Essay written by Claudia López, TNSM parent and chair of the Diversity and Community Engagement Committee
One of my coaching practice pillars is the Enneagram, a scientifically validated system with ancient roots widely used for self-awareness and personal growth.
The Enneagram comes with me wherever I go. While I’m not trying to label and put people in boxes, I am sensitive to the energy of Enneatype and how it manifests in everyday interactions and decisions.
Victoria, my daughter, has extensively heard me talk about the Enneagram, but we haven’t had a formal conversation to type her.
Yesterday, she was doing her Civil Rights homework on Emmett Till, who was lynched, brutally murdered at age 14 after being accused of offending a white woman at a grocery store. Victoria’s passion and indignation came through as she read her essay to me. There was pain in her words as she tried to describe how Emmett had been brutally assassinated when he was a kid just a couple of years older than she was.
A ferocious lion, boxing gloves, a firm gaze, a firefighter, as well as an innocent girl holding onto a trusted adult’s hand are all images that could represent Enneatype 8’s energy.
Type 8 embodies a need for justice and actively protects the vulnerable. They want to protect everybody, especially those they perceive as weaker or smaller and don’t hesitate to stand for others in the face of injustice or abuse of authority. Type 8 is a protector of their innocence—that lies deep inside, beyond the outer layer of strength and might—and others’.
Is Victoria a Type 8? I don’t know. But that moment yesterday, when she shared her intense emotion as she was trying to make sense of senseless injustice and atrocity, reminded me of Audre Lorde’s words. In that simple act of researching and writing about such a painful subject with raw pain and indignation, I sensed an attempt to be powerful and serve her vision of equity and respect for all beings.
For me, as her mother, it is essential that she’s being guided and informed to stand in anti-racism and anti-oppression. Thank you, Laura. Thank you, J!
Does your family observe a tradition or cultural holiday that you’d like to share with the TNSM community? Do you have a passion for or expertise in a certain area of DEI? The D&CE committee is always looking for books, resources, and classroom speakers to help deepen the cultural competency of our school community. Please reach out to us at diversity@.