Today we’d like to introduce you to K’La Jackson.
Hi K’La, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’m just a little dark skinned girl from Landover MD, who learned how to joan because I was the root of the big head/forehead jokes. Most of my childhood was spent unhoused or in homes that were overcrowded. I remember navigating life, doing what I felt I should do and not with much intention. I never thought about being a mother and I wasn’t the girl who family members asked to watch their children. In 2015, I had my first child, Zuri, and it was the birth that ignited me into birth work. It was quick, unmediated, breastfed immediately, simply blissful and I said “every mama should feel this, I have to do something around birth!” I took a great doula training and within the next year I was pregnant again. Both pregnancies were unplanned but this one was REALLY unplanned so I attempted to terminate the pregnancy with the pill. although it happened the way it stated it should, weeks pass and I go to the ER to find out that I’m absolutely still pregnant. I make an appointment for an Aspiration abortion and when I got there I was told that I was 20 weeks and not the 15 that I should’ve been. At first I was devastated, then I realized that this child needed to be here and I accepted it and a good friend of mine said “it’s a boy and you got him messed up. 6 weeks later I was in the ER due to contractions that led to an emergency cesarean. Out came a sweet 2lb 10oz boy named Kweli. He spent 2 months in the NICU, and 2 months home then experienced a traumatic brain injury at the hands of their father. This really changed things. They didn’t expect him to live through the weekend but I knew better on a spiritual level so I told the doctor “thank you for sharing your medical expertise but I believe God has other plans”. Kweli was immobile, nonverbal, trach, vent, and g tube dependent. Kweli’s life changed the way I looked at birth, engaged with the medical system, and navigated the world altogether. In 2021 I started a nonprofit organization called Obatala’s Children to support families like ours. Obatala is an Orisa in the Yoruba faith that believes “disabilities should not lead to discrimination or rejection, since people are not limited to their physical abilities. Obatala refers to all disabled individuals as ENI ORISA, people of divine state.” (Obatala, the greatest and oldest divinity, by Olayinka Babatunde Ogunsina Adewuki). Obatala’s Children serves black families of children with medical complexities in DC. Kweli transitioned to the ancestral realm March 11th 2023. Obatala’s Children is one of the many ways we honor his life and his legacy.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It absolutely hasn’t been a smooth road, there has been consistent challenges. I think I named the bulk of them in the first question. All of it was hard! I realized that the way that I navigate through tough times is through gratitude always and maybe a bit of a trauma response because I don’t realize how hard something was until I’m out of it and sharing it with others. I had so many hard times growing up, that being an adult and having autonomy over myself shifted my perspective on hard times. I understand how much control I have over myself, more than any circumstance or challenge that I navigate. I’ve been through a lot but nothing feels as hard as the reality of losing a child. We had Kweli physically for 6 years and I feel so blessed for every year, month, week, day, hour, minute, second, that we spent together. I never let his disability limit his life. We took road trips, we went to beaches, we went to parks, birthday parties, porch concerts, sat in the middle of play dates with typical children, the list goes on. That’s what I want for us as a community, to shift the way we look at disabilities in general, but especially with children.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Obatala’s Children is a nonprofit organization that serves black children with medical complexities and their families in DC. We are currently looking to hear the stories of families and compensating them for it, $100 for in person/virtual interviews, and $25 for survey answering. We’d love to hear from you and are looking forward to supporting!
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
The qualities that are essential to my success are first, faithfulness. I don’t care which medium you choose whether a religion, spirituality, etc. just get to the Creator/God. Immediately after that is patience. The biggest thing mothering has taught me, especially mothering a disabled child.
Transparency/vulnerability, I think it’s a gift to tell your story. I’m very passionate about story telling, it’s a big part of Obatala’s Children. The more we share our stories, the more we find our tribe and less isolated we feel.
Laughter. I’m very goofy, and really a class clown in whatever space I enter because I believe if we’re not laughing then we’re satisfying the oppressors.
Lastly, listening. The elders say we have two ears and one mouth for a reason so we should just listen more and talk less.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.obatalaschildren.org
- Instagram: obatalaschildren
