WOMEN HISTORY MONTH
HARLEM COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
Resolving Conflict through Sacred Listening Celebrating the Work of La-Verna Fountain
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By Marisol Rodríguez
individual to cause them to hate me because of the way I look?” One of Fountain’s current clients Bowery Residents’ Committee (BRC) was put in a predicament when it was discovered that one of their residential development sites in Inwood is also consecrated land where the native Lenape tribe held sacred ceremonies and enslaved Africans were buried. Fountain has taken the lead on holding space for conversations she calls “sacred listening sessions” to unpack this predicament. “We need to respect and honor the people who were disrespected here, we can’t ignore them,” said Fountain. “To me it’s very powerful for BRC to say we aren’t going to move ahead until we listen. Sometimes it’s painful and people are afraid to speak up because people don’t want to be seen a certain way, which is why I try to create safe spaces.” Another part of Fountain’s current consulting work includes assisting a client in creating a curriculum on holistic wellness (emotional, en-
vironmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social, and spiritual) for individuals who are struggling with substance abuse and their family members. Around 2006 Fountain began working at Columbia University, where she earned a Master’s degree in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution. She served as Vice President for Strategic Communications and Construction Business Initiatives at Columbia for many years and taught the graduate-level Introductory to Negotiations class. A main goal of Fountian’s work as Vice President had to do with building connections between the university and the Harlem community it’s located in. Some of the partnerships she is grateful for are with the Women’s Chamber of Commerce, The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce and Harlem Business Alliance. Fountain has also collaborated over the years with Harlem Community Newspapers and admires it’s Editor-in-chief Pat Stevenson for her important contribution to uplifting the community. “When I talk to Pat I get so much positivity, that I had no choice, but to support her,” said Fountain. “I met someone who believes in the goodness of people, who believes in the power of the community, who wants very much
for people to feel good about themselves and to see the positive.” Prior to working at Columbia, Fountain was Senior Advisor at the global NGO Save the Children. One of her accomplishments as Senior Advisor was organizing a summit that brought together young people from impoverished areas all over the country including Appalachia, Mississippi Delta and Brooklyn, N.Y. to share their life story with each other. “To me what was eye opening in listening was how similar their story was regardless of where they came from,” said Fountain. “Each
of the stories was about power coming in and doing things to communities without recognizing the value of the people who are in those communities.” As an entrepreneur and author of two books, Fountain is an example of a hard working and inspiring female leader. Not only has she learned the value of mentorship and femininity as power, but also the importance of self-care. “Traditional old school values say my first responsibility is not myself as a woman, my first responsibility is my family, except not realizing the best thing I can do for my family is
to take care of me, that’s a little bit of a mind twist sometimes,” she said. Fountain lives in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania with her husband of 38 years James Fountain and their German Shepard. Her son Andrew Fountain is a filmmaker. Fountain identifies as an introvert, having to spend time alone to regain energy. She also deeply values her friendships: “I make sure that I have very healthy, positive, loving relationships with other women. I call them my Phenomenal Women.”
Harlem Community Newspapers | March 18. 2021
hile many of us do everything in our power to avoid conflict, La-Verna Fountain has made it her life’s mission to lean into conflict with curiosity, compassion and a resolve to solve it. “I’ve learned for myself that my purpose in life is to help be a bridge that would bring people together,” said Fountain. “My goal has always been to see another perspective, to understand, respect and value a voice that was not my own, and help share that so we as human beings can understand that there is a value and worth in another perspective.” After years of developing her interpersonal and conflict-resolution talents, Fountain founded her own communications consulting firm Meaningful Communications Matters in November 2018. She has recently been involved in facilitating poignant and painful conversations related to the senseless killings of Black and Brown people at the hands of police. Fountain brings a unique and sensitive viewpoint when engaging with those whose actions reflect racist beliefs: “I have always looked below the initial. I need to understand why you just did that. I am very grateful my first inclination is not to get angry, my first inclination is to feel sorry for you. What happened to this
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