Ayisha

I was born in Eugene, Oregon (aka part of the Pacific Northwest – PNW) and moved away at the age of 15.  After moving and traveling Central America and various states, I returned to the PNW 16 years later.  I am single mother of 3, and now a gleeful, grateful, grandmother of 3.  I’ve earned 2 degrees along the way; an associates in Nursing and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a discipline in Cognitive Neuroscience with a minor in Sociology and public relations.  I love dancing! I especially enjoy West African (Guinean style) dance, a couple forms of Salsa dance. My adventurous side led me to scuba diving, which I am certified as a Master diver!   

I started my love for public service as a Medical Assistant at 19, I went on to earn a nursing degree and from there moved into Social work. I’ve been fortunate enough to have created and served on international initiatives focused on cultural responsive programs based in Hawaii, Houston and Mozambique! I have contributed to Equity and Inclusions initiatives around the disproportionality of Black children in Foster Care, among other efforts to bring Diversity, Equity and Inclusion awareness while working for the State of Oregon over 7 years.  With all of this, It was only natural to create and derived a curriculum for the first overnight camp on the West Coast that focuses on Positive Attributes of Black History for middle school children:  Black Gold Culture Camp, now known as Kids for the Culture.  The camp has since developed into a beautiful manifestation of empowerment into an active 501(c)(3) non-profit.

How do I balance this?  With my podcast!!  My journey of self-discovery and healing has led me to creating this essential space.  It started as just a podcast for me; it was a courageous endeavour to express myself freely after years of being silenced.  This podcast has been my release and has evolved into something so much bigger.  It is now a safe space for any BiPoC to express their personal experience while living in the PNW and white people to listen and learn without ownership.  I am very proud of that.