Iyanla Vanzant
Iyanla Vanzant
| Born | |
|---|---|
| Education | City University of New York, Medgar EversVirginia Union UniversityCity University of New York, QueensUniversity of Santa Monica |
| Occupation | Inspirational speaker, lawyer, spiritual teacher, author, TV personality |
| Years active | 1980-present |
| Children | 3 |
| Website |
Iyanla Vanzant (born Rhonda Eva Harris; September 13, 1953) is an American inspirational speaker, lawyer, New Thought spiritual teacher, author, life coach, and television personality. She is known primarily for her books, her eponymous talk show, and her appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show. She can currently be seen on television as the host of Iyanla: Fix My Life,[1] on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network.
| Born | |
|---|---|
| Education | City University of New York, Medgar EversVirginia Union UniversityCity University of New York, QueensUniversity of Santa Monica |
| Occupation | Inspirational speaker, lawyer, spiritual teacher, author, TV personality |
| Years active | 1980-present |
| Children | 3 |
| Website |
Life and career
Vanzant was born on September 13, 1953, in the back of a taxi in Brooklyn, New York, as Rhonda Eva Harris.
She is the daughter of Sarah Jefferson, a railroad carmaid, and Horace Harris, who was largely absent from her life.
Her mother died from breast cancer in 1955, when she was two.
She was then raised by paternal relatives, one of whom raped her at the age of nine.
Her first husband was physically abusive and she left him in 1980, taking her three children.[2] In 1983, she was given the title "Iyanla", which means "great mother", after being initiated and ordained as a priestess in the Yoruba tradition (as mentioned in her television interview on the Conn Jackson show). She attended Medgar Evers College and Virginia Union University. Vanzant holds a Juris Doctor degree from the City University of New York School of Law and a Master's degree from the University of Santa Monica (USM), Center for the Study and Practice of Spiritual Psychology. She currently resides in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.[3] She is also an ordained New Thought minister.[4]
In 2000, she was named one of the "100 most influential Black Americans" by Ebony magazine, which said that "Her books, lectures and television appearances have made her a multimedia high priestess of healthy relationships."[5]%2C%20May%201%2C%202000.]]In 2012, Vanzant was listed at #7 on magazine's list of the 100 most spiritually influential living people.[6] In 2014, she was a co-speaker on Oprah's the "Life You Want Weekend" tour, which travelled to eight cities and also featured Deepak Chopra, Mark Nepo, Elizabeth Gilbert, and Rob Bell.[7] In 2016, Vanzant was named to Oprah Winfrey's SuperSoul100 list of visionaries and influential leaders.[8]
Filmography and bibliography
Interiors: a black woman's healing--in progress. Writers and Readers, 1995. ISBN 0-86316-321-1.
The Big Book of Faith. Simon & Schuster, 1997. ISBN 0-684-84999-2.
The spirit of a man: a vision of transformation for Black men and the women who love them. HarperSanFrancisco, 1997. ISBN 0-06-251239-0.
Acts of Faith 1998: Thought-for-a-Day. Simon & Schuster, 1997. ISBN 0-684-82411-6.
Faith in the Valley: Lessons for Women on the Journey to Peace [26] . Simon & Schuster, 1998. ISBN 0-684-85048-6.
Don't Give It Away!: A Workbook of Self-Awareness and Self-Affirmations for Young Women. with Almasi Wilcots. Simon & Schuster, 1999. ISBN 0-684-85048-6.
Yesterday, I Cried: Celebrating the Lessons of Living and Loving [27] . Simon & Schuster, 1999. ISBN 0-684-87382-6.
One Day My Soul Just Opened Up: 40 Days And 40 Nights Toward Spiritual Strength And Personal Growth. Simon & Schuster, 1999. ISBN 0-684-87383-4.
In the Meantime: Finding Yourself and the Love You Want [28] . Simon & Schuster, 2000. ISBN 0-684-86581-5.
Acts of Faith: Meditations for People of Color [29] . Simon & Schuster, 2001. ISBN 0-7432-2646-1.
Value in the Valley: A Black Woman's Guide Through Life's Dilemmas [30] . Simon & Schuster, 2001. ISBN 0-7432-2647-X.
*Living through the meantime: learning to break the patterns of the past and begin the healing process [18] *. Simon & Schuster, 2001. ISBN 0743227107.
Iyanla Vanzant. Simon & Schuster, Limited, 2001. ISBN 0-7432-2171-0.
Until Today. Hay House Inc, 2002. ISBN 1-56170-924-7.
Tips for Daily Living Cards: A 50-Card Deck. Hay House Inc, 2002. ISBN 1-56170-939-5.
Every Day I Pray: Prayers for Awakening to the Grace of Inner Communion. Pocket, 2002. ISBN 0-7434-5074-4.
Up From Here: Reclaiming the Male Spirit: A Guide to Transforming Emotions Into Power and Freedom. HarperCollins, 2003. ISBN 0-06-052250-X.
Tapping the Power Within: A Path to Self-Empowerment for Women [32] . Hay House, Inc, 2008. ISBN 1-4019-2188-4.
A Woman Knows Things. Hay House UK, Limited, 2010. ISBN 1-4019-2192-2.
Peace from Broken Pieces: How to Get Through What You're Going Through [33] . Hay House, Inc, 2010. ISBN 1-4019-2822-6.
Girls Trip
Trust: Mastering The 4 Essentials
Television
Iyanla (TV Series)
Starting Over
Oprah's Lifeclass, Lifeclass Teacher, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network (2011–2014)
Iyanla, Fix My Life, Host, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network (2012–present)
TV guest appearances
'The Parkers' episode 15 “Judge Not A Book”, season 5
'Tavis Smiley' (29 April 2004) playing herself
Moesha
The Chris Rock Show
The Salt-N-Pepa Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show (16 and 23 February 2011, discussing her departure from Harpo Productions in 1999)[12]
Super Soul Sunday
Katie
Anderson Live
Joy Behar: Say Anything!
The Dr. Oz Show
Oprah Prime
Super Soul Sunday
Greenleaf