Step Into Micah's Shoes: An Interview
Unsinkable Storytelling Author: Micah Dawanyi
Jacob Grosberg and Sam Gerry had an opportunity to connect with Micah Dawanyi in early 2022. The following piece is their interview together.
Micah Dawanyi is a wearer of many different hats- author, coach, mentor, producer, to name a few. At 21 years old, Micah has established himself as a multifaceted creative, using his platform and work to advocate for social issues that are close to his heart. Micah grew up an athlete, but at 15, he was forced to cut his soccer career short after suffering from a series of medical conditions and injuries, the most notable being a life-threatening heart condition. At 16, Micah decided to take his experience playing sports and become a coach. He earned his first national coaching license and opened up a non-profit training business to serve underfunded communities, also gaining experience working with private and public agencies as a coach and mentor for young athletes and students. During the summer of 2020, Micah published his first book, “Step Into My Shoes: Memoirs From the Other Side of America”, a series of memoirs focusing on social/racial injustice. The book came as a direct response to the amount of misinformation and false narratives being spread about the Black community during the height of the Black Lives Matter protests. Shortly after the publication of his book, Micah began working on social justice projects with media companies across the nation to help spread awareness about racial injustice. Writing op-eds, designing social justice projects, public speaking, and using social media platforms to spread his message. As a health science/psychology student in college, Micah also developed a strong interest in mental health. Earlier this year, he published his second book, “Battle Scars & Blossoms: A Journey Through the Mind”, a fictional work that deals with mental health and the dangers of emotional suppression. Looking towards the future, Micah plans to continue writing and mentoring, and he plans to seek out new ways to educate, enlighten, and empower people. That remains the goal for all of the various creative and professional endeavors he gets involved in.
What factors shape your identity, or sense of self, and how has that shifted over time? There’s so many factors. For one, my cultural heritage and upbringing. My mom is from Jamaica, my dad is from Zimbabwe, and then I was born and raised in the US. Just that in itself- being exposed to three unique and different cultures influences my identity and shapes who I am. My upbringing has been unique, because I spent my (earlier) childhood in Maryland before moving to Florida. So I’ve probably developed subconscious influences from living in both the North and South as well. But overall, I think over time, you peel back the different layers that make up who you are. The older I’ve gotten, I’ve drifted further and further away from being an athlete. When you’re heavily involved in sports, a very large percentage of your identity is rooted in being an athlete. So for me, it’s been interesting to (now) just exist as Micah- not Micah the athlete who has four practices this week and a major tournament on the weekend. Just Micah. And I think that separation from sports has revealed what motivates me, where my moral compass is (when it comes to issues in the world), my passions, what I value, etc. I don’t think this version of myself, the author who writes about mental health and social justice issues, would even exist without that separation from sports. I guess my identity has become more clear over time.
In what ways have other people, or society, determined your identity for you? What have you embraced and what have you repelled? If you don’t know who you are, someone else will try to tell you. I’ve noticed that in a lot of instances, society fails to embrace nuance. It’s probably our brains trying to make sense of things, but the “left or right, this or that” mentality doesn’t live much room for gray area. The reality is that we as humans are really complex. I remember times when I was young feeling stuck between trying to identify more with the Jamaican or Zimbabwean side, or just choosing to identify as a Black American, since I grew up here. I remember feeling stuck between trying to identify more with Maryland or Florida, as I’ve lived in both states. People have tried to make me choose, and at times when I was confused, or still figuring it out, people have tried to choose for me. I guess with time comes maturity, because now I’m at the place where my identity is so deeply rooted, I don’t think society can determine who I am for me. I’ve embraced the complexity of my identity, and I’ve rejected the idea that there can only be one core element of my identity.
How have your intersecting identities (athlete, coach, author, etc) informed your advocacy work?Well to be honest, I don’t think any of my professional titles are my identity. Those are just my career endeavors, and I think they intersect because of my identity- who I am at the core. But ultimately, my experiences in my intersecting professions allow me to appeal to the humanity element of the issues I advocate for. It’s important to not only think of statistics, or pieces of information, but also the actual people, the actual humans being affected by these issues. Social issues are not just numbers and stats, or slides on an instagram post. There are human lives behind these issues. And it’s important to understand that. I’ve been given that understanding because my work is very social; it’s people-based. I think that makes my advocacy work more genuine- more empathic, even.
How did you find your voice? And how do you help others find theirs? To be fair, I didn’t think I really searched. Maybe my voice found me, I’m not sure. I’ve just been on a journey, trying my hand at different things, thinking about my passions, thinking about my purpose, not being afraid to take risks. I think it’s been really important for me to be myself too. Some people ask why I write books, instead of doing podcasts or visual Instagram skits or something else. But I like writing. I’m just doing what I like. And that’s what I encourage others to do. I think your voice finds you when you stay true to yourself.
