Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
non-binary
Non-binary and genderqueer are umbrella terms for gender identities that are not solely male or femaleidentities that are outside the gender binary. Non-binary identities fall under the transgender umbrella, since non-binary people typically ...
writer, cultural worker, cancer & stem cell transplant survivor, and mental health advocate from Los Angeles, California.
In 2020, Nehanda was featured on the 26th Annual
Out100
''Out'' is an American LGBTQ news, fashion, entertainment, and lifestyle magazine, with the highest circulation of any LGBTQ monthly publication in the United States. It presents itself in an editorial manner similar to '' Details'', '' Esquire' ...
list. In 2022, they were chosen to be a Zoeglossia fellow.
Nehanda's book, ''Bless the Blood'', was released in the United States in February 2024, through
Penguin Random House
Penguin Random House LLC is an Anglo-American multinational corporation, multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate publishing company formed on July 1, 2013, from the merger of Penguin Group and Random House.
On April 2, 2020, Bertels ...
.
Early life
Mental health struggles and advocacy
As a teenager, Nehanda volunteered at a
crisis hotline
A crisis hotline is a phone number people can call to get immediate emergency telephone counseling, usually by trained volunteers. The first such service was founded in England in 1951 and such hotlines have existed in most major cities of the E ...
for people contemplating suicide.
Nehanda struggled with
self-harm
Self-harm is intentional behavior that is considered harmful to oneself. This is most commonly regarded as direct injury of one's own skin tissues usually without a suicidal intention. Other terms such as cutting, self-injury and self-mutilatio ...
growing up as a way of coping with overwhelming feelings of anger and hurt. They began getting
tattoo
A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several Process of tatt ...
s as a way to cover
scarification
Scarification involves scratching, etching, burning/branding, or superficially cutting designs, pictures, or words into the skin as a permanent body modification or body art. The body modification can take roughly 6–12 months to heal. In the p ...
, which eventually evolved into a way for them to express themself, their art, and their activism.
Name selection
Nehanda used to go by the name, KiNG. They got the name from a freestyle rap they did including the line "''ain't no queen when I can rule like a king."''
Walela received the name from an elder during a rite of passage. They chose the last name "Nehanda" after Nehanda Abiodun and
Nehanda Charwe Nyakasikana
Nehanda Charwe Nyakasikana also known as Mbuya Nehanda ( 1840–1898) was a '' svikiro'', or spirit medium of the Zezuru Shona people. She was a medium of Nehanda, a female Shona mhondoro (a powerful and respected ancestral spirit). As one of t ...
, out of admiration for Nyakasikana's struggle during
Chimurenga
''Chimurenga'' is a word in the Shona language. The Ndebele equivalent, though not as widely used since the majority of Zimbabweans are Shona speaking, is ''Umvukela'', meaning "revolutionary struggle" or uprising. In specific historical term ...
poetry slam
A poetry slam is a competitive art event in which poets perform spoken word poetry before a live audience and a panel of judges. While formats can vary, slams are often loud and lively, with audience participation, cheering and dramatic delivery. ...
at
Barnard Barnard is a version of the surname Bernard, which is a French and West Germanic masculine given name and surname. The surname means as tough as a bear, Bar(Bear)+nard/hard(hardy/tough)
__NOTOC__
People
Some of the people bearing the surname Ba ...
and was surprised by the power and presence of Black women owning their stories. Nehanda began writing poetry shortly afterwards as a way to cope with being
sexually assaulted
Sexual assault is an act in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence, which ...
. Nehanda attended weekly poetry slams at
Da Poetry Lounge
Da Poetry Lounge is the largest weekly open mic performance space for poetry in the US. It is located in Los Angeles at the Greenway Court Theatre.
History
Da Poetry Lounge was founded in 1998 as "Dante's Poetry Lounge" by poets Dante Basco, Ro ...
in Los Angeles. Nehanda credits writing poetry with saving their life. They released their first poetry album ''Baptism'' in 2016, including piano arrangements Nehanda created.
At age 21, Nehanda represented Da Poetry Lounge at the National Poetry Slam competition, alongside teammates
Tonya Ingram
Tonya Ingram (September 1, 1991 – December 30, 2022) was an American poet, author, speaker, Disability rights movement, disability activist, and mental health advocate.
Ingram died on December 30, 2022, waiting for a kidney transplant.
Life ...
schizophrenic
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social withdra ...
and on new medication, at the
Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza
Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza (alternately BHCP) is a shopping mall located in the Baldwin Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. This was one of the first regional shopping centers in the United States built specifically for the automo ...
mall. Nehanda and their partner had left the mall only minutes before the murder of Mack occurred, leaving them traumatized. In 2019, Nehanda released the EP ''Resurrection'', with the title song addressing the murder and the grief of never feeling safe as a Black person in America. The
artivist Artivism is a portmanteau word combining ''art'' and ''activism'', and is sometimes also referred to as ''Social Artivism''.
