Sisters United

Dada Rafiki: Sisterhood Gathering & Evening of Inspiration

Everyone can remember women who have worked hard for their families, communities, and churches and didn’t always get the recognition that they truly deserved. Because she understands that giving honor where honor is due is long overdue, renaissance woman Annie Ruth established the program Dada Rafiki (pronounced da∙da ra∙fi∙ki), Kiswahili for sister friend, hence the motto, “My Sista My Friend.”

On Oct. 26 at Frederick Douglass Elementary School, many sisters and friends came together to honor women who positively impact youth in their communities.

Ruth is a poet, songwriter, singer and visual artist and founder of Dada Rafiki. She is locally as well as nationally acclaimed for her works of art and accomplishments in the community. She runs the Eye of the Artists Foundation, a charitable, educational and community empowerment organization founded to promote the arts and assist existing arts programs. Its vision is to reach and empower the community through creativity, and its mission is to serve as a catalyst and advocate for the exposure of the arts to the entire community, with an emphasis on youth. She illustrated the children’s book When My Mama Reads to Me written by Julie Elkus. She is a true blessing to the city of Cincinnati.



Dada Rafiki represents unity among people in general, not just women. Annually since 2005, Ruth has chosen eight to 30 women who are extraordinarily dedicated to the youth to honor at Dada Rafiki. Each woman is celebrated with a piece of art that is donated by local artists. This year’s art was donated to Frederick Douglass Elementary School to give their walls more color and inspire the students.
Visual artists Pearletta Williams, Joyce Phillip Young, Edith Sussaret Marrero and Annie Ruth donated pieces, as did photographers Helen Adams, Amanda Cawdrey, Theresa Mosley “Bella,” and Paula Norton, embroiderers/seamstresses Ann Cheng, Linda M. Chapman, Kathryne Gardette and Charlotte Hunter and painter Velma Morris.
This year’s program honored 30 women, who represent a wide range of occupations and areas of service, from medicine to law to community activism.

The actual program was exciting and colorful, filled with singing and laughter. The program consisted of spoken word, songs and cultural dance. Dynamic songstress Andrea P. Thomas and anointed songbird Janice Napier sang the crowd happy. Ruth, in bright orange African garb, sang her dada rafiki theme song, My Sista My friend and an inspirational youth song, What’s The Word? READ.



The program was also graced with some Caribbean flavor from the Kai Kweol Caribbean Music and Dance group. Each honoree was presented with a dada rafiki award as a sign of appreciation for their outstanding works.

To see all the honorees and order of program, visit www.eyeoftheartists.org

-Bridget Jackson