Barbara Washington

Barbara was so full of life, and so joyous and so powerful and proud. She always had on a dress and a short haircut and just loved to laugh. She had two girls and five boys, and whenever I would talk to her, there would be a ton of knowledge. She would always tell me: ‘You grown now,’ or: ‘You an adult.’ And when I was a teenager, it would bother me to my core. But now I understand what it meant. You can advocate for yourself. You have a voice now. You are able to stand up for Maricca and express what it is Maricca wants to do. I appreciate that. 

And I think that my grandmother would tell me to keep going, to break down barriers and use this voice that I have to make a change. I think that she would tell me—for some reason, my spirit is telling me—to stand up for my dad. I will be the last Washington of those two, and that's a lot of pressure. To create a legacy. My family represents a lot of oppression, especially with my dad being incarcerated. And if there's anything I want anyone to remember about both of them, it is to live life and have faith. Not religion, but faith, spiritual faith, to know oneness in the community.