Iyanla Vanzant

Born as Rhonda Eva Harris, Rev. Dr. Iyanla Vanzant takes credit for being ordained as a Yoruba priestess in 1983 changing her name to Iyanla which translates as “great mother.” She is known for being a relationship expert, author, TV host, minister, and motivational speaker. With an absent father and a mother who had died from breast cancer, Harris had quite a rough childhood. When she came of age, Harris studied in Medgar Evers College and City University of New York Law as a Summa Cum Laude. Subsequently, her insights led her to write Tapping the Power Within: A Path to Self-Empowerment for Black Women and sold eight million copies worldwide. Harris was also invited to Oprah several times.

Iyanla Vanzant gave birth to her first child, Gemmia, when she was 17 years old. Not much is known from Iyanla’s family life since she prefers to keep it private. However, it is worth noting that the TV personality devotes her work to fixing broken family relationships.