Who is Fatimah Faith?…
I was born on a Wednesday in Lexington, Kentucky on September 15, 1982 at 215am. I am the youngest of my parents 4 children. First came their son and then their 3 daughters. My birth name was Fatimah Faith El-Amin. The only child of my parents with the last name El-Amin. At some point after my sister was born and before I was born my father converted to Islam and changed his name. He had been a catholic his whole life until that day and my mother was and is still an Episcopalian.
Honestly I don’t have much memory of my childhood especially outside of school. I can tell you that my father was an internal medicine doctor and left when I was around 4. Unfortunately no matter how many times in life I have asked my mom…it just doesn’t seem to stick. I do remember the day he left tho. Maybe I will dive deeper into that in another post.
…or maybe we moved from Kentucky to Virginia when I was 4…I think that maybe write…😔
Ok. Let’s try this…
I was born in Lexington, Kentucky. Youngest of 4. Son and then 3 daughters. My father was a doctor but at the time of my birth, he was the prison’s doctor. We lived on prison grounds when I was born…at some point my father…randomly…hmmm, how to say this…the story is that one day we were all in the car supposed to be dropping my siblings off at school and my father kept driving. We only had the clothes on our back and I was in pj’s. We ended up here in Newport News, Virginia with my grandparents…I have been here ever since.
I grew up in my grandparents/ great aunts house. My maternal grandparents lived here with my grandmother’s sisters (my great aunts) to take care of them. When we came here to this 5 bedroom/ 3 bath house it was a total of 10 people under one roof. Maternal grandmother, grandfather, 2 great aunts, mother, father, and 4 children. My siblings and I shared a room…I can’t definitively say how long but it was a long time.
…cancer rising…cancer rules the home…I’ve alwaze been looking for home…
Eventually my dad left. Early on…I can’t remember when but I do remember when,…if that makes sense. I may have already said that. (It’s best for me to just keep writing…)
As far as home life. I loved my grandparents dearly and loved my childhood home. Such a large home. As it kid it felt like a mansion. Lol. Not so much now. But as a child even tho I didn’t have my own room. I found places to be in my solitude. (Hmmm solitude can be a whole ‘nother post.) Anyway, I used to love sitting on the side porch ever spring and summer. I remember washing off the screened in porch with my grandmother. Eventually bringing a TV out there. I would watch my friends walk by and they would come in and hang out with me. I used to hang out in the basement with a TV, snacks, lol roller skate down there. And in the room my siblings and I shared there is a closet for linen’s that had a platform. I used to close myself up in the closet. Bring my dolls. Coloring books. In my little dream world. Surrounded by pillows, blankets and sheets.
…I just had a memory…letter to Janet Jackson…sharing my truth…my thoughts and feelings. Being teased by my siblings about what I wrote…
So you know my father was a doctor. My mom was a school teacher. She was out the force for a while, raising kids but she was alwaze very active in my education. From Kindergarten until the end. PTA, substitute teacher, and just an overall active parent. She told me I didn’t talk as a child but wasn’t concerned because I was very smart, I would point to what I wanted but didn’t like to speak. Something’s are just innate characteristics. I still dont like talking much. This whole journey has been about speaking up being heard despite what others say and think.
Anyway my first school was Magruder Primary school (K-2). I luvvv’d Magruder. My first taste of a world outside of the home. If you went to Magruder in downtown Newport News, you just know what the energy was like with the teachers. A different time. It felt like all the teachers luv’d you. While I was there, my mom being sooo involved, she seemed to volunteer me for every speaking opportunity as she could. This was the beginning of what became my dream of being a motivational speaker. The first thing I ever wanted to be in life, outside of a bird, was a motivational speaker. As a young child I had lots of thoughts I wanted to articulate but no one to talk to. School opened me up to people outside of the home where I could be more expressive.
After Magruder I was bused 20 minutes from home to Palmer. Going from my local neighborhood to a more diverse school. Not knowing it then but I luv and still luv studying people. Understanding people in the hopes to help. Palmer Elementary was ok. I meet a really great white teacher that I am still connected with to this day via Facebook. Wow…since I have issues remembering my childhood I wonder if she would be willing to shed some light on that time? Anyway, my first teacher at Palmer, 3rd grade…Mrs. Shepherd…she was white. I dont know I dont remember details but she…knew?…the pendulum swings yes…
Ok…I’m done for now…
