Taj Anwar
Encyclopedia
Taj Anwar is a model
, community organizer, philanthropist
, political motivator, promoter and a social commentator. She has worked with the FTP Movement, Mothers of Black/Brown Babies, and Crew Love. Anwar is known to speak of and challenge the issues of the inner-city community
such as racism
, critical pedagogy
, police brutality
, education
and environmental justice
, activism
against governmental hypocrisy
and corporate control. In addition, she is a part of the Think Conscious Collective and a member of the activist group Blk Agenda Family.
Anwar was born Tajik Assata Anwar Bahoul in Atlanta, Georgia
on July 16, 1978 of East Indian
, Cocoa Panyol
, Afro-Trinidadian and African-American parentage. She was raised in Atlanta, Georgia
's southside community of College Park. Her mother raised her as single mother, guiding Anwar's early choice to focus on bettering herself to better others. She dedicated her life to serving the community at a young age, known in elementary and middle school to give her lunch money or bagged lunches to children who did not have money to eat at school. She was an active leader as a child and an engaged participant in community and volunteer activities. While living in a community that had one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the southeastern United States, her sights were on civic responsibility.
. It was here that Anwar found her passion in activism
. She gave up traditional college dorm life to devote more time to her activist positions. She was active with the YMCA
's Saturday Breakfast Program for children, Knowledge Ciphers, a new book program for poor children and various homeless feeding programs.
M.O.B.B. is named after one of anwar’s favorite songs, “Steady Mobbin’” by Da Lench Mob
. In the hip-hop community, that phrase means to keep it moving, no matter the circumstance. The acronym became functional term she used while working in the community.
In 2004, Anwar put M.O.B.B. into practice. She began going to various public housing projects giving out food and hygiene care packages to families in need. She assembled these packages at home and hand delivered them in her truck. When talking with the people, she recognized that the same conditions that she worked hard to pull herself out of are still existent. Recalling her experience with dealing with governmental benefits, she could identify with their stories as well. She used her experience and learning to write People within the local hip- hop community became aware of the work she was doing and offered resources.
In 2006, M.O.B.B. became a movement in which anwar wrote and developed various programs to strengthen parenting amongst mothers. People could identify with her story and wanted to join M.O.B.B. in its efforts, thus propelling M.O.B.B. to national and international recognition. The organization continues to serve families through emrgency food and clothes assistance, workshops and working on behalf of incarcerated mothers and children. When interviewed by Afrikan Holistic Parenting, anwar gave the following advice for mothers who struggle:
Under the guidance of her mentor and friend, respected activist Kalonji Jama Changa
, anwar is and has been instrumental in activism programs nationwide- including the FTP Movement, founded by Changa and Blk Agenda Family, founded by Anpu. Using her popularity from being a model with Banana Republic she draws attention to issues in arenas where activism may not be popular and sparks new attention to relevant issues in the inner- city and minority communities.
With all of her accomplishments, anwar is also known for genorousity and humility. She has equally known to give money from her own pocket to a family in need as well as skip award ceremonies and shun accolades for her community work. A writer once wrote about anwar:
radio show on WVFS
FM 89.7 in Tallahassee, Florida.
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
, community organizer, philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, political motivator, promoter and a social commentator. She has worked with the FTP Movement, Mothers of Black/Brown Babies, and Crew Love. Anwar is known to speak of and challenge the issues of the inner-city community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
such as racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, critical pedagogy
Critical pedagogy
Critical pedagogy is a philosophy of education described by Henry Giroux as an "educational movement, guided by passion and principle, to help students develop consciousness of freedom, recognize authoritarian tendencies, and connect knowledge to power and the ability to take constructive...
, police brutality
Police brutality
Police brutality is the intentional use of excessive force, usually physical, but potentially also in the form of verbal attacks and psychological intimidation, by a police officer....
, education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
and environmental justice
Environmental justice
Environmental justice is "the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, sex, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies." In the words of Bunyan Bryant,...
, activism
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
against governmental hypocrisy
Hypocrisy
Hypocrisy is the state of pretending to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that one does not actually have. Hypocrisy involves the deception of others and is thus a kind of lie....
and corporate control. In addition, she is a part of the Think Conscious Collective and a member of the activist group Blk Agenda Family.
Anwar was born Tajik Assata Anwar Bahoul in Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
on July 16, 1978 of East Indian
Indo-Trinidadian
Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian are nationals of Trinidad and Tobago of Indian or other South Asian ancestry.Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonians has now become interchangeable with Indians or East Indians. These were people who were taken from India by the British either as workers or educated...
, Cocoa Panyol
Cocoa Panyol
The Cocoa Panyols are an ethnic group in Trinidad & Tobago. The name comes from the patois word for Spanish, espagnol, or even Spanish word Español and reflects the historical association between the group and the cultivation of cacao in Trinidad .This community in Trinidad originated in the late...
, Afro-Trinidadian and African-American parentage. She was raised in Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
's southside community of College Park. Her mother raised her as single mother, guiding Anwar's early choice to focus on bettering herself to better others. She dedicated her life to serving the community at a young age, known in elementary and middle school to give her lunch money or bagged lunches to children who did not have money to eat at school. She was an active leader as a child and an engaged participant in community and volunteer activities. While living in a community that had one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the southeastern United States, her sights were on civic responsibility.
Education
Anwar went on to further her education at Georgia State UniversityGeorgia State University
Georgia State University is a research university in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1913, it serves about 30,000 students and is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities...
