Forever Friendships – Tea and Sisterhood

You can’t have relationships with other people until you give birth to yourself. — Sonia Sanchez

Tea Sisters (L-R): Verna L. Hamilton, Darlene Meyers Perry, Jo Johnson, Erica Morrison and Tiffany Newton

It has taken me almost six years to be able to write this particular post.

Even now my eyes, my memory and my emotions threaten to brim over with a mixture of gratitude, grief and profound joy. I am writing fast before my mind overtakes my hands and I’m unable to capture in words how I feel about these spectacular human beings.

Then again, let the tears fall if it helps my words flow. My friends are worth it all.

(Good Morning, Good Tea People! I am lining up all of my oolongs, black and puerh teas to drink in some liquid courage as I write. Thank you for reading Straight From the Leaf and I welcome all new readers, followers and subscribers. Please prepare yourselves as I will be diving deep into my tea photo archives. It will make more sense as we go along.)

Thomas Shu of ABC Teas discussing Taiwanese oolongs / Photo credit: Jo Ani Johnson

I marvel at how certain people cross our paths, become our friends, and make our lives richer for having met them.

Friendship is a gift.

Friendship feels like a fine oolong tea tastes: it is nuanced, growing deeper as time passes. For every infusion, it increases in flavor and complexity. It lingers on the palate and its aftertaste lets you know that you experienced something uniquely marvelous. Every sip improves your overall sense perception.

Trust me, I know an excellent oolong when I taste one.

The Tea Sisters

The Tea Sisters (L-R): Darlene Meyers Perry, Jo Johnson, Erica Morrison and Verna L. Hamilton

This is the story of The Tea Sisters, Black women who bonded over the love of the leaf. These same women have traveled the world, owned and operated tea businesses, managed households and organizations, and still find ways to be phenomenal human beings.

Erica Morrison and the Tea Fields Café

Erica Morrison of Tea Fields Café

Erica Morrison owned and operated Tea Fields Café in Englewood, NJ for five years! I witnessed her daily commitment to sustain a space so welcoming that coffee drinkers were converted to tea. Her extensive tea selection was second to none because she actually studied tea and we her customers appreciated the difference.

Erica finds a way to make good things happen despite the odds stacked against her. It will be excellent or it won’t be done by her. She works hard and plays harder. She deserves all the beauty that this world can offer.

Tea type of friend: Erica reminds me of a bold, rich, full-bodied Keemun black (red) tea. She is the friend that will say what needs to be said and do what needs to be done. She is also one who brings stability to previously chaotic spaces. Erica deserves all the beauty this world can offer — and I don’t doubt that she will.

Jo Johnson and A Gift of Tea

Jo Johnson is the living embodiment of the word “gift”.

Jo’s presence transforms every space she enters. Her creativity is even more striking than her appearance. Jo’s creativity is birthed from her beautiful soul.

A Gift of Tea pin created by Jo Johnson

Jo fearlessly supports and promotes others in their creative pursuits, whether it is a book launch, a dance performance premiere, a restaurant opening, or making the specialty tea industry respect tea bloggers. Jo is a specialty tea industry pioneer.

Jo shows up — on time and in style — every time.

Jo refuses to let her friends make excuses. For example, Jo was hosting a tea event promoting someone else’s book. She asked me to read one of my poems at this event. I politely declined her request, explaining that I didn’t want to offend the featured guest which I thought was a valid enough reason. Jo reminded me that she was the event hostess, in charge of the program, and would take responsibility for any perceived slight.

This firm yet loving nudge from my sister friend caused me to reconsider the request. My friends know that I’d rather not be in the spotlight. Sometimes your friends are the ones to turn the light on you.

This time I listened.

I did read my poem that afternoon as Jo requested. That one reading eventually led to my sharing that poem and others with more than 12 diplomats representing African nations.

(Good Tea People, surround yourself with likeminded people who will motivate you to do more, be more, and are willing to help. Likewise, encourage them to see themselves as the bright lights they are.)

Tea type of friend: Jo is like a Bancha green tea. Bancha is not an ordinary green tea: it is extraordinary because its maturity has given it a flavor all its own. Jo is the friend who demonstrates there is no expiration date on being fine and fabulous.

Darlene Meyers Perry and The Tea Lovers’ Archives

Keep it moving. — Darlene Meyers Perry

Darlene Meyers Perry of The Tea Lovers’ Archives

Darlene Meyers Perry lived her life as though every day would be her last.

Cups up to Yoon Hee Kim (center) sharing her tea wisdom in private tea rooms!

Darlene is the friend who encouraged me to study Mandarin at the Confucius Institute for Business, a partnership between Nanjing University of Finance and Economics and SUNY Levin Institute. We laughed so much when we would go to Chinatown and practice our pronunciation — and consume lots of dim sum.

(Who didn’t know that I studied Mandarin and other languages?! That’s true: I often do things without advertising what I’m doing. I get more done this way. Unfortunately, The Confucius Institute of Business’ funding was discontinued in 2014. The good news is that tea culture lives on in many tea producing nations and the opportunity to learn never dies.)

As a Mid-Atlantic Tea Business Association (MATBA) officer, Darlene organized tea tours to bring business to fellow tea business owners. In addition, Darlene and Jo traveled together to Taiwan and Japan and established connections with local farmers.

They persevered through the industry politics to amplify voices which were previously muted and/or ignored. We did so without caring who credited us.

As we see, we still have the cups, the timestamps, and the receipts.

These Tea Sisters made it their business to see the people behind the tea leaf. My friends understand that tea is more than a trend. Tea is a way of life that deserves respect and appreciation.

I appreciate every gift that they would bring me back if I was unable to make the trip.

Darlene believed in the power of tea as a way to connect people.

Her legacy lives on with everyone who ever connected with her.

Tea type of friend: Darlene reminds me most of a delicate white tea because although she was plucked from us early, the aroma of her life lingers.

Cups Up Conclusions

Photo credit: Verna L. Hamilton

My cup runneth over in friendships forged over sharing a cup of tea.

This is my attempt to capture in one post more than a century worth of tea industry experience. My Tea Sisters are powerful and humble people. We have nothing to prove to anyone: our tea credentials are solid and have outlived the original organizations.

