March 1, 2025
Blessed Mindful Ramadan Season.
The holy month of Ramadan begins today.
I am feeling grateful for the ability to start anew once again, so close to the beginning of the US new year.
Muslims who are in their 30-40’s were able to observe Ramadan throughout their youth may remember that it was over a decade ago when Ramadan was in the winter.
Ramadan was in the winter from 1998–2002, which were my high school years.
Although I was born in the city of Cleveland, I began my schooling through The Marotta Montessori Schools of Ohio. My mother and father decided to specifically start my journey through Montessori. I was their second daughter to begin school in the city of Cleveland.
As educators in their 20’s, my parents knew the public school system in Cleveland wasn’t offering safe and engaging spaces for Black children, especially Black muslim girls.
My education experience was birthed through my parents' dreams in the 1980's of being a part of progressive education systems in the United States.
After preschool, my parents delivered my third sister and decided to move into a nearby Cleveland suburb, Shaker Heights, where I completed 1st-12th grade inside the Shaker Heights School system.
I’ve been having many conversations with my mother about her motherhood journey. Now that I have a daughter of my own, the conversations have gotten deeper and deeper. She often reflects on how she encouraged me to have the courage to be different and stand up for my beliefs.
She encouraged me during my middle and high school years to wear hijab and be proud of my being a young black Muslim woman. As an athlete, Ramadan happening during my high school years had a profound effect on my experience. I fasted during all 4 year basketball seasons as a growing teenager. Articles were written centered around my faith and after 9/11 my family was flung into the spotlight. My next post will go into how Ramadan has enhanced my faith and life over the past 41 years.
Ramadan in 2030 will occur in January and December.
Blessed Mindful Ramadan Season.