Justikeandthetribe

Leading With Love and Compassion

This blog is for the individual that desires more of themselves + the people in their lives.

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Parenting From A Place of Love

December 06, 2019 by Ikeranda Smith in black, love, life, motherhood, parenting, people of color, queer, relationships

I seek to love my kids in a way that allows them to understand what love looks like + what love feels like. I am honored to have a boy + a girl but truthfully I am always working on being equitable. Judicial in a way that gives my son a space to be soft + loving. I remember when I was younger watching men objectify women + abuse them. Meanwhile, I have had the luxury of dating amazing men; yet I only have felt safe with women. It’s complicated! .

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December 06, 2019 /Ikeranda Smith
parenting, parents, compassion, love, lgbtqia, life
black, love, life, motherhood, parenting, people of color, queer, relationships
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And We Mourn Some More

April 05, 2019 by Ikeranda Smith in black, history, life, love, motherhood, parenting, people of color, personal growth, purpose, relationships, spirituality, women of color

Lately, I have been mourning the parts of me that carry the pain of holding onto my will for so long. I ache at the thought of surrendering + I cringe at the work that is going into relinquishing years of trauma. My muscles are bruised from the plight of being a single mother. There are parts of me that collapse under years of silence; having to stuff down fragmented sentences hoping that later they would make sense. Make no mistake, the heart listens to the suppressed emotions that eventually manifests in our bodies + the deeper burden is to be aware of it all.  With every bit of knowledge and acknowledgment there comes an inevitable lingering despair which beckons us to forgive.  

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April 05, 2019 /Ikeranda Smith
black love, black woman, black, becoming, blackmothers, black daughters, abandonment, commitment, compassion, God, middle passage, growth, love, self love, mental health, epigenetic inheritance
black, history, life, love, motherhood, parenting, people of color, personal growth, purpose, relationships, spirituality, women of color
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To Be Black + In Love

February 04, 2019 by Ikeranda Smith in black, LGBTQIA, life, love, marriage, loveislove, relationships

On most days, I am praying for my wife + all the unions that deserve to penetrate darkness. Some weeks my to-do list is just to love her so I stay shackled to humility ensuring that my ego stays beneath my longings to do right. Heartfelt + intentional I seek to exhibit a commitment that resurrects everyday just to succeed.  My only wish is to close the gap of the incessant reminders of unresolved trauma. Daily I am reminded of the extraordinary people that have covered my struggles with a blanket of stars as a testament that we can survive. Perhaps our love can cover a multitude of transgressions.  So we love…

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February 04, 2019 /Ikeranda Smith
compassion, careers, lgbtq, love, LGBTQIA, life, learning, women, black, black love
black, LGBTQIA, life, love, marriage, loveislove, relationships
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The Woman I Never Knew

September 10, 2018 by Ikeranda Smith in motherhood, parenting, women of color, relationships

My mother, Mavis A. Carter (born McRae) is the oldest girl of 12 siblings. She was born in the 1940’s just a few years removed from slavery. The sound of that truth still haunts me; yet allows me immense understanding of who my mother was destined to be.  I am a firm believer that every child should fully understand the weight of who your parents are. Alcarez, as she is affectionately called is absolutely forthright, exceptionally amusing, tremendously magnanimous, and relatively convoluted. However, I was blessed with the privilege of having her as a mother. I don’t think I always believed that it was a privilege, but wisdom grows as your experience of the world is elevated. 

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September 10, 2018 /Ikeranda Smith
mothersanddaughters, mothers, blackmothers, black daughters, love, compassion, growth, pain
motherhood, parenting, women of color, relationships
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Allow Me To Introduce Myself: The Quiet Revolutionary

May 13, 2018 by Ikeranda Smith in women of color, queer, careers, leadership

In my pursuit for a career, it was extremely important to be myself. It was essential to exude my heritage because my ancestors required me to represent the highest version of my elders. The proclivities of my forefathers were anchored in reverence, rooted in intellectual prowess, and cultivated with exceptional discipline. The mere fact that I accepted the mission was revolutionary! So many of my predecessors stopped short of the requirements to fulfill this purpose; therefore, I had no other choice but to be unequivocally original.

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May 13, 2018 /Ikeranda Smith
queer, #womenofcolor, #blackfemaledoctor, #silentwarrior, compassion, resilience, #relationshipbuilder, LGBTQIA, #atllife, leadership
women of color, queer, careers, leadership
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