. It was here that Anwar found her passion in activism
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
. She gave up traditional college dorm life to devote more time to her activist positions. She was active with the YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
's Saturday Breakfast Program for children, Knowledge Ciphers, a new book program for poor children and various homeless feeding programs.
Activism
Upon finishing graduate school and while still pregnant with her second child, Anwar went on to establish Mothers of Black/Brown Babies from her negative experience with the governmental assistance programs for families. In 2002, Anwar, while still a graduate student at Georgia State University, working full time and a mother of two went to apply for financial assistance from a governmental agency. When asked of she was in school, anwar proudly told her caseworker that she was in school and what she was studying. After a 2-hour waiting period and 2 ½ hour interview process, anwar was denied assistance and told that in order for her to qualify for assistance; she would need to quit school. Angered, Anwar left the office and vowed to make a change upon graduating from college. She defended her Master’s degree thesis on Mother’s of Black/Brown Babies, and non- profit she hoped to start shortly after graduating.M.O.B.B. is named after one of anwar’s favorite songs, “Steady Mobbin’” by Da Lench Mob
Da Lench Mob
Da Lench Mob was a West Coast hip hop group associated with Ice Cube. The group consisted of rappers J-Dee, Shorty, T-Bone and Maulkie.-History:The group made its debut on Ice Cube's first solo album, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted...
. In the hip-hop community, that phrase means to keep it moving, no matter the circumstance. The acronym became functional term she used while working in the community.
In 2004, Anwar put M.O.B.B. into practice. She began going to various public housing projects giving out food and hygiene care packages to families in need. She assembled these packages at home and hand delivered them in her truck. When talking with the people, she recognized that the same conditions that she worked hard to pull herself out of are still existent. Recalling her experience with dealing with governmental benefits, she could identify with their stories as well. She used her experience and learning to write People within the local hip- hop community became aware of the work she was doing and offered resources.
In 2006, M.O.B.B. became a movement in which anwar wrote and developed various programs to strengthen parenting amongst mothers. People could identify with her story and wanted to join M.O.B.B. in its efforts, thus propelling M.O.B.B. to national and international recognition. The organization continues to serve families through emrgency food and clothes assistance, workshops and working on behalf of incarcerated mothers and children. When interviewed by Afrikan Holistic Parenting, anwar gave the following advice for mothers who struggle:
"Be a pillar of strength for your youths. They're watching. Motherhood- Now that's gangsta." cite quote
Under the guidance of her mentor and friend, respected activist Kalonji Jama Changa
Kalonji Jama Changa
Kalonji Jama Changa , is an American community activist, lecturer, journalist and filmmaker, voted one of Departure Magazine’s and one of The Street Legends .-Activism:...
, anwar is and has been instrumental in activism programs nationwide- including the FTP Movement, founded by Changa and Blk Agenda Family, founded by Anpu. Using her popularity from being a model with Banana Republic she draws attention to issues in arenas where activism may not be popular and sparks new attention to relevant issues in the inner- city and minority communities.
With all of her accomplishments, anwar is also known for genorousity and humility. She has equally known to give money from her own pocket to a family in need as well as skip award ceremonies and shun accolades for her community work. A writer once wrote about anwar:
"Even before earning her doctorate in sociology, the 29-year-old was entrenched in community service. It's a way of life for anwar, whose list of activist affiliations hangs longer than her knee-length locks, [but] anwar lower-cases her real name to keep things in focus. "I'm not what's important. It's the work behind the name." cite quote
Personal life
Anwar has five children; Lennie, Khaliq, Naim, Lina and Dilla. She is in a committed relationship with Amond Jackson, producer/ host of the Underground Railroad, an underground hip hopUnderground hip hop
Underground hip hop is an umbrella term for hip hop music outside the general commercial canon. It is typically associated with independent artists, signed toindependent labels or no label at all....
radio show on WVFS
WVFS
WVFS , launched in 1987, is one of four radio stations that broadcast from the Florida State University in the Tallahassee area. WVFS is often referred to as V89, "The Voice", or "The Voice of Florida State". WVFS broadcasts at 89.7 FM. The station is staffed by student and community volunteers...
FM 89.7 in Tallahassee, Florida.
Sources
- Carmichael, Rodney. Creative Loafing. (2007). Hip Hop Paradox- taj anwar Retrieved 27 November 2007 from http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/taj_anwar/Content?oid=344166/.
- Denominator Graphics. (2007). About Taj Anwar. Retrieved 9 November 2007 from http://www.taj-anwar.com/Bio.htm.
- Divine, Born Baba. (2006). Born Divine's Call to Community Activists. Retrieved 10 February 2007 from http://www.myspace.com/blkagenda
- Levingston, Chelsey. (2006). BET's Jeff Johnson Calls to Student Leaders. Retrieved 10 February 2007 from http://www.theguardianonline.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticle&ustory_id=579fbb4a-7f6b-4113-b72f-5909bc337a05.
- Montgomery, Gregory. (2007). Taj Anwar- More Than Meets the Eye. Retrieved 10 February 2007 from http://www.canton.edu/public_relations/news/anwartaj.html.
- Mothers of Black/Brown Babies. (2007). Taj Anwar Retrieved 10 November 2007 from http://www.mobbb.org/.
- Raet, Iya. (2007). Taj Anwar Retrieved 10 January 2008 from http://www.afrikanparenting.com/.