We still love the tea leaf.

I am exercising my right here to thank them publicly for how they have shown up as friends for me. They are not my only friends — within the tea industry or outside of it — yet they are among my staunchest supporters. They are friends worth celebrating.

What type of tea friend am I? That’s a question for my friends to answer. In fact, I am moving towards my tea kettle now so I don’t hear what they say.

Raised cup salute to The Tea Sisters, lasting friendships, and more great tea conversation!

#DrinkTea #Sisterhood

Teaware designed by Jo Johnson

Straight From the Leaf – Tea and Milestones

In the beginning was the leaf, and the leaf was loose and without water. And I saw this and said, “it is not good that the leaf should be alone. Let there be tea.” And it was so and tea is good. — Verna L. Hamilton

This is a time for recalibration. I gratefully welcome this present season as an opportunity to reflect, to declutter, and to make room for the next stream of adventures. I am making time to clarify what is worthy of my time and energy.

(What’s steeping, Good Tea People? Thank you for making time to pause, drink tea and connect. Welcome to all new readers, followers and subscribers. Decluttering is productive: I discovered unopened containers of tea that I previously purchased. Let there be tea. I’ll be savoring these one cup at a time. Go ahead and please make your own cup of goodness.)

What’s in Your Cup?

Teaware from Author’s Personal Collection / Photo: Verna L. Hamilton

Most discoveries happen when we are seeking solutions for challenges. As a college administrator, I decided to create account on an application formerly known as Twitter. I knew from personal experience how paid internships attracted job opportunities. Therefore, I would teach them how to research and connect with their target companies and stand out from the competition.

I safeguarded my then-employer’s brand by first practicing on my name. Any anticipated early mistakes would be mine alone to fix. Even though failure was not an option, I was prepared to fail, to learn, and to pivot quickly.

What did I learn? Success comes wearing a disguise. I succeeded in both expected and unexpected places. There I was, tweeting about what was in my cup, literally drinking tea and minding my business. These 140-characters or less musings attracted a robust tea community of more than 80 countries.

(Raised cup salutes to all the Good Tea People who remember Follow Fridays! Thank you for the follows, the mentions and the kind words of encouragement. Thanks to Twitter, that’s how I met many of you in-person! Recently I visited the app and made some profile updates.)

Success came wrapped in a website log (“blog”) and a tweet.

A Blog and A Tweet

Verna L. Hamilton / Photo: Harriet C. Sanders

Twitter has its 140-character limits. I appreciated being able to exercise my digital marketing muscles. I enjoyed sharing culture, tea history and connection worldwide within this micro space. Considering the audience, Twitter was never designed for essays: you made your point and you moved on. That’s the reason it’s called microblogging.

What if I continued the tea conversation? Say less.

On August 12, 2009, I sat down long enough to write “In the Beginning…” and in the process created Straight From the Leaf. Here’s an excerpt from the opening post:

Being the unapologetic tea aficionado that I am, I am constantly shocked at the multitudes who have never in all their lives enjoyed a proper cup of tea. By proper, I mean actual tea leaves rather than dust. Leaves or dust? that is the question. Straight From the Leaf‘s aim is to:

  • Inspire others to enjoy tea and its preparation
  • Appreciate all the elements adding to the overall experience
  • Create an atmosphere for purposeful conversation

In other words, we’ll talk about ways to savor life one cup at a time. This is the start.

(Good Tea People, I originally created Straight From the Leaf on Blogspot (also known as Blogger) and then migrated all of the content. Yes, newest readers, I am tech savvy and a lifelong learner. Please feel free to dive deeper into the other posts.)

Savor Each Sip

Success is living long enough to take another sip. People have been savoring precious cups of tea for more than 5000 years. I myself was introduced to tea culture at an early age and still dream of visiting every tea-producing nation. In the meantime, I am thankful for the specialty tea industry relationships cultivated over the years.

Harney & Sons Founder John Harney and Verna L. Hamilton

Tea is both a social exchange as well as a restorative personal practice. I remember taking vacation from work to attend World Tea East in Boston. I went as an attendee and didn’t realize tea industry pioneer Beth Johnston followed me on Twitter. Then I met Harney & Sons founder John Harney and shared a conversation infused with such wisdom that it remains with me still.

World Tea East next came to Philadelphia. Yeah!

I was invited to share my expertise with colleagues about how to best embrace technology, establish a presence and respect the tea traditions. It was vital to acknowledge the human beings connected to the leaf and the land.

It still is.

After World Tea East, I was a featured speaker at the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas.

The conference agenda was full with workshop sessions, tea education classes, vendor presentations and more. Yet World Tea Expo centered TEA and it is those conversations over tea that I believe strengthened and encouraged specialty tea industry members to continue in spite of the market challenges.

I’ve spoken and facilitated many other classes, workshops, interviews, conferences and classes both domestically and internationally. I’ve worked professionally in corporate, academia and nonprofits. Somehow the conversation always comes back to tea, especially when it involves relationship management and making sure that people are seen, heard and understood.

The conversation continues.

Seasonal Tea Experience Curated by Verna L. Hamilton / Photo: Author

Cups Up Conclusions

Today I entered “Straight From the Leaf” as a prompt to explore whether or not I’ve honored the blog’s original goals. The picture below is worth more than a thousand words to me.

Cups up to Good Tea People Everywhere! Let there be TEA.

#DrinkTea #LetThereBeTEA

Makeba “KEEBS” Rainey – Tea and Genius

Believe it or not, I can actually draw.

— Jean-Michel Basquiat

Jean-Michel Basquiat by Makeba “KEEBS” Rainey / Photo: Author

Sometimes I reflect upon Jean-Michel Basquiat‘s life and wonder what he would make of his name and his art becoming a famous and lucrative brand now that he’s dead. I also wonder where he and his art would be now if he received more love and encouragement while he was living.

Admiration is currency.

Appreciation is undervalued.

Approval is overrated.

Artificial intelligence is non-negotiable.

Authenticity is priceless.

