WHO IS BASEEMAH?
Baseemah means “smiling one,” “cheerful,” and “happy” in Arabic. My dad said he chose this name because I smiled as a newborn.
Growing up, I used to hate my name - too many letters, too complicated to pronounce. Now I love it. It’s unique, has character, and it provides lots of people with the warm and fuzzy feelings that I love to invoke on my prey (kidding). Also, smiling is a form of charity, and there’s no easier way to give back to others.
I started this site because I’m so tired of trying to fit into a box to appease others. I’ve lived my entire life with labels.
Muslim. Black. Woman. Wife. Accountant. Professor. Singer. Writer. Nurturer. Friend. Mom. Sister. Cousin. Colleague. Daughter. Auntie. Boss.
The list goes on and on and ON! I love being all of those things, but I’ve often found that I’m only allowed to be one at a time – three if I’m lucky. Sure, I’ve likely put myself in a lot of these spaces, but I’m breaking out!
On this 37th year of life, I’m done with all of that. If I want to sporadically play music, bake some cupcakes, speak French, work in my garden, model, or crunch number – you’re about to hear, see, touch, taste, and smell it all. Just writing this makes me giddy with excitement!
This is me. I’ve been called a “Jane” of all trades (master of none) for years. However, on this beautiful day in January 2021, I’m embracing it.
You can keep your boxes, your rules, and your labels – here, I’m unapologetically JUST BASEEMAH!
“I didn’t really understand them until finally I realized that beauty was not a thing that I could acquire or consume, it was something that I just had to be.”
— Lupita Nyong’o
