Jehan Hakim
Arab-American. Muslim. Mother. Bay Area. I am a Bay Area native that was born and raised in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco, California - a forgotten but lively niche of the city - and graduated from San Francisco State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science. I have been a community organizer and educator for decades. The depths of my experience spans from program management & coordination, culturally responsive training within school districts, to interfaith coalition building, community outreach, foreign affairs, and independent consulting. Find me at: jehanhakim.com
Pieces of Me
1980-1989
What are you? A question Ive been asked since I can remember..
Latina, Indian? You mixed with Black? You sound Black..
Growing up in the ‘Sco,
It was hard to know..what am I?
From a broken home, walking past broken needles on sidewalks permeating
human stench, past broken signal lights concealing the unhoused of the TL,
With hardly any Arabs or Muslims my age or at my schools
I was in a dilemma, do I assimilate, integrate, preserve what culture my family
tried to model?
Or do I borrow identities to fit into my surroundings, put on my camo,
To hijab like my Geda, or to un-hijab like the rest?
To introduce Jee-haan or make it easier for them and stick to "BaByDoLL”?
Pieces of me: 94102, Chola, hood, truant, suppressed…
2000-2010
What are you? A question I begin to unpack deeply..
Moved to the ‘Town, and life events forced my view on the dunya to change,
Growth, rise, His Noor entered my qalb, Takbir!
Internal transformations shifted by the Divine- Ya Mutqabil-Tuqabalnee
The dilemma was unraveling while I started wrapping my crown, my path became
clear,
And I began to embrace... جيهان
Despite the war on terror, despite the drone attacks, depsite the masjid spies,
despite all the LIES,
Muslima, Hijabi, Mother, Arab, Yemenia,
Still Bay Area, still hood, but mainly a believer in alRazaq
He is the Provider of truth, the Giver of guidance,
Pieces of me: I am a believer. I am a muminah.
The journey continues…