Friend of Acta Non Verba, we have Sad News to Share:

The Grandmother of ANV has Passed Away

Ms. Ashwana was a Force of Nature.

Some of you who have been in the ANV network for awhile, know that without Ms. Ashwana, Acta Non Verba: Youth Urban Farm Project most likely would never have been born. From the moment the idea of this organization struck me (While folding laundry and drinking wine 11+ years ago) until the day she passed away on Saturday, August 28th, she has done nothing but support, innovate, empower and educate every single soul that came into ANV's orbit.

My mother WAS a Force of Nature and she absolutely paved the way for the power and joy that her children bring to bear daily.

Mom was laid to rest in the Muslim tradition, where we learned from the presiding Imam that: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The best of what a person leaves behind are three: a righteous child who prays for them, ongoing charity the reward of which reaches them, and knowledge that is acted upon after them.”

My mother has all three.

From raising four strong, healthy, smart children (and a BRILLIANT grandchild), to helping found and establish Acta Non Verba, to educating multiple generations of youth in such basic but incredibly important subjects such as reading to imperative subjects such as Social Emotional Learning. Her legacy lives on in all of the children and adults she came in contact with.

Ms. Ashwana was fierce, ferocious and generous. She is missed every single day, but we know that she is keeping an eye on our lives, loves and the progress of the community that she loved.

As Walidah Imarisha, from Octavia's Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements said: “Our ancestors dreamed us up and then bent reality to create us.”

THAT is the legacy my mom has left for me. She embodied this quote and helped me see, practice and understand, that I -WE- can indeed bend reality to create the world we want to live in. That we have the power in each of us to DECIDE to be better than we were yesterday and that we MUST empower the next generations of youth activists and advocates for justice in all of its forms.

Thank you ALL so much for your love and support! Thank you especially to my Staff and Board of Directors who have stepped up even more during this painful time for my family.

In Love and Gratitude,

Kelly D. Carlisle
Founder/ Executive Director