The term artivism in US English takes roots, or branches, off of a 1997 gathering between Chicano artists from East Los An ...
EP is inspired by Black activists and thinkers
Toni Cade Bambara
Toni Cade Bambara, born Miltona Mirkin Cade (March 25, 1939 – December 9, 1995), was an African-American author, documentary film-maker, social activist and college professor.
Biography
Early life and education
Miltona Mirkin Cade was bor ...
,
Assata Shakur
Assata Olugbala Shakur (born JoAnne Deborah Byron; July 16, 1947; also married name, JoAnne Chesimard) is an American political activist who was a member of the Black Liberation Army (BLA). In 1977, she was convicted in the first-degree murder ...
,
Tupac
Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the b ...
,
Gil-Scott Heron
Gilbert Scott-Heron (April 1, 1949 – May 27, 2011) was an American jazz poet, singer, musician, and author, known primarily for his work as a spoken-word performer in the 1970s and 1980s. His collaborative efforts with musician Brian Jacks ...
,
Frantz Fanon
Frantz Omar Fanon (, ; ; 20 July 1925 – 6 December 1961), also known as Ibrahim Frantz Fanon, was a French West Indian psychiatrist, and political philosopher from the French colony of Martinique (today a French department). His works have be ...
, and
Octavia Butler
Octavia Estelle Butler (June 22, 1947 – February 24, 2006) was an American science fiction author and a multiple recipient of the Hugo and Nebula awards. In 1995, Butler became the first science-fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship. ...
. ''
Black Voice News
Black Voice News is the first Black American online news publication on the West Coast of the United States. Founded in 1972 as a print newspaper, it was still active (as of 2020) and had moved to online publication.The Press Enterprise, "BLACK H ...
'' said the project, "exemplifies what it means to be an artist and an organizer, while proving that neither exists in a vacuum" and praised Nehanda's "surreal soundscape and vibrant wordplay".
The Assata Bukhari Collective
In 2018, Nehanda began facilitating a weekly open mic and workshop called Spit Justice, alongside The Assata Bukhari Collective, which Nehanda belonged to. A-BC consisted of Black predominately
femme
''Femme'' (; , literally meaning "woman") is a term traditionally used to describe a lesbian who exhibits a feminine identity or gender presentation. Alternate meanings of the word also exist with some non-lesbian individuals using the word, ...
, queer,
working class
The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...
organizers local to South Central. Alongside their open mics, Spit Justice held community conversations around
police violence
Police brutality is the excessive and unwarranted use of force by law enforcement against an individual or a group. It is an extreme form of police misconduct and is a civil rights violation. Police brutality includes, but is not limited to, ...
,
gentrification
Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and urban planning, planning. Gentrification ...
,
colonialism
Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their relig ...
, and other topics to strengthen participants'
emotional literacy The term ''emotional literacy'' has often been used in parallel to, and sometimes interchangeably with, the term ''emotional intelligence''. However, there are important differences between the two. Emotional literacy was noted as part of a project ...
,
critical thinking
Critical thinking is the analysis of available facts, evidence, observations, and arguments to form a judgement. The subject is complex; several different definitions exist, which generally include the rational, skeptical, and unbiased analysis ...
, and
problem solving
Problem solving is the process of achieving a goal by overcoming obstacles, a frequent part of most activities. Problems in need of solutions range from simple personal tasks (e.g. how to turn on an appliance) to complex issues in business an ...
rooted in
grassroots organizing
A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or economic movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from the local level to effect change at t ...
. The Assata Bukhari Collective distributed free hot food, clothes, and hygiene products to low-income people. The group also hosted teen and adult healing circles, each twice a month, and weekly movement-building study groups.
Disability activism
In 2020, Nehanda searched for days for a
Lysol
Lysol (; spelled Lizol in India) is a brand of American cleaning and disinfecting products distributed by Reckitt, which markets the similar Dettol or Sagrotan in other markets. The line includes liquid solutions for hard and soft surfaces, air ...
disinfectant spray, but was unable to find it on their own, due to the shortages caused by the pandemic. Panicked, Nehanda, posted on
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
seeking assistance, and found a community of people offering to help them get their needs met. This inspired Nehanda to create mutual aid documents that helped get needed supplies to 200
immunocompromised
Immunodeficiency, also known as immunocompromisation, is a state in which the immune system's ability to fight infectious diseases and cancer is compromised or entirely absent. Most cases are acquired ("secondary") due to extrinsic factors that a ...
people during the early days of the pandemic.