(Good morning, Good Tea People! What’s steeping? Today I am steeping a Ethiopian black tea that I blended with some select spices. Imagine a cup of tea that’s as aromatic as it is nurturing and supportive. Yes, I drink hot tea in all seasons and for myriad reasons. Welcome to all the new Straight From the Leaf readers, followers and subscribers. Please feel free to pour a fresh cup of something delicious and settle in for the read.)

Genius Defined

A genius is a person who shows rare, exceptional intellectual ability, extreme creativity, or original talent far beyond normal human limits.

Who gets to appraise someone’s “rare, exceptional intellectual ability”? Who possesses the authority to pronounce whether or not someone has “extreme creativity”? Creativity is a precious gift that costs dearly to express it, let alone to live the life of a creative. It is unfathomable to calculate the amount of life invested, the tears shed during the process, and the inevitable hardships encountered by an artist.

No human being should have to die in order to receive recognition and/or compensation. A person’s creative expression, regardless of the genre, is an extension of the artist’s unique creative mind. The resulting offering opens up the artist’s innermost thoughts, puts them on public display, and exposes them to uninvited critique.

While it may sound brave, nothing could be further from the truth. Art is oxygen for the artist and to create is to breathe air.

A writer writes.

A dancer dances.

A creative creates.

A genius is the artist whose art brings life to another human being.

Like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Makeba “KEEBS” Rainey‘s extreme creativity makes me both think and feel inspired. I am grateful for the artist behind the art.

Makeba “KEEBS” Rainey

Genius Noticed

KEEBS‘ art and I became acquainted before I ever met Makeba “KEEBS” Rainey in-person. Her art features images of the artists and thinkers I revere. Makeba adds her genius of bold colors, African wax cloth patterns quilted together for the clothing, and crowns them with halos. The artwork and I met in some of my most favorite places and brought a smile at every sighting.

Makeba “KEEBS” Rainey’s cover illustration adorns my Anna Julia Cooper book purchased at Harriett’s Bookshop in Philadelphia.

(Who is Anna Julia Cooper?! Good Tea People, I encourage you to dive deeper and explore this on your own. She is worthy of several in-person tea conversations. In the meantime, please make sure that your tea cup or mug stays full.)

Plant and People, also located in Philadelphia, had to keep a close eye on Frederick Douglass to make sure that someone didn’t try to buy the artwork that graces the plant nursery. Makeba came back to Plant and People to host a free button making workshop for the Freedom NOW Fest.

Harlem’s Red Rooster features a wall honoring Nelson Mandela and one of his quotes. This is Makeba “KEEBS” Rainey’s artwork.

Nelson Mandela by Makeba “KEEBS” Rainey at Red Rooster (Harlem) / Photo: Author

At the Philadelphia International Airport en route to Bahia, I saw Makeba Rainey. Well, I saw her image and her exhibit “Their Eyes Were Watching God”.

We did meet in-person at her “Bringing in Da Spirit” exhibition at Vox Populi Gallery. This exhibition paid homage to the rural Granny Midwives who literally boldly went where no one else would to help mothers bring life into this world.

Genius Supported

Nina Simone Candle Holder by Makeba “KEEBS” Rainey / Photo: Author

We support who and what we appreciate. Artists are not machines used at-will for on-demand consumption. Artists are human beings who deserve to have all their basic needs met (Read: Starving is not an option).

Years ago I started collecting Makeba “KEEBS” Rainey’s artwork whenever and wherever I could find it. My personal collection continues to grow and I find her art always adds an elegant touch to my tea sessions.

(What’s that, Good Tea People? Where is this? It is a peaceful place where art and tea live together in perfect harmony. Please don’t get distracted: find what brings you joy and let it flow. Speaking of flow, please get ready for our raised cup salute.)

Cups Up Conclusion

Table Prepared for Tea and Conversation by Verna L. Hamilton

I raise my tea cup in Makeba “KEEBS” Rainey’s direction: May you live long, live well, and prosper in all you do.

I invite all Good Tea People to:

One more thing: let people know that you appreciate them while they are living.

Cups up to every creative! May your ideas flow and your cups stay abundantly full.

#DrinkTea #AppreciateGenius

FAMU, I Love Thee – Tea and Superstars

No excuse is acceptable. No amount of effort is adequate until proven effective. — Dr. Sybil Collins Mobley, founder of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University’s School of Business and Industry

Every August my mind turns to remember and to celebrate one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my entire life. This past decision positively affects my daily present life.

I am a Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (FAMU) Rattler.

I am a Humphries era Rattler.

I am one of “Sybil’s Kids”.

(Good morning, Good Tea People! This post is both Straight From the Leaf and straight of my heart. Welcome to all new readers, followers and subscribers. Please go ahead and prepare your tea. I have some peach oolong myself. Let’s connect.)

Calling All Superstars

Once upon a time, before email, social media and artificial intelligence, colleges and universities recruited academically-gifted high school students within the United States based on their Preliminary Standard Achievement Test (PSAT) scores. These National Merit Achievement scholars were then heavily courted to attend prestigious private and public institutions. In other words, being distinguished as a National Merit Achievement Scholar was a pretty big deal for the students’ high schools, guidance counselors, teachers, mentors and parents. It was a recognition celebrated by everyone except the achiever herself.

I am a National Merit Finalist scholar. Please be very clear that this distinction was not given to me. It was an open competition that I participated in unknowingly by doing my own homework, taking my class notes with illustrations, writing my essays, and typing my own 20-page research papers. The PSAT exam was one step in the ongoing pursuit of finishing high school as soon as possible, attending college and emerging with as little debt as possible.

(Good Tea People, this was when we students had to use the Dewey Decimal system in libraries to find the book, read the reference, and then cite the source. Our teachers read and graded each of our papers, writing feedback in ink. Thankfully word processors came to speed up the process. Ms. O, again I raise a tea cup salute!)

I wasn’t chasing a GPA or aiming for specific grades. After I studied and completed my exams, I moved onto the next task. Each award and honor I received, like the National Honor Society, I brought home to my parents, told my Gram, and went back to school. It wasn’t until years later that I learned how my academic performance applied pressure to my younger siblings.

