NYANSPO! 2019 Black Love-Akoma Love "Healing Love Awardees

NYANSPO! 

 AYA is so proud to re-introduce the 2019 Black Love-Akoma Love "Healing Love Awardees." 

But first, a question:

What happens when a movement molds a love?

“He was already with Habesha,” she said.

“She was already with Mama Nabantu and the Sustainability Summit,” he said.

“We both were working with the Mama Yaa and Baba Baruti”

“So many questions were already answered when we started.”

Their commitment to our community brought them together, and their growing and healing love grows our community.

Here are snippets from their story that you’ll hear move about when you help us celebrate Raina Turner and Charles Greenlea receiving the 2019 AYA Healing-Love Award this Saturday. www.Blacklovedinner.com

Charles:

“Raina’s organization was providing grants to community organizations. Habesha was one of the finalists. Cashawn was called to make the final pitch. I was in the back when this sister with a cool fro got my attention. I thought she was older and told my self that I didn’t stand a chance. Habesha did win the award, so our relationship started. We were strictly professional.”

Raina:

"But to be honest, I was in a bit of denial. I remember now that when I first met him, he offered me some eggplant from the garden. I said to myself “that’s a nice lookin’ brother, right there.” I didn’t make anything of it. After a Habesha Works class, I was working in a garden. Somehow, some dirt got thrown in my face. Charles cleaned it off. I don’t know how, but through the dirt and his touch and the glint his eyes, I begin to feel something move in me – toward him. I was still in denial. Then he offered to build me a garden in my back yard.”

Charles:

"Raina can be quite particular about things. She wanted her garden in a nontraditional shape – in a modified NYANSPO “wisdom knot” shape."

Raina:

"I knew it was going to be challenging, but he encouraged me and said: “let’s do it together.” It was one of those evenings after working to build the garden. When he was leaving, he gave me some kind of look. There was a shift in the air and in my heart. That’s when I knew that our relationship had grown to something else."

When asked about their courage to commit they said:

Raina:

"When he said, “let’s do it together,” and then we did it together, it reassured me. See, I wasn’t looking for a father – I have one and he’s always been there – working, providing for the family, instilling values. So, I wasn’t looking for a father, I was looking for a compliment. Charles is that."

Charles:

"I got to observe her in working for our people – independent of me, or thoughts about our getting together. She also saw me operate in that way. We got to see each other authentically!"

There is more to this building love story. There is their daughter - Tshai Menee’ Amari Greenlea!!!!

Charles, Raina, and Tshai are the embodiment of the Zulu spiritual wisdom and the AYA daily pledge. Their wish is for Tshai to one day proudly say:

I am not alone; I have never been alone; I shall never be alone, for I am a cluster.
I’m father-mother; I’m the cluster of phenomena which constitutes me.
I am father-mother-child.
I am the past, the present, and the future
I have no beginning and no end.
I am the geodesic circle in which father and mother merged to become me.
I extend myself into the child
I am the brick of which society is built
I am the eternal person!"
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We’ve just got started on this story…

• *What does the birth of Tsheai mean for their relationship?
• *What about handling the family issues – the Mama and Daddy issues?
• *Whose love-building mold are they following?
• *He names her a season. 
• *She names him a color.
• *And just what does Samory I have to do with their love anyway?

Please join us in lifting this building-growing love of Charles and Raina. Please big them up, and more than that bring your love and love aspirations to celebrate Black love together.

www.blacklovedinner.com

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