"As a little kid, I went back and forth from my mother to my aunt to my grandmother, living with each one of them for stretches of time, but my grandmother is probably the one I spent the most time with. Her name was Akiba Shabazz, and she was an artist, librarian, and storyteller. She was always taking me to museums and art shows and the zoo. In her house there were books to read, a piano, a didgeridoo, two sets of encyclopedias, her storytelling props, and all kinds of trinkets and knickknacks to mess with. If I said I was bored, she made sure I got busy. She didn’t believe in letting me sit around the house playing video games or doing nothing. She made me try to grow a garden in the backyard and she'd send me outside to play with other kids whether I wanted to or not. She always made me talk to people I didn’t know and try new things. I remember the first time I went with her to one of her storytelling events. It wasn’t her just telling us stories at home anymore. She was really in her element onstage and interacting with the audience, and that made a big impression on me. She was a great cook too. I could scour the world and never find spaghetti, salmon croquettes, or biscuits like my grandmother used to make.
"My whole family has gotten me to where I am today. They’ve all guided me in some way or another. I got my sense of humor from my uncle and my toughness from my mom. My mom went through a lot, but she survived and she’s doing great. I have a lot of respect for her. But I’d have to say that my inquisitive spirit comes straight from my grandmother. She taught me that the world isn’t a terrible place and that you can find joy in just about anything if you really try. I’m always eager to try new things, and I know I got that from her. I enjoy swing-dancing and break-dancing, and I’m majoring in anthropology and Japanese at the University of Memphis. Someday I’d like to be knighted by the Queen. Sir Cairo Tatum. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?"
"My whole family has gotten me to where I am today. They’ve all guided me in some way or another. I got my sense of humor from my uncle and my toughness from my mom. My mom went through a lot, but she survived and she’s doing great. I have a lot of respect for her. But I’d have to say that my inquisitive spirit comes straight from my grandmother. She taught me that the world isn’t a terrible place and that you can find joy in just about anything if you really try. I’m always eager to try new things, and I know I got that from her. I enjoy swing-dancing and break-dancing, and I’m majoring in anthropology and Japanese at the University of Memphis. Someday I’d like to be knighted by the Queen. Sir Cairo Tatum. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?"
Cairo's favorite storybook as a child, one that his grandmother often read to him:
Below: Cairo's grandmother, Akiba Shabazz (photo credit: Memphis Daily News)
See Feb 6, 2009, article about Ms. Shabazz in the Memphis Daily News.
See Feb 6, 2009, article about Ms. Shabazz in the Memphis Daily News.
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