The last thing my introversion-preferring self wanted to do was draw additional attention. Attention meant additional work and social interaction for me: applications, questionnaires, interviews, unsolicited advice and travel logistics. I was balancing gratitude for the opportunities while protecting myself against the overwhelming onslaught of college admissions representatives. So, I enlisted help and delegated tasks to my first hire.

My youngest brother became my first assistant. His role was to keep track of all my mail offering scholarships by state and in alphabetical order. We even created a visual map of the United States to see how many states we would reach. If the marketing materials appealed to him, then he would pass them along to me. Never underestimate the power of the gatekeeper.

One day he brought me a letter with an attention grabbing opening: “Dear Superstar…” signed by Dean Sybil C. Mobley. There was a scholarship for me to attend the School of Business and Industry (SBI) at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU). If accepted, then I would study international business and then graduate with practical experience because each student was required to complete three paid internships prior to graduation.

My parents told me that I could go anywhere I wanted if I found the scholarship(s) to do so. I’m convinced that they thought I would select one of the many universities located in the Mid-Atlantic. However, I longed to go somewhere that family influence could not reach. It was important for me to know that people liked me for me and not for the potential benefits and family connections that came along with knowing me. FAMU’s School of Business and Industry met these requirements.

(No, Good Tea People, I didn’t know anything about Florida other than a senior trip to Disney World. Florida is so much more than Disney World. Please stay focused and pour another cup of tea.)

FAMU chose me and I chose FAMU back. My decision to attend an HBCU was met with horror by my high school guidance counselor because it meant that I declined all of the Ivy League scholarships offered me, including some for which I did not apply. This was my decision to make, I made it and I traveled seven states away to begin my adulthood in Tallahassee, Florida.

Caring With Excellence

Dean Mobley had assembled a constellation of Superstars in Tallahassee hailing from Philadelphia, Newark, Akron, Baltimore, Chicago, Columbia, MD, Hempstead, New York, Washington, DC, Gary, IN, Los Angeles as well as Atlanta and every place within the State of Florida. Tallahassee natives, also known as Baby Rattlers, were present too.

What kind of place was this? Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University is located on The Highest of the Seven Hills founded on October 3, 1887. There is also history of venomous snake population of eastern diamondback and pygmy rattlesnakes. We Rattlers clear obstacles to create opportunities for ourselves and for others.

What kind of people persevered to lay the foundation for future doctors, engineers, journalists, pharmacists, attorneys, business leaders, public servants and educators? Greatness is often buried in seemingly impossible circumstances. There was and continues to be a price for wearing FAMU’s orange and green: to whom much is given much is required . As a Rattler, I do strike, strike and strike again against any opposition to my existence as well as my alma mater’s.

The Paddyfote Complex, located across the street from SBI, was the designated dormitory and the courtyard where I would first encounter my freshman classmates. What an incubator! We would discover via meaningful conversations what brought each of us there and where we desired to go from here. Even though I arrived not knowing anyone, I am a member of a FAMUly that surrounds the globe. Today I am blessed to be a financially active FAMU National Alumni Association Lifetime Member.

FAMU School of Business and Industry

Imagine going to class every day wearing a full business suit, including hosiery and heels, in Florida humidity and heat. Now picture seeing a bunch of business attire-clad individuals walking up and down the hills from the School of Business and Industry to The Set, where all FAMU gathered.

(Yes, Good Tea People, there were countless marvelous calves formed on the hills of Tallahassee. We walked everywhere and those steps still work out the body today. )

“Sybil’s Kids”, or School of Business and Industry (SBI) students recruited, mentored and protected by their Dean Sybil C. Mobley, stuck out all over the campus. We also attracted corporate visitors at home and abroad who wanted to see and to learn from “the Marine Corps of business schools: pride, poise, excellence!” that In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best-Run Companies author Tom Peters witnessed. I was focused on studying accounting and quantitative business methods to notice how other schools would later adopt the model we lived.

Sybil’s Kids read and subscribed to The Wall Street Journal. We analyzed annual reports, balance sheets, profit and loss statements, and calculated earnings per share (without calculators during Dr. Frieder’s exams). We prepared our own introduction statements and listened to others — learning to pronounce Paducah and Alberquerque. We prepared our weekly questions to America’s CEOs about business strategy and the resulting human impact on their organizations’ talent. Sybil’s Kids were groomed for greatness and we delivered: internships, investment and access.

How can you dim a light that was designed to shine bright? Even

When the dark clouds gather on the horizon,
When thunder and lightning pierce the skies,
When Fate is but a glare in the eye of a fallen Rattler,
and Hope a lost friend,
When the sinew of the chest grows weary from those hard charging linebackers,
And the muscles in the legs grow tired from those hard charging runningback,
You must always remember….the Rattlers will
STRIKE!!!
STRIKE!!!
AND STRIKE AGAIN!!!

— Dr. Frederick S. Humphries

Although some may attempt, it’s as futile as asking a star not to shine. Superstars are who we are. Shine is what we do. We have already been tried in the fire (read: Florida heat and humidity), proven through intensive professional development and refined by what life has brought our way. Yet we are still shining.

Our glow is not what’s on us. It comes from the eternal flame that’s been stoked inside us.

This is the reason that when we see each other, whether yesterday or decades ago, we greet each other with joy. We don’t just survive, we thrive.


Cups Up Conclusions

Orange and green mean more to me than I can convey in a single post — and the bliss I feel whenever I see these colors together! The admiration I hold for my classmates who shared their lives and stories with me is profound. The professors who invested their talents into us both inside and outside the classroom are my esteemed elders.

I’m so glad I’m from FAMU! I am both a beneficiary and a contributor to FAMU’s ongoing legacy. Like most Rattlers, I don’t play games with anyone seeking to cause harm whether on or off the field. Venom has both power to harm and to heal. Strike carefully and with intention. Whatever you do, never underestimate the power of a Rattler.

Cups up! #DrinkTea #FangsUp

The Colored Girls Museum – Tea and Beauty

We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty. — Maya Angelou

Verna L. Hamilton in the Sanctuary of The Colored Girls Museum / Photo credit: Ariadne DuBois

Philadelphia has “A Sanctuary for the Ordinary Colored Girl of the African Diaspora”, also internationally known as The Colored Girls Museum.

