Six years ago today, my world changed forever. Today, on the anniversary of losing my younger child Ricky, I am reflecting on another year of survival, healing, and profound transformation.
The past year brought epiphanies that reshaped who I am. I have stepped into a new season—one defined by new beginnings, new places, and the deliberate letting go of people and spaces( hallelujah‼️) that no longer align with my path.
I’ve also come to realize that healing after loss is a sacred, private journey.
This past weekend, I had the honor of speaking and sitting in fellowship at the Great Dismal Swamp Ancestors Remembrance Ceremony alongside my dear friends Eric “Mubita” Shepherd and Lisa Shepherd, and the descendant community. Together, we held space for the enslaved ancestors of the Great Dismal Swamp and our Loved Ones in spirit.
Today, August 3rd, I am with my parents in Laurinburg, NC, planting a vegetable garden in my son’s memory.
Though grief can feel isolating, I am sustained knowing I am part of a sacred sisterhood of resilient warrior women—from Toni Morrison and Regina King to Gladys Knight and Congresswoman Lucy McBath—who have learned to thrive through the ultimate tragedy.
Toni Morrison– (Slade Kevin Morrison)
Alice Coltrane– (John Coltrane Jr).
Regina King– (Ian Alexander, Jr)
Congresswoman Lucy McBath– (Jordan Davis)
Phillis Wheatley Peters — (Three infants, one of whom died on the day she passed December 5, 1794)
Shannon Gibney– (Sianneh)
Harriet Wilson- (George Mason Wilson)
Gladys Knight–(James “Jimmy” Gaston Newman III)
Current recipients of the Ricky Dawkins Jr. Memorial Arts Fund
I will keep pushing- I will enjoy my new affiliations (yes there are more than one 😄) -I will keep trusting God.
Go carefully, with purpose, and in peace.
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