the U.S. for some time. He is a direct reflection of the greed and self-centeredness that has been becoming more and more prevalent in our culture. Had we all been more compassionate, more loving, more concerned for the welfare of others we never would have arrived here in the first place.
Simone: Yes, that´s a very important point you make here.
Tiffany: I recognize that the entire world seems to be moving in a direction that lacks much needed feminine qualities such as nurturing, community building, creativity, compassion, patience and many more. I encourage everyone to spend more time focusing on these things because they are surely what will help us all make a positive impact on our world. As human beings we can not let our governments dictate who we are and how we should behave toward one another.
We must be stronger than that. We must not allow hatred and cruelty to rule the day.
We have to see the humanity within each other and most importantly the spirit soul that is the purest part of each of us.
Tiffany Cooper, host of “woman on her path”, a mother, energy worker, community herbalist and bhakti yogi