This Colored Girl decided to revisit this Historic Germantown community space at 1613 Newhall Street. I celebrate founder and executive director Vashti DuBois, the staff, and their ongoing contributions towards keeping our city’s cultural tapestry rich and vibrant. Additionally, I wanted to view the “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud” exhibition featuring citizen artist vanessa german before it ended.

(Good morning, Good Tea People all around the world! Thank you for reading Straight From the Leaf. Welcome to all new followers and subscribers. Please prepare your tea or tisanes for our time together. Just remember not to over steep — there are no bitter drinkers over here. I’ll drop in to check on you throughout this session.)

Raising the Child

Author exercising agency over her image at an early age

I admit to experiencing some pre-visit trepidation: The Colored Girls Museum (TCGM) was somewhere that I would visit with my mother and it was a site of generational bonding, inspiration and joy. I came here today on my own for the first time. What would I find all by myself? All adults were once children and, if wise, we retain our sense of curiosity and wonder.

Yet there’s few things more disappointing than going back to your special places and finding that your memories have been burnished brighter over time. For example, remembering when the favorite summer spot was free to all and no special parking permits were necessary. Then visitors looking annoyed at the residents for living there.

(Good Tea People, I’m pausing here to switch out my bowl of matcha for some of the hibiscus I blend and steep with a few other herbs to protect my peace. The thought of people being disrespected in their own homes heats my internal kettle. Creativity effectively releases the steam. Yes, Good Tea People, tea teaches us life lessons. Raised cup salute to lifelong learning!)

We culture keepers pray that the spaces and places we love dearly — and the people they represent — will be respected and cherished as the jewels they are.

Once I turned the corner and saw the Victorian twin house, my heart rejoiced. The Colored Girls Museum still stood proud as a sanctuary in spite of the battles to have it removed.

Survival is a beautiful thing to behold.

The Colored Girls Museum / Photo: Verna L. Hamilton

(Here’s something else that’s only for Good Tea People who love the leaf: Appreciate each type of tea for its own unique qualities. We don’t expect a rich, malty Assam black tea to taste like a floral, nuanced Taiwanese Oriental Beauty oolong. I drink them both and appreciate their qualities. Similarly, we must appreciate beauty of everyone because beauty is always present if we are. All right, please pour on and let’s get back to this post.)

Getting Grounded

As I walked down the plant-filled entrance to the always reminded me of moments spent with my great-aunts and cousins in the country who knew EVERYTHING about growing herbs. They would let me come with them into their gardens, taught me how to recognize the various herbals, and how to harvest them for their properties. They were amazingly patient with this little girl from the big city: one of my cousins even taught me how to extract and drink the nectar from a single honeysuckle blossom! We never know how big our interactions with children are.

Every step I took towards The Colored Girls Museum retraced a familiar path. Every stone on the walkway towards the house whispered to me, “Welcome back, kid!”

I had arrived and made it to the porch early for the next tour. During my wait I sat down taking in the luscious view around me. My thoughts went to how my seeing The Colored Girls Museum in an unexpected place gave me the reassurance I needed to continue my journey to Brazil.

Sit a Spell

I did it: the ticket to Salvador, Bahia, Brazil was booked, confirmed and I had my boarding pass. I would be traveling solo for most of the 18-hour trip. My successful passage through airport security just meant that I had more time to contemplate the upcoming trip.

“Get out of your head, Hamilton,” was my inner dialogue and so I went walking through Philadelphia International Airport to do just that.

It was there that The Colored Girls Museum’s exhibition “Sit A Spell” met me where I was. I took it as the sign that it was.

So I paused.

I sat for a spell.

I knew with everything within me that all would be fine.

And all was well.

Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud

I reminded myself that I didn’t come here to stay on the porch. It was now time to go inside and experience The Colored Girls Museum.

Who welcomed me across the threshold but Ms. Vashti herself! Wow, this visit was already complete. Then I bore witness to The House vanessa german built at The Colored Girls Museum, “Act 2: The House, The Oracle and The Table”.

TCGM’s WhoAllGonBeThere (living room) The House by vanessa gordon / Photo: Author

This work is grand, abundant and overflowing in indigo. Indigo’s origin story and its historical significance deserves a post all its own. I closely examined The House’s skirt and saw the tea cup and tea pot positioned close to the open heart. This discovery warmed this unapologetic tea aficionado’s heart.

Indeed, I found my place in The House.

I was glad to learn that my dancing made navigating the original staircase throughout the museum accessible. The Colored Girls Museum is a 140-year-old three-story house. Please be sure to wear comfortable shoes.

Quiet As It’s Kept (Black Room)

Portrait Artist: Nile Livingston
Community Curators: Margery Cedano and Ashley Gripper
Featured Artist: Ayana V. Jackson

Yes, I was low key looking for a cast iron skillet to compliment the tea pots sitting on the gas stove. I do understand the absence: a seasoned cast iron skillet is worth its weight in gold and are passed down through generations.

This room transported me to memories of watching my relatives prepare jars for jams, jellies and other items for the upcoming seasonal change. The thought of hot water corn bread cooked to perfection in a cast iron skillet paired with a sweet potato roasted in an oven almost made me forget the rest of the tour.

Thankfully, program manager Ariadne DuBois asked us to prep for the next room on the tour: please remove shoes or wear the shoe covers provided. Me and my sock-covered feet were ready.

This, That and The Third (Indigo Room)

Community Curator: Angelique Scott

Artists: Qiaira Riley, DeJeonge Reese and Alicia Garrison

Beauty and a sense of the sacred met me the moment my feet sank into the dense indigo carpet. Braided hair sculpture and window treatments adorned the room. Incense perfumed the air. Bamboo hoops framing images of beloved family members felt too intimate for me to photograph. I felt grateful for the artists’ curated love letter to those who are now ancestors.

There it was! the prayer closet I remembered from earlier museum visits.

