Biography
Early Life
Rachel Ricketts is a multiracial Black, queer person. She describes herself as a highly sensitive individual. Ricketts grew up as the only child of her mother Suzette. Her mother was a Jamaican immigrant who was chronically ill. Her early life was in mostly white spaces in Vancouver. It shaped her understanding of systemic racism. She learned the urgency of deconstructing detrimental societal structures. As a child, she saw and felt the impacts of racial inequality. This later influenced her spiritual activism. These experiences shaped her passion for community care and freedom. They caused her to encourage those most marginalized.
Education
Rachel Ricketts obtained her Doctor of Law (JD) from the Peter A. Allard School of Law at University of British Columbia. She founded the UBC Law Equity Committee. She also collaborated with the Center for Feminist Legal Studies. Before this, she completed a B.A. in Psychology. She completed a Diploma in Intercultural Education + Training from the University of Victoria. It focused on anti-oppression and cross-cultural communication.
Ricketts holds certifications that complement her current healing work. She completed Reiki Training Level One with Myorei Reiki Healing. She obtained a Breathwork Certification from Jon Paul Crimi. She received Grief & Loss Training for Professionals. She did this training with the Living Through Loss Counseling Society. These certifications strengthen her other areas of expertise. These include wellness coaching, reiki, mindfulness, and somatic practices. Through these skills, she aids others in healing and transformation. She also has certifications in Yoga. It is from One Yoga for the People. She has certification in Pranayama Breathing Techniques. It is from The Chopra Center. She holds an End of Life Doula certificate.
Her legal training is a foundation for future advocacy in social justice and healing. She is experienced in conflict resolution. She is also experienced in transformative mediation. These are both also foundations for this work.
Spirituality & Activism
Rachel Ricketts is known for integrating spirituality with activism. This is rooted in Afrofuturism. She created the term “spiritual activism.” It describes the need for inner work. This inner work is focused on battling external systems of oppression. Her first book is Do Better: Spiritual Activism for Fighting and Healing from White Supremacy. It was published in 2021. She explores how people can use spiritual practices to dismantle racism within themselves and society. She creates spaces for individuals to do shadow work for healing and transformation. She particularly focuses on aiding queer, trans, and disabled Black and Indigenous people.
Ricketts has expanded her activism to multiple media platforms. Her podcast is Stepping Into Truth. She participates in CIIS Public Programs. She makes appearances on YouTube with Sounds True. She discusses how using spiritual tools to unplug from white supremacy can promote healing. Ricketts remains dedicated to community engagement and care. She teaches others how to confront racial injustices through spiritual resilience. Her spiritual approach integrates shadow work, mindfulness, and collective healing to reach social justice. Collective healing can happen when marginalized communities join. Together, they can heal from the harm caused by systems. These systems include racism and sexism. She uses spiritual practices like Reiki healing, breathwork, and ancestral wisdom to promote healing. She promotes healing for individuals and groups.
