storyline: the women who held my feet and nourished this work in its earliest and most formative days. without you we would not be here. immeasurable and eternal gratitude.
ain. tiona. jazmine. ruha. jalylah. malika. whitney. erica. nicole. malu. capella. alysia. erin. rachel. tabia. moya. sarah. teresa. bettina. sayida. iyabo. jocelyn. mia. ellen. yaisha. tiffany. beverly. bahati. zhalé. camille. maya. meredith. pearl. crystal.
for everyone who ever came on a 3rd thursday — rain or shine, sleet or snow — to be heard, hold witness or otherwise make mischief so late into the night that security would come and try and shut us down. you mean the world to me. one million bows of gratitude.
bloodline: the women from whence i’ve come
luerachelle — my first home + first teacher.
alta thaila — my namesake, guide + protector
altha leila — the bridge. the mender. the light
and all of my elders and ancestors whose names i may never know. because of you, i am. thank you.
milk line: people + ideas that have nurtured + shaped me
audre lorde. bell hooks. beverly guy-sheftall. m. bahati kuumba. ezra jack keats. terry. carol adams. harry finks. grandma vaden. anansi the spider. jackie torrence. house music. sweet honey in the rock. clarissa pinkola estes. the girls club. yin yang music café. my woc tent + fest amazons. FAME. the village.
thank you for truth telling and brave courage and living freedom. you showed me what’s possible and held me accountable to living it.
my promise:
to fulfill the commitment my soul made upon incarnation — to lead myself home, following the path my bloodline + milk line + storyline have cleared for me.
site gratitudes:
design + development — rka ink
photography — tabia, kelley raye
video — eric
logo design — jessica