The Kettering Foundation’s Dayton Democracy Fellowship is a one-year program that supports innovative leaders, changemakers, and dreamers who are building movements for inclusive democracy in their communities and in our wider world. This series of articles about the Dayton Democracy Fellows highlights their robust work and the powerful narratives that drive the advancement and defense of democracy. 

To Kettering Foundation Dayton Democracy Fellow Taylor Johnson, democracy is about community empowerment. But as the executive director of Spectrum New Beginnings, Johnson, who is also a holistic healing practitioner, is careful not to try to interpret empowerment for others. Instead, that definition should come from the people involved, she said. 

It’s about “allowing the community to tell us what well-being looks like for them, and the empowerment and voice and choice that comes with thinking about that,” she said. “We all know we need to take care of ourselves, but what does that look like for you? How can we provide resources and opportunities for you to do what you know you need to do for you as the expert in your own life?” Johnson asked. 

To Johnson, self-care is integral to creating a stronger democracy. Her organization provides holistic wellness and self-care programs, often for free in communities that face challenges and for people who don’t always have access to spaces where they can address their own needs. 

Johnson knows firsthand the importance of holistic wellness. She was an anxious teenager, and professionals recommended several times that she take medication for her anxiety. 

But Johnson was reluctant. Instead, the tension she experienced awakened within her the will to find a better path. 

“I had this strong desire to figure out how I was going to live my life happily and healthily without pills and procedures . . . So I just nerded out about holistic wellness,” she said. After she began exploring fitness, meditation, and other practices, she wanted to share as much as she could with others. 

After joining Spectrum New Beginnings as a yoga instructor, Johnson became executive director in 2023. She keeps the organization’s focus on addressing the needs of the community. Spectrum offers several free signature programs in Dayton. The Self-Care Lab offers a variety of activities from chair massages to art therapy. Restorative Circle acts as a self-care based support group. Specialized restorative circles include Woman to Woman, which invites women and mothers to step away from their busy lives and take a breath. Empowering Grandmothers is a support group for those “who are often sandwiched between [taking care of] two generations,” Johnson said. 

Sitting in a circle gives people a chance to share lived experiences. “We kind of infuse self-care practices into that, but it’s also just really about connection and belonging and emotional well-being. It’s kind of like group therapy in a way, but we don’t solve each other’s problems . . . You’re not going to get advice or intervention unless you ask for that,” she said. 

Johnson believes that the restorative circle is key not only to self-care but also to strengthening our democracy. 

“Every single time I sit in circle, I’m reminded that we’re all going through the same stuff on some level or another, that sense of not being alone and belonging,” Johnson said. “No matter what the issue, we are not the only person facing it.” 

Johnson is newly in seminary and prioritizes spirituality in her life. 

“I think I’m being guided to just encourage people to prioritize their spirituality. A big part of who I am is my faith. I’m pursuing a master of divinity and I don’t know what God wants me to do with that, but I do see Spectrum New Beginnings as a ministry.” 

Johnson currently plans to use her time as a Dayton Democracy Fellow to develop a restorative circle program that specifically focuses on open political conversations. 

“There are a lot of different aspects of life that we could have a circle where we could get rid of all of the barriers that exist between us, remembering that we are one in the human family. So I would love to grow into opportunities to provide circles between people that have opposing political views . . . If we actually sit and have conversations and listen with an open heart and mind to each other, we’ll find that we’ve actually got the same intention,” Johnson said. “We all care about each other. We just have different ways of living that out. It’s a really powerful opportunity for oneness, I think.” 

Maura Casey is a former editorial writer for the New York Times and has worked with the Kettering Foundation since 2010.

The Charles F. Kettering Foundation Dayton Democracy Fellowship is a one-year program designed to support innovative leaders, changemakers, and dreamers who are building movements for inclusive democracy in their communities and in our wider world.