Me, Myself, Personally (Bedroom)

Community Curator: Misha Mcglown

Featured Artists: Zeinab Diomande, Kalila Jones and Angelica Jones

One of the myriad observations about this particular room what each artist’s skill and meticulous attention-to-detail. The hand-stitched quilts represented an innumerable amount of hours let alone the story told within each panel.

I was encouraged to see a copy of the Bhagavad Gita included among the books and felt a slight nudge about my yoga practice.

I Said What I Said (Washer Woman Room)

Artists: Monna Morton, Denys Davis, Lori Payne and Syd Carpenter

Artist Monna Morton shared the thought and intention behind the art and provided an in-depth history of the role of the washer woman. Most of the items in this room were family heirlooms passed down to the artists. This is a living testimony of how African-American took what was designed to demean and destroy and kept families together. Somehow they took the humble and ordinary and created extraordinary legacies.

At the End of the Day (The Colored Boy’s Room)

Artists: Betsey Casanas, Celestine Wilson-Hughes, Michael Clemmons and Walter Clemmons

The Colored Girls Museum wallpaper made this room instantly recognizable! This original room remains as part of the permanent exhibit of The Colored Girls Museum.

Artist Michael Clemmons gave a wonderful tribute to his brother and fellow artist Walter Clemmons and spoke of all the artists from a peer perspective. Walter Clemmons worked with wire and created this bust in honor of Harriet Tubman.

Keep My Name Out Ya Mouth (The Oracle and The Table)

Artist: vanessa german

Cups Up Conclusions

As powerful and inspiring this exhibition was, it wasn’t the highlight: It was being able to tell Vashti “Ms. Vashti” DuBois, Ariadne DuBois, and Michael Clemmons THANK YOU.

I am so thankful for what was supposed to be a one-time show in 2015 still existing.

I salute the untold personal sacrifices over these years and the dedication to The Colored Girls Museum’s vision. Thank you to all the artists who continue to create.

This Colored Girl received so much more from this visit: I saw myself in The Colored Girls Museum past, present and future, up close and very personal. No one may ever know all that it takes to be me — that’s all right. People don’t see what’s going on inside of a butterfly’s cocoon. The beauty is in the being.

Cups up! Let there be TEA. #DrinkTea #TheColoredGirlsMuseum

Butterfly Teaware from Personal Collection / Photo: Verna L. Hamilton

Putting the Pieces Together – Tea and Identity

Life is a puzzle and sometimes it helps to write down the pieces and put things into perspective. — Verna L. Hamilton, author of Poems for Life’s Puzzle

Photo: Verna L. Hamilton

On any given day that I choose to interact with human beings, inevitably the following conversation happens:

  • Random person: Where are you from?
  • Me: Philadelphia.
  • Random: No, where are you from? Your parents?
  • Me: Philadelphia. Dad from North Philly, Mom from Passaic.
  • Random: Where did you learn to speak _________?
  • Me: Philadelphia.
  • Random: I find it hard to believe that you are American.

(Good morning, Good Tea People! I trust that these words meet you with flavor and fill your cup. Welcome to all the new Straight From the Leaf readers. Please let’s pour and connect. I’m steeping some green tea in my left-handed kyusu — very unconventional, I know. Please try not to get distracted: Drink the tea that suits you and your palate.)

Climbing the Family Tree

Photo: Verna L. Hamilton

I grew up knowing vastly more about my maternal side of the family than my paternal one. This family connection runs deep: we are proud of the picture capturing our first family reunion held in 1938 on the land we purchased. I am blessed to have known and loved most of the people pictured in this landmark photo.

Our last living matriarch, Sarah Carter Perry Brown, wrote a book at 105 years old with Cousin Caryl Lucas. I still remember learning about different herbs like horehound from her. She transitioned at 107 years old, and, for me, transformed what getting older looks like. Mother Brown would lead the line dance at the family reunion.

Author’s copy of Aunt Sarah’s Recipes for a Long and Spirit-Filled Live by Caryl Lucas

It is a privilege to be a scholar of my maternal family’s history and entrusted with its archival materials. What does that mean? I can tell you how someone is related, maintain family records, and help others on our tree connect the dots so that we do not forget all that they invested in us. It is the rare gift that keeps giving.

(Shout out to all of the Good Tea People who also share DNA with me. Love YOU, madly. No, I’m still not interested in organizing the next family reunion. I would rather have tea and conversation in-person. Hopefully soon. Love, V)

What about my father’s family? I am my father’s only daughter and named after him. The day of Grandmom Catherine’s homegoing service, I was seated next to him on the front row of the church. People came around to pay their respects. They all knew who I was — “Look at how that baby has grown!” — but they were unknown to me. What and who was I missing?

Who am I? I was a person with a whole last name and limited knowledge about the people who carried it. I am thankful for my beloved Uncle Marvin and the cousins who share my curiosity. We all decided to find out what we could in our own way.

Digging Around the Roots

Author with Dr. Henry Louis Gates at the New York Genome Center / Photo: Author

(Yes, Good Tea People, that is the Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and not an AI-generated image. Cups up to Professor Gates and his scholarly work.)

Being an avid fan of Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., I decided to dig into the information that I did have about my paternal family, especially my great-grandfather Daniel “Dan” Hamilton. My original plan was to get a sample from one of my brothers for the African Ancestry PatriClan Kit and then surprise my father with the results. We would all then plan a family trip to travel to the area.

There was a delay for several reasons and I patiently awaited the African Ancestry results.

Then the results arrived (genetic markers not included below):

(Good Tea People, you already know that I don’t receive compensation from African Ancestry. Sometimes you have to state the obvious for the people who don’t know you in real life. Thank you for reading and understanding. Let’s pour a cup for good sense.)

Gathering the Fruit

These unexpected results from African Ancestry generated more questions for me than answers. I’m still researching to solve this peculiarly personal puzzle.

If I were Dr. Gates’ guest on Finding Your Roots, then I’d ask him:

What were Chinese people doing in North Carolina approximately 200 years ago?
What made the Han people of China amenable to coming to the United States?
What were these “reservations” and who lived there?

