Iyanla Vanzant

Rev. Dr. Iyanla (pronounced E-Yan-La) Vanzant's story reads like an epic adventure filled with near misses, struggle, strength, courage and triumph! From her life's experiences she has uncovered her life's purpose, discovered the power that lies within and recovered her authentic self Iyanla Vanzant has emerged as a living testament to the value in life's valleys and the power of acting on faith. The best part is, she teaches what she has learned. Born in Brooklyn, New York in the back of a taxi cab to an alcoholic mother, Iyanla was a child of an extra martial affair. When Iyanla was two-years-old her mother succumbed to breast cancer. This left Iyanla and her older brother to be raised by father, who left his children in the care of a series a relatives, including an uncle who raped her at the tender age of nine. Although Iyanla knew her father, he was often not present physically and emotionally unavailable. By age 16, she was a teenage mother. By age 21 she had three children and