When Morris Ervin enters a room, the occupants can almost feel the vibrations from his energy. His vibrant personality and enthusiasm attract almost everyone, and his passion for teaching and sharing history is evident.

But what often is not as evident is the abuse and trauma he experienced growing up, and the resulting mental health challenges he faced and overcame.

Ervin shares both his struggles and life victories in his memoir, “Reflections of a Troubled Black Man: A Teacher’s Quest Turning Fear into Strength and Pain into Passion.”

In “Reflections,” Ervin provides a candid look into his journey as a Black man growing up in a challenging environment and how he learned to turn anger and rage into power and love. As an adult, Ervin encountered deep-seated anger and frustration among the students he worked with in juvenile facilities and inner-city schools that mirrored his own struggles.

Reflections of a Troubled Black ManErvin decided to share his experiences in overcoming his own rage and frustrations in “Reflections” and will host a free book signing event at The Yoga Lab at Severance Town Center in Cleveland Heights on Saturday, April 27 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Coming of age in the 1990s, Ervin was the son of activist parents who campaigned for Carl Stokes—U.S. Congressman and the first Black mayor of a major U.S. city when he was elected as Cleveland’s mayor in 1967.

He was born in Cleveland, and grew up, for the most part, all over Northeast Ohio, including East Cleveland, Ohio City, Warrensville Heights, and then Cleveland Heights.

“I went to Cleveland Heights High School, and the '90s were really about “Schindler's List,” “Malcolm X,” Rodney King, the O.J. [Simpson] verdict, and hip-hop,” Ervin recalls. “I was influenced by all those things around me as a young boy coming of age in the '90s and going to Cleveland Heights High School.”

Morris says gym and history were his favorite subjects in school, while his parents instilled in him a strong sense of giving back to the community.

“Growing up, hearing about my parents campaigning to help Stokes become the first African American mayor of a major metropolitan city, they just had a lot of activist spirit,” he recalls. “My dad was a maintenance man; my mother was an x-ray technician. They both worked in the inner city, and they came from housing projects. But I just remember my parents were always giving back, we always had people over.

“We didn't have a lot, but I think we had more than everybody in both sides of my family,” Morris continues. “I just remember our house was like the community house—whether it was family or whether it was people my parents would bring home from work or from the community. As a young person, that just kind of instilled that value of giving back and serving.”

After majoring in history at Kent State University, where he met his future wife, Venaya Jones, Ervin became a teacher, first at John Hay High School in 2001, and then at Euclid High School in 2002, where he created the school district’s first curriculum for African American studies.

While Ervin’s passion for education and social justice prompted Ervin to create innovative programs in schools to promote empathy, nonviolent communication, and mindfulness, he continued to battle his inner demons.

He was molested by a babysitter as a young child and emotionally and physically abused by a first-grade teacher.  “It shut me down,” he recalls. “Some people internalize it, and I was very quiet. I was a very quiet kid. That set the stage for some of the challenges I had as a teenager, as a young adult.”

Ervin says he didn’t share the trauma with his parents until he was 28 years old. “ It was still taboo in our community to talk about what happened, you know, there to get help,” he explains. “The abuse silences you.”

Morris H. Ervin JrAs Ervin worked through his trauma, he says he sought therapy, which led to diagnoses of ADHD, PTSD, depression, and anxiety. He found healing and strength, which he now channels into his work with traumatized teenagers at a residential treatment facility.

Eventually, Ervin found solace in writing, using journaling as a form of therapy to navigate his emotions and experiences. Paired with his commitment to building inclusive communities and confronting social injustices from a place of love set him apart as an educator and advocate for change—and later prompted him to write his memoir.

Ervin began embracing the concepts of mindfulness, nonviolent communication, and empathy after his wife, Venaya was accepted to veterinary school outside of Los Angles in 2006. They packed up their two kids and went across the country, while Venaya earned her degree and Ervin taught in the urban schools.

“A lot of my memoir talks about when we moved out west and my ability to transform that school through my classroom practices and restorative justice,” he recalls. “I brought the Black and Latino kids together around empathy, around nonviolent communication. I was teaching them mindfulness, and I still felt like it wasn't enough.”

So Ervin started a mentoring program. Started Mansa consulting, where he worked with young men and their mothers, which led to speaking engagements.

Every few years, I've always added something to my ability to create healing and foster a sense of community—whether it's through nonviolent communication, or restorative justice, whether it's mindfulness—but it's all about creating inclusion, social justice, and equity. Everything I've done over 24 years has been about bringing folks together and understanding different perspectives and confronting the system—but from a place of love and connection.”  

Ervin and Jones currently live in Willoughby, where they are now empty nesters.

Ervin promises his book signing event this Saturday, April 27 at The Yoga Lab will “not be your average book signing,” as he teaches a weekly soulful meditation class every Thursday.  

“It's a dope space, t's a very relaxing space, and it's a healing space,” he says. “When I talk about reflections, it's really about meditation. I want people to heal, and meditation is a great way to start to heal.”

“I’m incredibly excited to share my story of turning fear into strength and pain into passion,” Ervin promises. “This book signing [will be] filled with music, movement, laughter, storytelling, and play. You won’t want to miss this electrifying event.’’

Ervin's free book signing is from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 27 at The Yoga Lab, 3624 Mayfield Road, Cleveland Heights.