I am researching now in preparation for that future tea conversation with Dr. Gates. Dr. Lindsey Stewart‘s book entitled The Conjuring of America: Mojos, Mermaids, Medicine, and 400 Years of Black Women’s Magic provided me an introduction to historian Dr. James W. Loewen, author of The Mississippi Chinese: Between Black and White. Although he transitioned in 2011, his book is available via the library and I’ve submitted my request to read it.

(Thank you Dr. Stewart for the excellent scholarship presented in this book, especially the Granny Midwives and how it relates to maternal health. Raised cup salute!)

Cups Up Conclusions

Who am I? I am one of my ancestors’ wildest dreams and creating my own legacy every day.

I am exponentially more than the sum total of my experiences and the calculator behind the math of my imagination. This equates my potential as infinite and my worth without limits. Read: I am more than a set of boxes to check.

What is my purpose? Another soul question that leads me to the places, people, organizations and countries to contribute what only I can. There is no competition: we all have our life puzzles to piece together. Every single piece is necessary.

What am I grateful for? That’s another 500 posts! Gratitude is a cup of tea: every sip is a warm reminder of just how beautiful this life journey is. The journey continues and so do I.

Cups up with overflowing gratitude! #DrinkTea #PuzzlesMakeProgress

Harriett’s Bookshop – Tea and Literacy

We declared Harriett’s to be a place for peace, love and respect for everyone. And that’s what it’s been. — Jeannine A. Cook, author of Shut Up and Read: A Memoir From Harriett’s Bookshop

I read books. I buy books. I acknowledge the gift that books are and am forever grateful for the day that I learned to read, to write and to comprehend well.

Ida’s Bookshop (Collingswood, NJ) circa August 6, 2023 / Photo: Verna L. Hamilton

(Good morning, Good Tea People all around the world! Thank you for taking time to stop by. Welcome to our newest readers and subscribers. If you are new here, then please know it’s time to prepare your tea and/or tisane and pause for a moment. You will be glad that you did. I’ll check in from time to time.)

It was game over the day my mother took me as a little girl to receive my very own library card from the Parkway Central Free Library of Philadelphia. I remember feeling so grown up: similar to the day I received my own passbook savings account with my name typed on it. This was an important event, even though people tend to take having a library card for granted.

(Shout out to all the ancestors who fought, bled and died to ensure their descendants had the ability to learn, to read, to write and to be educated. A mind is still a terrible thing to waste.)

Author Nikole Hannah-Jones’ Quote at Harriett’s Bookshop circa August 13, 2022 / Photo: Verna L. Hamilton

In my eyes, librarians were the coolest people on the planet because they worked around BOOKS, they knew where to find everything, they were willing to help you find what you needed, and they had no problems telling people to be quiet.

For this introverted soul, quiet places and cool people are nurturing. Every place that I have ever lived, I find places where I can read and be in peace.

Harriett’s Bookshop (Philadelphia) – August 13, 2022 / Photo: Verna L. Hamilton

Harriett’s Bookshop (258 E Girard Ave, Philadelphia)

Jeannine A. Cook, author of “Shut Up and Read: A Memoir of Harriett’s Bookshop”, tells the origin story of Harriett’s Bookshop as only the founder and shopkeeper can.

Verna L. Hamilton Has “Shut Up and Read” by Jeannine A. Cook in Her Book Collection

As a bibliophile and a customer, my relationship to Harriett’s is simple: I support those places where I am celebrated and not merely tolerated.

Harriett’s is a place for those who talk their walk because they know what they are talking about. There are plenty of books to help us get where we are trying to go. Ignorance is a choice and not an option, especially with bookshops lighting the way.

Underground at Harriett’s Bookshop (Philadelphia) – June 2023 / Photo: Verna L. Hamilton

(Good Tea People, when you buy this book please read about Harriett’s Overground Underground Railroad. It’s an inspiring vision for global literacy and one worth supporting. Bonus: there are tea mentions sprinkled throughout!)

Good Tea People are Welcome at Harriett’s Bookshop (Philadelphia) / Photo: Verna L. Hamilton
food events at Harriett's Bookshop
Hospitality at Harriett’s Bookshop (Philadelphia) – March 29, 2025 / Photo: Verna L. Hamilton

Visiting Harriett’s Bookshop and its sister stores is stepping into a creatively curated space designed for pausing, thinking, dreaming and, most importantly, doing. It makes sense because these spaces welcome community collaborations wherever like-minded humans find themselves. Every visit is an experience all its own.

In fact, I saw the video clip of my line dancing community members during a Harriett’s event. Let’s

Read the Room

Ida’s Bookshop (Collingswood, NJ) – August 6, 2023 / Photo: Verna L. Hamilton

Here are some photos from Ida’s Bookshop, named for the journalist and activist Ida Barnes Wells-Burnett. Once located in a Collingswood, NJ storefront, Ida’s is now inside the Camden FireWorks in Camden, NJ and hosts events.

(Yes, Good Tea People, there’s more backstory about Ida’s Bookshop in “Shut Up and Read”. Go ahead, make another pot of tea, if necessary. You know that good oolong that can be steeped multiple infusions. We don’t waste tea leaves over here.)

Ida’s Bookshop (Collingswood, NJ) – August 6, 2023 / Photo: Verna L. Hamilton
Ida’s Bookshop (Collingswood, NJ) – August 6, 2023 / Photo: Verna L. Hamilton

Travel with Books

Harriett’s Bookshop on 934 Market Street (Philadelphia) / Photo: Verna L. Hamilton

As of this writing, I have yet to visit Josephine’s Bookshop in Paris. I am determined to remedy whenever the opportunity presents itself. In the meantime, there are locations to explore, literary events to attend, and books to read.

Thank you to the authors whose books have traveled with me via plane, train and automobile. Thank you for crafting words that educate and entertain at the same time. Thank you for giving voice and a microphone to characters who may have stayed hidden if not for your work.

“Wicked Flesh: Black Women, Intimacy, and Freedom in the Atlantic World” by Jessica Marie Johnson

(What’s that, Good Tea People? That isn’t a cup of tea, you say? Let’s stay focused on what is here rather than what is not, shall we? This post is almost done.)

Cups Up Conclusions

I am still reading books. I am still buying books. I am so grateful for Harriett’s Bookshop and other local booksellers who continue to make it their business to encourage literacy and to strengthen their communities. May each space continue to be a “place of peace, love and respect for all people”.

