Raised in the rich red clay of the occupied Catawba land known as Mecklenburg County North Carolina, I enjoyed a childhood full of exploration, muddy shoes, climbing, hiking, bug bites, planting, and tinkering. I often refer to myself as “Creek Walker” due to my continued affinity for exploring creek beds in my spare time.
My love for the outdoors and working with my hands was nurtured by my parents. My mother (a native of Kentucky and born at the confluence of the Tennessee and Ohio Rivers) and father (a native of Haiti with roots in Port Au Prince and Tiburon) shared their respective loves for the outdoors and artistry with myself and my siblings. Our parents ensured that their children developed a strong historical and cultural foundation through home education, research, genealogy, visiting historical landmarks, and more.
I have dedicated the majority of my public life to community organizing, service, and the academy. Shortly after the completion of my master’s degree in Atlanta, GA and subsequent move back home to Charlotte, NC, I entered a period of deep reflection. Through the challenges and triumphs that come with every fully lived life, I recognized that the healing and grounding power of the natural world was ever-present for me.
I soon began in earnest to seek opportunities to learn and grow my relationship with the land and my Ancestors in the spirit of Sankofa. As a lifelong student and steward of the land, I came to the conclusion that if I was to live the life that I wanted and contribute to the future that I wanted to be created, I had to become what I call an Earth Doula. I define an Earth Doula as someone who supports and assists others with transitioning into a more intentional and fully realized relationship with the land/ natural world.
Of the many pleasures that I experience in this work, one of the most poignant are when people gain the courage to try something that they have always wanted to do, or when they try something that they didn't even know that they wanted to do in the outdoors. I truly believe that rebuilding a balanced relationship with the land is essential to the health and well-being of people and all aspects of the natural world. Especially because human beings are part of the natural world. All it takes is a bit of encouragement and the willingness to meet mother nature where she is at.
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