بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

As-Salaamu ‘Alaikum Beautiful and Beloved Black Family

I haven’t written in a while, been going through some personal changes and introspection.

This blog is entitled, “Homemaking For The Blackwoman,” only because I am not married, otherwise, it would and should have been titled “Housewifing for the Asiatic Blackwoman,” right? 🙂

That is the goal, or it used to be, for EVERY woman – to marry well, raise children, and live happily ever after, right?

That was about four or five years ago, I think. And it’s so funny because when I was in High School, Senior year, the day they took they yearbook photos, I was in so many photos of clubs that I was not in and one of them was FUTURE HOMEMAKERS OF AMERICA. LOL

At that time, I had no desire whatsoever, to be a Homemaker. I wanted to be the next Oprah. But Al Hamdulillah (All Praise is due to Allah). The Afrocentric in me was awakened shortly after I graduated and read the majority of hypocrite Malcolm’s autobiography. I completely lost interest after his trip to Mecca, which he failed to mention was actually his SECOND trip to Mecca.

In any case, that was the late eighties and everybody was Afrocentric, reminiscent of the turbulent sixties, when “Say it Loud! I’m Black and I’m Proud!” and “Ungawa! Black Power!” could be heard all throughout the streets and over the airwaves.

I had my kente cloth outfit with the matching fez but never could find a black leather framed Africa medallion.

I went to college and although my official major was BROADCAST JOURNALISM, with all of the Black Studies courses I took, I probably could have also received a degree in Black Studies as well.

I never knew why, but all my life, I wanted to change my name. My parents named me CHERYCE ANET BAILEY. I hated the middle name and would never tell when asked. My mother told me it is pronounced A-Net. And I tried to justify it by my love of basketball.

My father told me, my mother chose my first name, but he chose the spelling. The Y, I think is there because of my incessant questioning and natural curiosity about everything.

But when I asked my mother who she named me after, and she told me a white woman, I hated it even more. And then, when I yt’d her and saw her, I grew completely disgusted. The only good I can find in the name is it’s nearness to cerise, which is a shade of red, my absolute favorite colour. And also cherries in French, which are one of my favourite fruits, as well.

I received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY at LONG BEACH. And, because I took so many Black Studies courses, I knew the head of the Black Studies Department, Maulana Karenga, fairly well.

Maulana Karenga is the founder of the Black American Holiday – KWANZAA.

I met with him one day and because he was well-known for giving Black People African/Arabic names, I asked him to give me a name. He gave me the name of LATIFAH. I asked him the meaning and he said, “SOFT.”

Other than the fact that it was already in use by a popular rapper at that time, the additional knowledge of the meaning, really made me not want to use that name.

However, when I converted to Islam, shortly thereafter, I decided to go ahead and adopt the name.

When listening to a recording of Our Beloved Messenger, The Honourable Elijah Muhammad (May the Peace and the Blessings of Allah forever be upon him), he taught us that if you didn’t know what name to choose, choose ALLAH but hurry and give the devil back his name.

So that’s what I did. Little did I know the responsibilities that accompany that Name!

So, I officially changed my name to LATIFAH ALLAH in 2009 and that was a great day.

There are 99 Names of Allah, or Attributes, which all have meaning. Allah is not one of the 99 Attributes of Allah.

Allah, according to the Divine Supreme Wisdom Teachings of The Honourable Elijah Muhammad (May the Peace and the Blessings of Allah Forever Be Upon Him) means, The First and The Last. I have also heard him say, if I am not mistaken, that it means “All that is in All.”

Recently, I changed the Latifah to Love and then to WADOODAH. Which is also one of the 99 Attributes of Allah, which means Love of Allah in our original language and the language of Allah and our foreparents: ARABIC.

So now, I’ve been the Homeless Homemaker for almost four years and have had many proposals, and near proposals. I can smell them and I RUN!!!

I can only marry ONE man and he seems to be as adamant about his name as I am about mine.

I have a list of criteria.

1. F.O.I.
2. TALL
3. DARK
4. HANDSOME
5. FUNNY
6. NICE VOICE
7. NOT MY EX-HUSBAND OR REMINISCENT OF MY X-HUSBAND

The F.O.I. part covers everything like Righteousness, (which is by far the most important part); Name; Intelligence; Financial stability; Diet; Ability to take care of his responsibilities; Ability to protect and secure his family, &c.

2-6 are physical features and personality characteristics, but are equally as important, in my opinion. Funny is a necessity because I can be very serious and have a very low tolerance for foolishness and ignorance that most people find funny. So, I am very attracted to Brothers that can make me laugh in an intelligent way (witty).

F.O.I. also covers that deal-breaker for my Zawji, who seems determined to wear his slave name until they write it in stone on the headstone at his gravesight.

I can say it until I am blue in the face and fall out from lack of breath, but A GOOD NAME IS BETTER THAN GOLD. And unfortunately for him, I wear the greatest of them all.

I can tell you everything about yourself by the name you give me, in most instances. I am still growing, of course. But to go back to the slave name would be like burying me alive.

I don’t care if it is the name of the first white president of the United States. It is also the name of his slaves.

I don’t care if it is the name of the capital of the United States. They are the most wicked and evil civilization to ever live on our planet earth and they also own slaves.

I don’t care if it is the name of a northwestern state that produces beaucoup apples. It is the name of the devil caucasian and whenever an original Blackman wears that name is only serves to identify him as that devil caucasian’s slave,

The name, when broken down actually means a town where people go to do their washing, or have their washing done = a slavery town.

I have been called arrogant more times than I care to relate. But Islam gives you knowledge which inferior knowledge must submit to, according to the Divine Supreme Wisdom Teachings of Our Beloved Messenger, The Most Honourable Elijah Muhammad (May the Peace and the Blessings of Allah Forever Be Upon Him).

We have a saying in The Lost-Found Nation of Islam, that a person who returns to the filthy religion of Christianity is contrasted with a dog who returns to his vomit.

I never fully understood that comparison but it is becoming clearer, with each proposal. Because that is how it makes me feel. Thoroughly repulsed.

I even considered accepting on the grounds that I be allowed to retain my name.

But that wouldn’t work either because of the philosophical differences that lead to lifestyle differences. My religion teaches not to associate with devils, smoke nor drink. But not so, in any other religion – So, that is number one.

The Nation of Islam gives it’s practitioners FREEDOM, JUSTICE AND EQUALITY. So, I have the freedom to say No. I have the freedom to continue to live my life and practice my religion, worship my God, in the manner in which Pleases Him and makes me happy, whereas, if I were to MARRY someone of another faith, I may as well commit suicide because of the polar oppositeness of Islam from any other religion.

So cheah, that is why I’m still single and will stay single. 🙂