What do your support systems look like and how do they help you? My support systems are the people that pour into me. My parents, aunts, uncles, extended family, friends, etc. They help me in a lot of different ways. I can bounce creative ideas off of them, I can get advice from them, and I can lean on them for emotional support. They also motivate me by cheering me on with whatever I’m doing, which I don’t take for granted. When you have people in your life that clap for you, it empowers you to keep going with whatever it is you’re doing.
Describe the power of peer support in your life, work and advocacy. I could only get but so far on my own willpower. Peer support gives me encouragement, it motivates me to keep writing, to keep trying to make a difference with my work. I can’t really see an end goal for where my work will take me, so for now I’m just enjoying the journey that I’m on. And peer support reminds me that it’s not only my journey- there are others who are seeing me; walking with me too.
In what ways have you seen an improvement in the daily lives of the people you’ve coached? It’s been really cool to see some of my players unlearn unhealthy ways of thinking. I’ve always recognized that coaching is bigger than just sports, it’s about helping the players. I’ve tried to help my players off the field by giving them little pieces of advice. For a lot of them, they’ve reached an age where they’ve internalized really unhealthy ways of thinking, but through my mentorship, I’ve been able to help some of them unlearn toxic patterns and ways of thinking. Things like always comparing themselves to other people, feeling guilty about taking well-deserved rests, avoiding confrontation and instead being passive-aggressive, etc. It’s cool to know that I’m helping players deal with parts of their lives that extent beyond the field.
Describe the importance of men's mental health in your advocacy work. Mental health in itself is just such a stigmatized topic. And when you focus in on men, you have to address how men are raised to neglect their mental health and suppress their emotions. I resonate with this because I’ve seen the effects of men’s mental health stigmas. The biggest thing I’ve noticed is this reoccurring theme of “suffering in silence.” I think the solution starts with a change in perspective. Redefining what it means to be “strong”, and unlearning unhealthy ways of thinking about mental health. I try to put that in my work. With my new book, I literally created a fictional reality just to (basically) talk about the dangers of emotional suppression. That’s how important this is to me. Touching on men’s mental health is also important to me because I don’t want to see generational cycles of trauma continue. That’s another theme in my latest book. What often happens is that men pass down unhealthy coping mechanisms and toxic behavioral patterns to their sons, and that creates future generations of men who are still being affected by the stigmas. So in exposing people to mental health information, and giving them a new perspective, one of the goals is to help end the generational cycle.
How do you create safe supportive environments when engaging in mental health conversations?By laying groundwork. Generally speaking, people won’t just instantaneously open up to you about really deep topics. You have to lay groundwork by proving to be a caring, empathic, trustworthy individual. That’s what I try to do for people, and sometimes it’s hard because some people have never experienced a supporting environment before, so the idea of vulnerability scares them. I just try to make people feel comfortable in opening up. A lot of people just don’t want to be judged when opening up about their mental health, so if you can create a judge-free space, it’ll be easier to engage with people. I try to create those spaces through active listening, and letting people know that I’m genuinely here for them.
What helpful strategies, or healthy coping mechanisms have you developed? My biggest strategy seems obvious, but it’s easier said than done. For a while now, I’ve been trying to figure out the spaces where I feel at peace. In school, with work, in social circles, online, etc. It’s kind of difficult to explain, but here’s an example. If I know I don’t feel at peace in a certain social setting, it doesn’t make much sense to continue entertaining that space, and then try to use coping mechanisms after. It makes more sense to remove myself from that space all together. I say it’s easier said than done because it takes a certain amount of self awareness to recognize what spaces benefit you, or are good for your mental health. It can also be difficult to remove yourself from spaces that you have an emotional attachment to, even if those spaces aren’t best for you. But that’s honestly my biggest strategy. It’s kind of become cliche to say, but it’s really just protecting my peace of mind in that way.
What do conversations around mental health look like within your family, your community, and among your peers? I think they depend on the person. I mean, you don’t even have to use the actual words “mental health” to talk about mental health. I live in an interesting world where some people in my life are dealing with serious mental illnesses, while some people are struggling with coping/dealing with complex feelings, and others are simply trying to maintain their emotional state. All of those situations and scenarios fall under the umbrella of mental health, but everyone is on a different journey. I think the basis of these conversations revolve around emotional expression. Expressing how you feel, what you’re going through, what’s on your mind, etc. And there’s a lot more vulnerability in these conversations too- no matter the person or situation. I’d attribute that to the fact that mental health information has become much more accessible, so a lot of people don’t feel as alienated when talking about these heavier topics. With my mom, for example, we spend a lot of time talking about our pasts, the experiences and hardships from the past that affect the way our minds work today. We get real in-depth and there’s space to be vulnerable and honest with those past-tense reflections. With others, maybe with people who are struggling but are worried about being judged when opening up, I just try to listen. Sometimes I pick people’s brain by asking follow up questions when they open up about something.
