Raising Proud Black Muslim Children
I spent a lot of time evaluating our relationship and realized that it is no longer working for me. This breakup may come as a surprise to you because I’ve always said I would never leave because my roots are here. Listen, even if you fix your racism, islamophobia, and brooding fascism by some miracle, it still would not work out between us. Goodbye America
The vision I had of Ramadan 2020 is gone, packed up, and left with no return date. But now I have the opportunity to create a new vision. I had to ask myself what can we create as a family with more time since we would be running around less? What do I want a sheltering-at-home Ramadan to look like? What is the goal of Ramadan and how do I plan on achieving it?
Allah has blessed me to make it to 40! When I woke up on my 40th birthday, I did not feel different. There was not this magical moment where things became clear or I wiser. But there have been many moments leading up to that day that helped me grow and thrive. I was appreciative,… Continue reading 25 Things I Have Learned In 40 Years!
I need to realize Hafsa is growing emotionally into a woman who has her wants, desires, goals. And who has to make her own mistakes. Emotionally, I want to protect her from everything that could do her harm, including herself. But my transition into mother of a pre-teen and hers into a pre-teen are changing our dynamic.
That Sunday, after the new moon has been sighted and grocery shopping for suhoor (pre-dawn breakfast) was purchased, Hafsa became a woman in the Islamic sense. Immediately after she gave me the news, I texted my sisters, sister-friends and my Black mother's circle because I needed advice on how to navigate this new role for… Continue reading Becoming a Muslim Woman
The end of the year at many corporations signifies time for the generally dreaded employee performance reviews. I dislike completing mine because it feels like a waste of time because my employer does not ask the right questions nor care about my responses. It tends to feel like a formality and not an opportunity actually… Continue reading 2018 Black Seedlings Performance Review
As someone who can struggle with change, ironically Autumn is my favorite time of the year even though it is the visual representation of change and transformation. But during this season, the cooler air becomes like the glue that keeps our little family close. We tend to feel less guilty about sleeping in and tend… Continue reading Grieving – Three Years In
Today, August 9th is a holiday for my people, it is #BookLoversDay. This holiday encourages everyone to pick up a book and read. These are some of my favorite books broken up by genres. Fiction I read a lot of books about slavery because those who do not know the past will repeat it. Also, it… Continue reading What To Read On #BookLoversDay
The tragic deaths of Kate Spade, a fashion designer, and Anthony Bourdain, a celebrity chef, it served as a reminder that mental health conditions do not discriminate based on celebrity or wealth. However, there are still some of us within the Black and Muslim community who believe that these conditions are only for white, non-Muslims… Continue reading 4 Harmful Mental Health Myths in the Black and Muslim Communities
When I was in sixth grade, my community opened a Muslim school, which I attended with my siblings until I graduated. My mother also taught at the school. We were one of the founding families and one of the handfuls of Black families who attended. I'm not going to detail every racial incident or microaggressions we encountered but only highlight a few.