Nehanda has gotten 6,430 people registered with the lifesaving bone marrow donor list through Be the Match.
Cancer
Diagnosis
In 2017, at age 23, Nehanda found out they had advanced-stage chronic
myeloid leukemia
Myeloid leukemia is a type of leukemia affecting myeloid tissue.
Types include:
* Acute myeloid leukemia
* Chronic myelogenous leukemia
* Acute megakaryoblastic leukemia
* Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm
See also
* Hematological m ...
when a doctor found Nehanda had a 600% higher
white blood cell count
A complete blood count (CBC), also known as a full blood count (FBC), is a set of medical laboratory tests that provide information about the cells in a person's blood. The CBC indicates the counts of white blood cells, red blood cells and pl ...
than what's considered normal. Nehanda had experienced symptoms for years before being diagnosed, but had associated the symptoms with the stress of being
homeless
Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are:
* living on the streets, also kn ...
and
poor
Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little
. Nehanda attempted two oral chemotherapies that were unsuccessful at treating the
leukemia
Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ' ...
.
In 2018, Nehanda beat sixty competitors in a spoken word contest focused on the negative health effects of tobacco and menthol on communities of color. Nehanda performed in order to educate peers about social injustice and medical apartheid in the Black community.
In 2019, Nehanda told ''Nylon'' that when they first began seeking answers for their physical symptoms, they were accused by providers of being "an addict"
malingering
Malingering is the fabrication, feigning, or exaggeration of physical or psychological symptoms designed to achieve a desired outcome, such as relief from duty or work.
Malingering is not a medical diagnosis, but may be recorded as a "focus of c ...
for medication they didn't need. If a nurse hadn't advocated for a
blood test
A blood test is a laboratory analysis performed on a blood sample that is usually extracted from a vein in the arm using a hypodermic needle, or via fingerprick. Multiple tests for specific blood components, such as a glucose test or a cholester ...
, Nehanda wouldn’t have received treatment for their condition early enough to survive.
Treatment based on appearance
Nehanda has spoken out against the compliments they received on their
weight loss
Weight loss, in the context of medicine, health, or physical fitness, refers to a reduction of the total body mass, by a mean loss of fluid, body fat (adipose tissue), or lean mass (namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon, and other conn ...
when they first began experiencing cancer symptoms. They've expressed these comment were dangerous because they normalized and celebrated a
warning sign
A warning sign is a type of sign which indicates a potential hazard, obstacle, or condition requiring special attention. Some are traffic signs that indicate hazards on roads that may not be readily apparent to a driver.
While warning traffi ...
. Nehanda struggled with an
eating disorder
An eating disorder is a mental disorder defined by abnormal eating behaviors that negatively affect a person's physical or mental health. Only one eating disorder can be diagnosed at a given time. Types of eating disorders include binge eating d ...
for over a decade leading up to their leukemia diagnosis. They have stated the emphasis media, hospitals, and nonprofits put on cancer-patients looking like frail, thin, bald, white women has negatively influenced health care professionals' treatment of Nehanda as a fat, Black, queer cancer patient.
Experiences during COVID-19
In 2020, Nehanda spoke to
Anthony Padilla
Smosh is an American YouTube sketch comedy- improv collective founded by Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox. In 2002, Padilla created a website named "smosh.com" for making Flash animations, and he was later joined by Hecox. They began to post vide ...
about the shame they initially felt about being immunocompromised, due to their inability to work, and the internalized
ableism
Ableism (; also known as ablism, disablism (British English), anapirophobia, anapirism, and disability discrimination) is discrimination and social prejudice against people with Disability, disabilities or who are perceived to be disabled. Ableis ...
they've had to work through. During the interview, Nehanda also commented on experiencing racial profiling as a Black person, wearing a
face mask
The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human Personal identity, identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental d ...
in stores in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
during the pandemic, and getting involved in mutual aid efforts to help low-income disabled people survive isolation.
Transplant
In February 2019, Nehanda called a suicide hotline, which reminded them of their training as a teen working at a hotline. They remembered that often folks calling those numbers wanted to live and needed resources. Nehanda contacted their therapist for support. They were referred to a psychiatrist, who diagnosed Nehanda with PTSD, depression, ADHD, and anxiety. Nehanda credits the self-care and provider-care they received for their mental health with giving them the strength to want to live and pursue a bone marrow transplant.
In 2020, at age 26, they received a
bone marrow transplant
Hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) is the transplantation of multipotent hematopoietic stem cells, usually derived from bone marrow, peripheral blood, or umbilical cord blood in order to replicate inside of a patient and to produce ...
, during the initial panic and danger of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...