EMU alum shares transgender journey
By Ashley G. Terrell
Published Jan 20, 2013
http://www.easternecho.com/article/2013/01/emu-alum-shares-transgender-journeyAug. 6, 2002 marks a moment of time when a lifelong internal battle was the breaking point that almost permanently silenced Eastern Michigan University alumnus David Edward Morris, who found himself lying in the University of North Carolina Medical Center dealing with bouts of depression, anxiety and gender identity issues causing a suicide attempt.
Faced with a life-changing choice—either live an unfulfilled life fighting his identity, or embrace it and become the person he was meant to be; David acknowledged the truth and as the internal shield began to crack and crumble, Jala emerged.
Now 10 years later Jala McKenzie-Burns, 47, has come a long way from those troubled days and walks with a renewed energy and sense of empowerment as a transgender woman. Author of "Climbing Life's Mountains: Overcoming Challenges of Biracial Birth, Adoption, Gender Identity and Depression," she shares the personal struggles and triumphs during the journey of self-reflection and self-discovery to be used as a teaching tool for overcoming obstacles and identifying self-worth.
