Sweet Love and Liberty is a lifestyle and parenting blog dedicated to black culture, black mommin', and self-liberation. 

I thought of SweetLove&Liberty one day while listening to my Black Girl Magic Playlist. Some of my favorite songs are soulful ballads that make you believe that love and happiness are possible in any situation. These songs remind me of the sweeter parts of life. It made me think about my beautiful daughter and how I'm raising her to see the fullness of our race, history, and culture. 

I'm using literature, imagery, music, role modeling, and everything under the sun to counteract the negative stereotypes that my daughter will face in her everyday life. Our black culture holds some of the sweetest parts of our being, and I want her to know and love that about herself. I want her to exude self-love and spread love to the people she encounters. I want my daughter to feel liberated and free to be herself no matter what that entails.

I will share our experiences in loving, learning, and liberating our minds in hopes that we encourage more people to take a journey through sweet love and liberation.

I grew up the daughter of a "some college" teenage mom and a drug-dealing teenage dad, and well, "life for me ain't been no crystal stair." My family and life situations have shown me that none of us are strangers to the trials and tribulations of life. It took me until adulthood to change my narrative from "just some girl from the hood" to becoming a first-generation college-educated millennial black mother from a low-income community, and I've come to realize that we all have something to offer this life despite what labels or setbacks exists. 

When I think about my experience as a black girl in this country, I am often reminded of the Nikki Giovanni poem, Nikka-Risa, and wonder if people realize there is happiness, joy, laughter, and hope in our communities. It takes a great deal of patience to understand how ignorant I was (and still am) to many issues and to then take steps to read, discuss, reflect, and write. However, it's a journey I'm willing to make for the liberation of myself and my daughter. I plan to speak honestly about my perspective and to continue to seek to understand the people and the world around me. 

Sweet Life

Sweet Life is dedicated to my personal growth, everyday happenings, and my interactions with the people in my life. Reflecting on how I treat the people around me helps me live my life attuned to the fact that my humanity is tied to others. It's essential for me to be patient, understanding, and empathetic to others if I genuinely want to be a person who fights for justice, peace, and the well-being of us all. I'll be discussing everything from pop culture to stories of personal growth and failure. My life is sweet, not because it's perfect, but, because I've found peace inside myself. I've learned to taste the joys of being without dismissing the sour bites. I'd love to share a bit of the peace and growth I'm experiencing with the world.

Sweet Mom

Being a mother is one of the most beautiful and ever-changing parts of my life. Sweet Mom is dedicated to my beautiful and brilliant "bat girl-princess" and I. It's amazing and scary AF to be a mother. There comes a certain point after your child begins walking and talking, that you realize your actions or lack thereof determine their entire perspective on life. That's when you understand parenting has to be intentional, as well as learn as they grow. I'll be taking you all along with me on the journey that is the black co-parenting single mom. It isn't always pretty, but the smile on my angel's face makes all the struggle worthwhile.  

Love & Liberty

Love and Liberty is a place for me to discuss how human rights, politics, and media affect our everyday lives. As I grow older and reflect on my experiences growing up in Southeast DC, I realize that the stories told about my community and those like it are false. I know that there is a single story told about the men and women of my community, and this story has been passed down generation to generation and has dramatically affected the way society views us and the way politics swing in our favor. I want liberation from that story that goes beyond educational privilege and the ability to code-switch for my advantage.