My Thread

Why the title \"Threads of Our Fabric\"?...I began a project earlier this year after several connections with young women like me who experienced the \"oh so many joys\" of immigration. Oftentimes, not by choice, forced to break away from familiar cultural patterns into a new world - New Life. Young women, really struggling with acculturation and unsure how to accomodate their new environment - Where do I belong?...The profound internal turmoil of wanting to fit-in, endless fluctuations between embracing your roots that make you uniquely you or rejecting that identity of origin because it is soo different from your peers...

I come from a society where women are not typically encouraged to express their feelings, thoughts, or ideas... The Thread of my Fabric dates back generations of covering and hiding silent wounds and aspirations. Being taught ...No, don't cause a ripple but be an agent of agreeableness, acceptance, perseverance...be essentially invisible... My grandmother lost her front teeth because she voiced a desire to get an education to her father, my mother sacrificed academic opportunities to raise a family, here I am...3 generations later changing the threads used to weave my story into the legacy of this inherited fabric by adding color and texture. No longer greys and blacks,...but reds, violets, greens, and yellow - Hope...

As I reflect on the women in my family from generations past, I know I am their hope. I am that daughter, sister, and mother they had dreamed of...the one bold enough to share with the world her true self, no excuses...the one who not only aspires and dreams, but also \"walks the walk\". The one who wasnt afraid to live life AND! Yes! ...dared to put herself first out of self-love!

If you would like to contribute to this project and you are an African woman...please visit the link below and share a little bit about yourself, Thanks! Threads of Our Fabric . Together, let's build on our fabric one thread at a time. The results of this project will develop programs that target African Adolescent Girls particularly around empowerment and life skills. Thanks!!!