Camila Cabello took part in weekly racial healing sessions: “Now I know better so I can do better”

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Mike Coppola/FilmMagicCamila Cabello understands that before you dedicate yourself to helping others, sometimes you have to help yourself first.

The singer tells People in its Women Changing the World issue that after she issued her 2019 public apology for racist language she used on her Tumblr page as a teen, she enrolled herself in weekly racial healing sessions with the National Compadres Network.

“It created a space where I was held accountable,” she says. “You get corrected, you have homework, and you learn. That’s how you move forward. Now I know better so I can do better.”

Camila has since taken what she’s learned in those sessions and used it to create something positive.

“As I learned more about other people’s experiences in the world, I was like, ‘How do I help the people who are on the frontlines of dismantling systems that create oppression? And how do I bridge that with my own personal journey with mental health and healing?'” Camila, who suffers from anxiety, says.

In January, she launched the Healing Justice Project to help provide activists with mental health support.

“A lot of activists don’t have the time or resources to take care of themselves,” Camila, who turns 24 today, says. “When you’re struggling or feeling burnout, it’s hard to show up for other people. You have to heal yourself before you can heal the community.”

Healing Justice Project, in partnership with the nonprofit Movement Voter Fund, was able to provide grants to 10 BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and youth-led organizations to fund mental health resources for their workers.

By Andrea Tuccillo
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