Light Is Not Heavy: What Phylicia Rashad Teaches Us About Purpose, Power + the Matriarch’s Magic
Downloads from the culture
I love interviews. But not just for the laughs or tea—I watch like I’m listening for spirit. And more often than not, I hear it loud and clear.
These are the moments that made me pause. Think. Reflect.
These are the cultural downloads I didn’t know I needed.
When I saw that Phylicia Rashad was on The Breakfast Club to talk about Purpose, a new Broadway play she’s directing, I immediately paused everything. America’s favorite mom. Revered by Black women. Adored by Black men. A living embodiment of grace, poise, and soul-deep wisdom. I didn’t plan to do a full review of the interview—but the truth is, her words stirred something ancient and affirming in me.
These are just a few reflections that stayed with me.
“We Are — As A People — Respectful”
Early in the interview, Rashad was asked if people often treat her like royalty. The cast of The Breakfast Club had shared how they scrambled to clean and prepare when she entered the space—just like Black children do when mama gets home. Her response? Calm and matter-of-fact: “We are—as a people—respectful.”
That was it. No need for explanation. No lecture. Just a gentle, ancestral full stop that left no room for counterpoint. Charlamagne, known for pushing boundaries, asked her to elaborate. She simply repeated it. And he behaved for the rest of the interview.
There was power in that pause. A quiet, unmistakable authority that didn’t demand respect—it radiated it. It reminded me that some truths don’t need translation. They just need to be witnessed.
Raised, Not Just Reared
Rashad’s reflections on her mother—a poet, visionary, and solid matriarch—left me deeply moved. She spoke about how her mother protected her children from the harm of racism without disconnecting them from reality. Instead of telling them a restaurant was segregated, she’d say, “That’s a private club, and we are not members.” Her goal wasn’t to deny racism existed—it was to prevent them from internalizing it.
She raised them in artistry, in fearlessness, and in faith. She created safety and boldness. She once scared off a would-be burglar with nothing but her voice. As Rashad said: “We grew up to be fearless, but not to be stupid.”
This reminded me of a lyric from Beyoncé’s Protector that always gets me: “Lifting you up so you will be raised.” That’s what a true matriarch does. Not just feeding bodies, but nourishing minds, souls, and visions. Phylicia Rashad’s entire essence confirmed what I’ve come to believe: when a mother is rooted in source, her children rise.
Purpose as Collective Intention
When she spoke about the play, she didn’t center herself. Instead, she uplifted the cast and crew, speaking with genuine affection and reverence. She used the phrase “collective intention”, and it hit me hard. That’s what happens when aligned people come together with purpose. Whether on stage or in life, intention is the glue that binds spirit to action.
Freedom Lives Within
One of the most beautiful moments came when she spoke about teaching young people to look inward because “there’s nothing but freedom there.” She described nature as “magic” and “presence,” a sacred space that offers connection to the great divine.
She warned that too many distractions are separating children from their source and from themselves. That’s a message I echo in my own work: if we can return to our root, to our rhythm, we remember who we are. We remember that freedom isn’t something to earn—it’s something to remember.
“Light Is Not Heavy”
When asked if she ever felt pressure to maintain an image, Rashad responded with the most beautiful “No” I’ve ever heard. Then she followed it with this gem: “Light is not heavy… carry light.”
Whew.
That line echoed through my soul. It reminded me of the pressure people try to place on those of us who refuse to wear the cloak of the oppressed. Yes, oppression is historical fact. But it is not my current truth. And I refuse to limit myself by identifying with pain over power.
That moment brought me back to a core truth I share in The Reignbow Code: our power can’t be taken unless we give it away—and sometimes, we give it away through programs we don’t even know are running. Rashad’s “no” was more than a refusal. It was a reclamation.
Beyond the Middle Passage
She spoke about how African Americans are often taught to center The Middle Passage as our defining story. But as she said, “You don’t identify with The Middle Passage as who you are.” And I felt that in my soul. Our legacy isn’t just survival—it’s strength. Might is our inheritance, not just pain.
She talked about being “carefully taught”—a reference to a song in Purpose—and reminded us that everything we believe has been placed there. The question is: are we ready to choose what stays?
Hollywood Ain’t the Standard
Charlamagne tried again to pull her into a critique of Hollywood. Her response was masterful. She said she didn’t need to look to Hollywood—she could see the same issues in how young women dress. It wasn’t judgmental—it was grounding. A redirection. A reminder that the world doesn’t need to reflect Hollywood’s values when our homes, communities, and self-perceptions hold the real power.
Everything begins and ends at home.
“I Am Enough”
Toward the end, Charlamagne asked what lesson she learned too late in life. She answered simply: “I am enough.” She spoke about comparison and external standards of beauty, then turned inward—again—reminding us that self-worth doesn’t come from the outside. When asked when she felt that truth most deeply, she redirected with love: “You need to look inside to make that feeling go away.”
That’s what she wants young people to know: Make yourself great, by making others great. That’s the calling. That’s the work. That’s the root.
Full, Free, and Flowing
By the time the interview ended—with balloons and flowers, no less—I felt full. Seen. Confirmed. This woman, this matriarch, this master teacher doesn’t just talk about freedom—she lives it. And she reminds us, in her own quiet way, that we can too.
If you’re on a journey of self-exploration, liberation, and freedom, this interview isn’t just worth watching—it’s medicine. A reminder that the lightness we seek has been within us all along.