I believe that individuals experience a series of prolific moments that ultimately define the trajectory of their lives. Below are my most defining ones.
Moment 1
During my entire childhood my parents would always tease my sister and I with a trip to Ethiopia. It was always, “do you want to be in the ballet recital or would you rather go to Ethiopia?”, or “Would you rather be a dancing doll or go to Ethiopia this summer?” this process continued until I was ten years old and the trip to Ethiopia was finally made.
My mom, my middle sister and myself stayed the entire three months the summer of 1998. To this day the times we visited Ethiopia that summer and the summer of 2000 are what I think of when I think of my childhood. Both times I went moved me deeply, I saw glimpses of a life which could have been my own, had my parents not made the decision to move to America.
From the moment I stepped back on American soil in 1998 I knew that somehow my purpose in this lifetime would intertwine with those less fortunate. It was just the logistics of how and when that I needed to reckon with.
FAST FORWARD to June 2015
It had been 15 years since my last visit to Ethiopia and this time I knew I had to do something, anything. I got together with two of my fellow Ethiopian childhood friends and with their support (and lots of coffee), we were able to incorporate the nonprofit, Take Action Now (TAN). The concept of TAN was simple- that no matter who you are or where you are in life every single individual has the ability to change this world for the better. TAN’s mission is to highlight and provide opportunities to empower disadvantage youth in Ethiopia……..So in December of 2015 that’s precisely what we did.
Our nonprofit was able to locate two very disadvantaged schools in Ethiopia: Biruh Tesfa and Wuhidet Kindergarten and Primary School. Biruh Tesfa contained students who struggled with leprosy, HIV and autism, while students from Wuhidet struggled with physical and/or mental disabilities. However, both schools struggled with financing school meals to their respective 400+ students.
In just a few weeks we were able to raise $2,704.46 (57,974.16 birr) to go towards funding for the 2016 school year. This money was able to supply Biruh Tesfa with 30,000 birr which went towards food and related supplies in addition to a food grant. For Wuhidet, the money was able to fund a four-month breakfast program and provide 10,000 birr for a school supply grant.
Although I had to take a step back from the organization to focus on schooling, we were still able to secure funding for the 2017 school year from private donations. Details on how that money was used will be up in the next few months. Below you will find a link to Take Action Now’s website if you would like to donate. 100% of the proceeds go directly to the school and there are zero administrative costs. This is because myself and the other two active members volunteer our time in addition to our resources to this cause.
Check out the website here: http://www.takeactionnow-tan.com/
Moment 2
Being a first-generation daughter of two immigrant parents was often very difficult for me growing up, as I assume it is for most immigrant children. This duality, sometimes triality of identity was often hard to navigate during my younger years. Learning how to uphold cultural traditions, while maintaining an individual identity all while simultaneously trying to absorb black culture was a fete that took decades of work. The one thing I knew for certain I had to master however was the task of making my parents proud.
That is what I believe drives most immigrant children to success. The compelled obligation of ensuring their parents’ deferred dreams and previous lives weren’t sacrificed in vein. This ideology was no different for me. Although I knew that whatever I did in this life would be something purposeful, I also came to understand that my dreams were woven with theirs. That for me to feel accomplished, to feel as though I had really succeeded in this lifetime I had to make them proud.
Now, everyone knows there are only two titles that are acceptable for the children of African immigrants. That was either a doctor or a lawyer (lol), so I chose the former. Although I was not interested in becoming a Doctor of Medicine, I was interested in a Doctor of Philosophy degree. So, during the fall of 2014 I enrolled into Southern University’s PhD program for Public Policy. My thinking was that having a doctorate in public policy studies could better equip me with the skill sets needed to impact the maximum amount of people.
Fast Forward to May 2018.
I graduated with my doctorate degree, 21 years after my dad had received his own doctorate. A moment that I knew had already been written for me. The quote I often associate with that moment was by Elizabeth Gilbert which stated:
“I thought about one of my favorite Sufi poems, which says that God long ago drew a circle in the sand exactly around the spot where you are standing right now. I was never not coming here. This was never not going to happen.”
I still think of this quote every time I look at a picture my dad took of me when I was just 8 years old. It was a picture of me in my dad’s doctorial robe smiling confidently in the camera as though I had already accomplished the task.
Moment 3
It was right before the summer of 2016, more notably my trip to Cartagena, that I began to examine what my blackness meant in America.
My friends and I were on a walking tour that was spearheaded by an Australian woman who had just settled into Cartagena. She relayed several stories of the city’s history, but more specifically about the city’s participation in the slave trade. She educated us on the fact that Caratgena’s slave port transported over 1 million slaves and she spoke to us of the unrelenting bravery and resistance of the individuals captured.
She also spoke of how street art in Colombia was used as a form of rebellion to the oppressive government and the history of the practice. She also specifically mentioned the story of a young street artist named Diego. In 2011 Diego was participating street art in Bogota and was shot and killed by police claiming they believed he was an armed robber. Although there was outcry from the community over his death, it wasn’t until 2013 that graffiti practices became decriminalized. This was due in large part of Bogota citizens rebellion, after finding out that Justin Bieber received a police escort to participate in street art.
After that day’s events I remember getting back to our Airbnb becoming extremely angry. Angry that I did not know more about my linage, angry that my schools failed to educate me on its history and angry that I had to learn my history, not only in a different country but by an individual who didn’t even look like me.
Then July 5th happened and then not even 24 hours later July 6th.
The deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile sent me into a state of pain which quickly escalated into rage. I was angry at everyone. Hated everyone and was at war with my society. I tried to channel some of this energy into active work. I started to participate in protests, I started to become engaged in dialogue with everyone I met (and I do mean everyone) and I even began reading every book authored by a melanated individual. However, it seemed that nothing worked.
That’s when I picked up the pen and rekindled my love affair with writing. Writing allowed for me to purge or from one of my poems, “Regurgitate all the filth they fed me in order to nourish my soul”. Writing allowed for me to regain my peace. Writing allowed for me to take back the power and rewrite our story, a story that they were too ashamed to even mention. It allowed for our narration of what happened and what continues to happen.
To date I have written over 250 poems about black identity. I hope to soon publish these poems and I hope it may be used as a road map for other people of color so that they may learn how navigate through this world. More importantly, I hope it is used to help bring them a sense of peace in knowing that what their feeling, seeing and experiencing is not only real but also valid.
So that’s the story of an immigrant's daughter......for now ; )
-Dr. Tewabetch Negatu