Cups up! #DrinkTea #ReadBooks #WellReadJawn

Samba in Salvador – Tea and Dreams

Dare I believe my eyes? Yet my eyes were telling me that one of my long held dreams was within reach: my feet dancing samba in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.

Talk about walking (and dancing!) out our dreams. Where is my passport?

Dreams do come true.

Verna L. Hamilton living her dream in Pelourinho, Salvador, Bahia / Photographer: Krishna Putnam

(Good morning, Good Tea People! Welcome to the all the good tea people around the world who make time to read this unapologetic tea aficionado’s words. Thank you. Go ahead, prepare your favorite tea or tisane — no, thanks, no sweetener necessary for me. I prefer my tea Straight From the Leaf. )

Remember Your Dreams

When I started learning Brazilian Portuguese, I did so out of a profound, yet inexplicable, love and respect for Afro-Brazilian culture. I desired to visit the land and to dance on the cobblestones that gave the world samba.

Yes, I am from Philadelphia and so cobblestones themselves are not impressive. It is the history of the people who walked and lived among the stones that impress me. Like Philadelphia, Salvador was Brazil’s original capital and I wanted to immerse myself in Bahia’s history to understand the dance that moves my mind, body and spirit.

Then I saw this.

Follow Your Dreams

The Dandha da Hora, my teacher’s teacher, is one of the most brilliant artists I have the pleasure to meet and to study Afro-Brazilian dance. Whenever Dandha comes to the East Coast, I make it my goal to get into her class. Dandha’s dance classes are not just cardio, they are therapy, history and choreography. Please do yourself a favor and go whenever Dandha comes to your city.

Now she was making a 10-day trip home to Bahia and invited others to join her. The logical and creative sides of my brain started exchanging synapses to determine how — not if — my dream of putting samba feet on Brazilian soil could be achieved.

Then I kicked my Duolingo practice into high gear. I was going to Bahia!!!

(Good Tea People, there is nothing like experiencing a country through the eyes of someone who grew up there. It cuts through the tourist traps and, if you are willing, opens you to respectful appreciation of the people who live there.)

Verna L. Hamilton (L) and Dandha da Hora (R) in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

Dandha da Hora’s attention to every detail combined with her deep local connections made my first trip to Brazil exceptional. There were too many precious moments, sacred exchanges, and phenomenal people encountered during this time to share them all here in one post. I will share one photo here where someone caught me pausing, being present and feeling overwhelmingly thankful for this dream becoming real. What a life!

Dona Verna pausing in gratitude — Obrigada

Cups Up Conclusion

Whenever I think of Salvador, I pray the same prayer that I do for Philadelphia: that the rich cultural history of the people will not be destroyed by popular tourism. I’m also convinced that before this occurs the cobblestones themselves would cry out.

Salvador reminds me that just like this one dream became reality, there are others waiting for me to decide to bring them forward.

What dream is living inside you? Start living it out.

Cups up to dreams no longer deferred! #DrinkTea #LiveYourDreams


Dancing and Duolingo / Dançar e Duolingo

To speak a language is to take on a world, a culture. — Frantz Fanon

Two thousand one hundred and nine days ago, or around Wednesday, August 26, 2020, I decided to lock into a consistent daily language practice. Yet the conversation that literally changed my entire life happened nearly ten years ago.

Verna L. Hamilton’s Duolingo Overview / Photo: Author

(Good morning, Good Tea People! Thank you for stopping by again and welcome to all of the new Straight From the Leaf readers. I’ve already had my morning bowl of matcha, so I’ll prepare some sublime purple oolong while you get ready to settle in for our conversation. Wait, you’ve never tried purple oolong? That’s another conversation. Let’s focus on this one for now.)

Dance Is Language

Afro-Brazilian dance class with Joya Powell (far left)

Dance translates movement through our bodies that words sometimes fail to express. Dance is a language and its various forms — West African, Afro-Brazilian, House, Soul Line Dancing — are vocabulary we study to become more fluent in our expression. As a student, I look for teachers who can help me deepen and expand my knowledge.

(Shout out to all of the dance instructors I have had past, present and future! Your love and your dedication to the craft continues to leave a legacy in this student.)

Teachers transform lives. Like most life altering events, it started with a one simple action. One day after Afro-Brazilian dance class my teacher Joya Powell said I needed to learn more Brazilian Portuguese so we both could speak and have conversations outside of the classroom. She suggested Duolingo because it was free. Obrigada por tudo (Thank YOU for everything)!

I decided to create an account, learn Brazilian Portuguese, and, one day, visit Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. I still marvel at my having achieved all three goals in this lifetime!

(Good Tea People, my first trip to Salvador deserves its own post. Please allow me to pause a few moments and raise my cup towards Bahia, Dandha da Hora and her most beautiful people.)

Dance Begins with One Step

Screenshot

What do most of these languages have in common? These languages are spoken in tea-producing countries.

Words travel. Words are the containers we use to go places. In my experience, my words have literally opened doors across the world and continue to create the life of my dreams.

Dance Requires Practice for Improvement

Verna L. Hamilton’s Duolingo French Course Completion

There is a difference between learning a language and becoming fluent. Fluency comes from consistent practice. Like dance, there is a difference between learning the choreography and allowing our bodies to become one with movement. We practice to create the muscle memory so we can flow in and through the expression.

The more we practice, mistakes and all, the better we flow.

Verna L. Hamilton’s Duolingo Brazilian Portuguese Progress

Cups Up Conclusion

Verna L. Hamilton’s Invite to Duolingo

Start where you are — today.

Expect mistakes — they are a necessary part of the learning process.

Keep coming back — and celebrate the progress.

I am motivated to see just how many of the more than 30 tea-producing nations in Africa and Asia I will explore in-person. I plan to show up being able to respect the leaf, the people and the culture by using the language. I plan to celebrate by dancing.

If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart. — Nelson Mandela

If you decide to take the first step towards learning another language, please feel free to follow me on Duolingo (I do not receive any compensation).

Cups up! #DrinkTea #DanceIsLanguage