For those looking to become advocates, what steps would you recommend they take? Well I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I think it’s important to think about intentionality with advocacy work. There are a lot of disingenuous ways to advocate- for example, being a “performance activist”, speaking on issues just to seem like you’re down for a certain cause, even if you’re really not. I think it’s just important to think about your intentions for advocacy work- whatever the topic is. From there, I think people looking to become advocates should think about where they can reach people. You can advocate through creative art, film, writing, social justice projects, volunteer work, a certain field of professional work, the options are endless.
Having become a mentor at such a young age, what has your experience been like? And how has that been perceived by others? My experience has been overwhelmingly positive to be honest. Young people are proving to be more than capable of handling community roles. Maybe twenty years ago, the perception would have been different. But today, there are thousands of other people like me, getting involved with their communities and tackling important issues with their work. From my lens, the perception has been positive. Especially because a lot of my mentor work has been focused on a younger audience, people have told me that it’s made them more comfortable to have someone mentoring them who understands their generation.
What do you feel are the necessary blocks required to build community? Thankfully, you don’t need an actual budget to build a community. I think you really just need genuine intentions and a certain level of social understanding. Social understanding is especially important because a community is more than one person, so there are social dynamics that come into play. Everyone is different, everyone is approaching community having walked a different life path, with different interests, ways of thinking, even vastly different personalities. That can create separation or tension, which is why I think genuine intentions and social understanding are important.
With an understanding that racism is a mental health issue, how has it come up in your community? What do you do to nurture your resilience and the resilience of others? Well, I more think that the effects of racism can produce mental health issues for people affected. And with that being said, I think it’s important to have a community of like-minded people to address these issues. Racism in this country is weird because some people try to act like it doesn’t exist. So you can be on the brink of insanity because of your own experiences with racism, all while society is trying to tell you that it’s all in your mind- that you’re making things up. So I think it’s important to build community and create spaces where people can lean on each other and know that in the everlasting fight against racism, there are people who relate and understand. You’re not crazy for feeling what you feel about racist experiences, and those experiences are valid. These are some of the conversations I have with others who are/have been affected by racism. I also think it’s important to focus on Blackness in a positive light. Our livelihoods are more than just racism, and I think it can be extremely overwhelming to think of blackness only in the context of negative experiences. That’s not to undermine issues like racism, but it’s to remind ourselves that we add to the world in so many different ways, through art, culture, and so much more- even just our simple existence. Having this kind of conversation helps to nurture my resilience and the resilience of others- especially when feeling overwhelmed with all of our social challenges as a community.
What has your attention in the social space and within your own community? Black creatives changing narratives through their art. Narratives and perception truly do affect social spaces. I think back to four years ago when Black Panther released, and almost instantly, so many of the stigmas and negative perceptions of Africa went away. All because people finally got to see African culture portrayed in a positive way (even if it was fictional). That’s just one example, but I love to see black creatives using their art (music, paintings, writing, films, dance, etc.) to shift narratives in a positive way. It inspires my work; my writing as well.
Are there any Black-led groups or organizations you’d like to spotlight? BlackMentalWellness. I’ve collaborated with them before, on a few occasions. I love what they’re doing. They’re making mental health information more accessible for people in our community, people who may not hear about that kind of information in their everyday lives.
What does it mean to you to be Unsinkable, and how do you demonstrate this in your own life? To me, being unsinkable is being resilient. That’s not always easy, especially when dealing with tough times or mental struggles. But I just try to keep my head to the sky even when I’m down. Everything I’ve ever been through in my life, I’ve survived- things I’ve talked about, like my medical conditions, and things that I haven’t been so vocal about. But at the end of the day, I’m still here, still standing. I just remind myself of that all the time. Everything I go through, I will get through. I don’t even think I purposefully demonstrate being unsinkable in my life, people just see it. People look at my journey, especially what happened with my athletic career. After suffering through serious health challenges, collapsing episodes, and having to give up my dreams, I could have went down a dark path. But I’m still here today, making the most out of my life, trying to live in my purpose. That’s how I demonstrate being unsinkable.
In what ways do you plan to educate, enlighten and empower people throughout your advocacy career? I’m just going to continue to be intentional with my career endeavors- with my writing, with my creative projects, with everything I do. I’m always going to be intentional with using my work to impact others. But I also want to do something to change lives in a structural way. This is the thing- if socioeconomic conditions are creating traumas for people, and then those traumas are creating mental and emotional challenges, something has to be done at the first part of the issue. And that’s a reality in this country. The socioeconomic structures and systems in our society create reoccurring themes of psychological distress for people. And often, our reaction comes after people develop mental disorders or conditions because of these traumas. So I’m interested in finding ways to change socioeconomic conditions, to make people’s everyday livelihoods better. I can’t think of anything more empowering than literally removing hardship and traumatic experiences from people’s life-courses.
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Thank you Micah for sharing your powerful insights with us; and for showing us what it is to be Unsinkable.To connect with Micah Dawanyi visit: