• Home
  • About
  • Currently
    • Reading
    • Writing
    • Recording
  • Hire
    • Services
  • Contact
  • Shop

Kehinde Thurman

What Kehinde Talking About?

An Open Letter to My Girls: For Sheila, Ericka, Risha, Karen and Shannon

October 31, 2012

Things have changed for all of us. Some are married. Some have children. Sadly, a few of us have lost siblings to street violence (Eric, Keisha and Junnie will never be forgotten). Some have moved away from our hometown. Still, we’re bound together in ways that distance will never fracture, even if I haven’t heard some of your voices in years.

It’s true what they say, it takes a village to raise a child and so often we were that village for each other. From grabbing food at Karen’s house, sleeping at Ericka’s place back in Atlgeld or using Shannon’s bus tokens to get to school, you have all supported me in many ways. And maybe I’ve never said this but thank you. For everything.

People often ask me how I “made it.” While I’m not exactly sure what that means, I imagine they want to know how a teenage mother and high school dropout survived Chicago’s Southside, earned a college degree, got accepted into one of the nation’s top law schools and ultimately became a writer and speaker. But long before the blogs and graduate school and national presentations of my research, you all already knew I was a writer. I’ve had many audiences since that time but none of them know the skinny girl they called “Tiny” who was writing and reciting violent rap lyrics that reflected our realities.

I hear my name, I head on out

BD what is this about

Loc on up

Grab the gauge

Somebody let Psycho out the cage

Get Sheila D and Shannon too

Bones and Tunes complete the crew

You all encouraged me to keep writing. Although we never put labels on how we felt about each other, you all loved me and I loved you back.

They write about it now. Maybe they wrote about it then but we were way too busy living it to read about it. They use terms like “murder capital” and call it “Chiraq” because we lose more of our soldiers to the streets than we do to military engagement. We don’t know numbers, we know names, and faces and spirits of our loved ones lost. New Jack City? We didn’t need movies. We had front row views of how crack cocaine affected the inner city every day. Some of us woke up every morning to that view. Somehow, six girls from the Southside lived through all of that. I guess that’s my point, we lived through it together. And I’m pretty sure I couldn’t have made it without any of you.

So when people ask me how I made it, I can give them one of a few answers depending on how much time I have but the short answer will always be, “my girls had my back and I love them for that.”

Share

You May Also Like

From Clarence Thomas to R. Kelly: Black Women, Sexual Violence and the Sexualized Race Card

January 15, 2014

Jordan Edwards and the Privilege of Ignorance

May 1, 2017

It’s Not Such A Different World: On Why The Oscars Stay So White

February 29, 2016

R. Kelly is a Rapist. But You Know That.

August 22, 2017
Previous Post
Michelle
Next Post
The Big Deal About Natural Hair

Instagram

kehindethurman
kehindethurman
•
Follow
2 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
1/6
When it comes to a peaceful aesthetic, one of these kids is doing the wrong thing. With acrylic storage, things that aren’t color coded can start to feel visually overwhelming. A room full of the bottom right corner can literally make some folks feel more stressed (it’s me, I’m folks). A bunch of the storage was starting to look like that because I buy too much shit. Anyway, a quick purge of products I’m not using and delegating anything that didn’t coordinate to hidden storage instantly made a difference (I wish I’d taken a pic before I started). It might seem hella extra to some folks but nothing is too extra for my peace of mind. Swipe for the update. What are some extra steps you take to keep your peace in your home? #homeorganization #homedecor #storage #bodybytph #acrylicstorage #beautyroom
When it comes to a peaceful aesthetic, one of these kids is doing the wrong thing. With acrylic storage, things that aren’t color coded can start to feel visually overwhelming. A room full of the bottom right corner can literally make some folks feel more stressed (it’s me, I’m folks). A bunch of the storage was starting to look like that because I buy too much shit. Anyway, a quick purge of products I’m not using and delegating anything that didn’t coordinate to hidden storage instantly made a difference (I wish I’d taken a pic before I started). It might seem hella extra to some folks but nothing is too extra for my peace of mind. Swipe for the update. What are some extra steps you take to keep your peace in your home? #homeorganization #homedecor #storage #bodybytph #acrylicstorage #beautyroom
kehindethurman
kehindethurman
•
Follow
When it comes to a peaceful aesthetic, one of these kids is doing the wrong thing. With acrylic storage, things that aren’t color coded can start to feel visually overwhelming. A room full of the bottom right corner can literally make some folks feel more stressed (it’s me, I’m folks). A bunch of the storage was starting to look like that because I buy too much shit. Anyway, a quick purge of products I’m not using and delegating anything that didn’t coordinate to hidden storage instantly made a difference (I wish I’d taken a pic before I started). It might seem hella extra to some folks but nothing is too extra for my peace of mind. Swipe for the update. What are some extra steps you take to keep your peace in your home? #homeorganization #homedecor #storage #bodybytph #acrylicstorage #beautyroom
2 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
2/6
Kehinde’s quads have entered the chat. 

#squats #deadlifts #doyouevenlift  #liftheavy #lift #liftingweights
kehindethurman
kehindethurman
•
Follow
Kehinde’s quads have entered the chat. #squats #deadlifts #doyouevenlift #liftheavy #lift #liftingweights
4 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
3/6
I only have 3 left and I’m not sure if I’ll restock this one. If you want it, you might want to grab it quick. Link to purchase in bio or visit kehindethurman.com and click the shop tab in the menu. #fuckthatjob #mentalhealth #Blackwomen #mug #giftideas
kehindethurman
kehindethurman
•
Follow
I only have 3 left and I’m not sure if I’ll restock this one. If you want it, you might want to grab it quick. Link to purchase in bio or visit kehindethurman.com and click the shop tab in the menu. #fuckthatjob #mentalhealth #Blackwomen #mug #giftideas
1 month ago
View on Instagram |
4/6
You see that thang thanging. #almostthick
kehindethurman
kehindethurman
•
Follow
You see that thang thanging. #almostthick
2 months ago
View on Instagram |
5/6
#mybodymychoice #roe #roevswade #abortion #abortionrights
kehindethurman
kehindethurman
•
Follow
#mybodymychoice #roe #roevswade #abortion #abortionrights
2 months ago
View on Instagram |
6/6
View on Instagram

Copyright © 2020 Kehinde Thurman. All Rights Reserved. Website: MarkWalcott.com