We are Yoruba and proudly so. And in our culture, children are gifts from God and names MATTER! I celebrated Ruth’s arrival. Yoruba children have some of the most beautiful names in the world .A child name’s tells a story. For example it could signify family circumstances either at birth or before the child is born. Religion and family traditions can also play a role in the name selection. Typically, the ceremony is held on the 7th day of…
No trip to San Francisco would be complete without a visit to my former neighborhood: The Mission. On this trip, I decided to take Baby Ruth to see the “Chata” Mural. Carlos “Kookie” Gonzalez is the artist behind the “Chata” mural. The mural depicts a neighborhood legend who was a popular radio host and DJ named Micaela “Chata” Gutierrez, In 2013, she passed away after battling liver cancer. The mural has its origins in the design of a fundraising flyer…
My hometown is in mourning. Last week the unthinkable happened in a place some thought of as sacred. Eleven worshipers in a synagogue were gunned down by a domestic terrorist. I was in San Francisco when I heard the news. I saw someone post on Facebook that there was an active shooter at the Tree of Life synagogue. I knew almost immediately that if there were any fatalities that someone I knew was amongst the murdered. Sadly, I was right.…
Hey O Squad! Life abroad can throw things at you that you have never had to face. I’ve been Black and abroad for a long time, but I can honestly say I’ve never dealt with scorpions or a global pandemic of this level. Lockdown in Guatemala has been something else. Luckily our small town in Guatemala doesn’t have any know Corvid19 cases, but it does have scorpions. Check out this video where I document our adventures as 2 Black women…