Leon Kennedy

Insight Myanmar

Episode #229: Leon Kennedy's life is a chronicle of personal struggle. Growing up in an era of historical significance, his parents were heavily involved in the Civil Rights Movement, with figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks frequent visitors to his grandparent's home. But when his parents divorced, the pain and the absence of a male role model led him down a path of rebellion despite the noble influences that had surrounded him. His mom sent him to an all-white high school, which in the South was very hard for an African-American, and a sense of fight was fueled in him.

Leon's tumultuous youth saw him involved in a violent incident that nearly cost a man his life, resulting in Leon's incarceration. During his nine-year sentence, he embraced reading and music; upon his release, he sought normalcy through work and family life. However, the lure of his former life led to a bank robbery and another prison sentence. It was during his second incarceration that he discovered Vipassana meditation as taught by S.N. Goenka, which became a transformative force in his life.

Leon's commitment to Vipassana continued despite the challenges posed by the prison system's resistance. He became a model prisoner, engaging deeply in self-help and meditation, eventually featured in a documentary. The practice of Vipassana allowed him to view the sacrifices of the Civil Rights leaders with even greater reverence, even as he connects it to the ongoing crisis in the Golden Land today. He served out his sentence, and is now a committed and involved advocate.

He reflects on his spiritual connection to Myanmar in light of the country’s struggle. “How can [one] know what's going on [in Myanmar] and not reach back? That speaks to a different discounting level of your humanity. So whether it be Myanmar or any place in the world where there is oppression and suffering, this suffering and these injustices have been going on since the beginning of time. It is a blessing to be a part of that cloth or personhood where you can be a part of the solution, to be a light shining in a dark place, just a spark. So to my brothers and sisters in Myanmar and other places in the world, where they're being oppressed, slaughtered, genocide, starved, enslaved: Whether it be Vipassana, Christianity, Islam or whatever it is their special place where you find that strength and you can just hold out, and hope against hope.”