Fahren

Happy 50th Birthday to this amazing woman! She is that friend that will check on you and make sure you are doing ok and have what you need to thrive. I can’t tell you how many times I receive texts from her that just say “Hey, God put you on my heart today, I want you to know I am proud of you and I see your impact”.. To have folks in your space that remind you, that you are enough and to take care of your mental health is priceless. Sending this queen amazing energy and love as she steps into the 50’s, it is a whole other season of confidence that allows you to walk in a space of grown woman vibes that can say “I love you, but also will not be bothered with things, situations and people that drain energy” , and be ok about it 100%! ❤️❤️!

Onboarding our Amara interns today!! Yawl recognize them, all a part of the .projects crew❤️👏🏾🙌🏽! They are official!! So excited to see how they bring their undergrad experience to the work of youth development and child welfare! !! !

This is my America too…my ancestors were instrumental in building it..and because of that, I and my descendants have a say. You may not like what we say, because fragility is real, you may question how I move and how I speak and what I will not settle for, because no one likes to be reminded of the deep harm of racism that was and still is dead set, on keeping specific groups of people from having acess. What we will not do as a people, who are the most forgiving and most graceful, even though it is not reciprocated…is not speak truth to power, period. My ancestors fought to hard for me, my children, my grandchildren and their childrens, children to have a say.
I look to the hills, my ancestors, my faith…I know where my help comes from.

Period!.

Don’t tell me to just ignore the movement of addressing racism, because it makes people uncomfortable…”What?”
Its so easy to say, when racism has never been your lived experience. I am the descendant of a people that fought too hard, used their labor to build this country and many that lost their lives doing it, for me to walk in freedom, to just sit back and be like, ok…I’m going to be quiet and change my language. It’s a “No” for me. I will not dishonor those who have gone before me, to patronize white fragility discomfort. I have 8 grandbabies and counting that deserve the right to go for their dreams, without their skin color being the reason they can’t access their dreams!
👏🏾!

When you build strong relationships, no matter how much time goes by, you are always able to pick right back up as if no time has passed. So glad to get to spend a few moments for lunch with my girl while in Minneapolis for a conference. I love that almost every place I travel, I have a good friend to catch up with!! She prayed over me, she spoke life into me and is a powerhouse woman of Faith, impacting the lives of people through ministry and mission work. I am so glad I got some of her energy today❤️🙌🏽🥰! Love you CC!

I have been a part of amazing Board of Directors, but I must say, my Board of Directors are leaned in, and truly advocate for the work of families, children and youth impacted by the child welfare system. We spent some time in retreat, to reflect, plan and activate for what forward looks like for the next season of Amara work. I want to also shout out, who is not pictured here, a new addition to our BOD Keysha-Rae Cooper, MPS.
I have my eye on a few more folks who can bring their amazingness to our BOD team! Stay tuned! Amara does such good work! Every single Amara staff is dedicated, skilled and has lived experience in this work! They truly inspire me to do all that I can to ensure our work is not disrupted. Want to learn more about our what we do? Visit amarafamily.org!

When I tell yawl, being a mother to these 4 back in the day, was so rewarding, they were such good babies, toddlers and teenagers! I am so proud of who each and every one of them are as adults with their own children and spouses today. They are the first row of the jewels on my crown, and their children are the next row of jewels, I plan to live long enough to see my great, great grandchildren…Just saying!! Happy Mother’s Day all! of 4- Throwback!

If your mother is still alive, please don’t take her for granted. I’m deeply missing both of my mothers, especially today. They are the direct source of my ancestral and community passions. I was blessed with two moms: Francine, who gave birth to me but couldn’t raise me, and Helen, who couldn’t conceive but raised and nurtured me. Helen taught me what it means to create a sense of belonging, and I later learned that I inherited resilience and a strong will from my birth mother, Francine. They both passed away on the same day, three years apart: August 20th, 2010, and August 20th, 2013. I often talk to God about this and thank him, for orchestrating that date to remind me of all of who I am through both of them. They both lived until they were 78 & 81, long life❤️. I pray to be as strong as my mothers were and to be a worthy descendant of them, carrying on their legacy and making a positive impact on the world.

I hope all of the mothers feel authentically and intentionally celebrated today! ❤️👏🏾🎊🙌🏽! A special shoutout to my amazing daughters, who are incredible, fierce, and strong mothers to my grandbabies! ! ❤️

Hear me, people don’t fight about what they don’t care about. I fight for something, and will not be made to feel ashamed about it. Bottom Line- Racism has to go and mentorship to our youth and young adults must be prioritized. Justice, fairness, equity and empathy…that is what guides how I show up in community and in my work as a leader, it determines how I partner and guides how I center around those who are furthest removed from opportunity. If you want me to show up differently in a way that does not uphold these values that are close to heart…well..I will see you and say hi, from across the room. ✔️.

❤️..Find moments to relax. Period. It is a lot going on. You better rest, reflect, and bring in thought partnerships that you trust, so you can foster impactful work. If you are empty, how on earth can you give someone else the energy to have hope? Take care of yourself my friends!

Spent some time with this amazing woman, Mrs. Jan. I almost lost it, when she shared how she knew my foster mom, Helen Thomas. She remembered her as a power house and told me I have the same feisty spirit, when it comes to how to support children, youth, families and community. I am reminded, that even though my foster mom did not birth me, she mothered and mentored me, I am who I am because of the environment she exposed me to, and how she modeled belonging to me daily. I don’t know why I am so emotional these days, but I am grateful to be in the space I am in, for such a time as this..despite the adversity I face. It’s just part of the work. Do you have a mentor, someone who can ground you in wisdom and remind you that you are enough and who and where you came from? I’m so grateful I have these kind of women around me and in my life…so thankful!