Norbaya Jameela Durr
Recognizing that she was highly adaptable and could connect with others despite cultural and spiritual differences, she connected with others by viewing all people for who they were and in that human is human. By being human we already share much.
"I think all of us people have our struggles. I think the most and perhaps only really, really significant one is of the nature of understanding and managing the self and your self with other selfs, and all that is other. We can appreciate our difference and still connect with one another".
"An Atom bomb of social ills went off a long time ago. In many ways, we are living in the fall-out."
Seeking to permeate social & cultural borders with the aim of deriving and establishing their connections, from her experiences, education, and intuition, Jameela engages her environments to either change, support, or enjoy them.
"An atom bomb of social ills went off a long time ago. In many ways, we are living in the fall-out. Sure, we have brought justice and we have made our lives better in secluded mannerisms, yet- there is still an incredible amount of work to be done in order to clear out the fall-out, bring justice to those that have and are being wronged, strengthen our need to be inclusive, and heal ourselves both as being individuals and being a collective group of people. I am not talking just about me and those in Chicago, I'm talking about this world of people."
C. Art Press (Chicago Art Press), is an extension of selected values, ideals, and beliefs. Values such as, respect, integrity, and creativity are universal truths, which as we know, they form differently according to the person and society, nonetheless, they are within the scope of acceptance of most.
""We must not only rely on others to bring and provide for us, our love, unity, a healthy community, understanding, creativity, and intelligence, we should also aim ourselves in becoming the doer of them. With C. Art Press, as imagined and manifested, here is your opportunity to be the doer."
Written by, Gretl Sunshine
April 1, 2017
Being That Authentic
Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, one of four siblings, daughter of African, Native American, European and Southwest Asian roots, Jameela is a bit of everything.
"I love that my lineage is incredibly diverse. I believe it matches my perspective on how I choose to live my life. Being in this life is so important to me that I must utterly and completely harness my will within it and help others do the same. I like a bit or a lot of many things."
"I like a bit or a lot of many things."
On the account of liking "a bit or a lot of many things", Jameela is an artist, an Herbalist, a Community Leader, a student studying Biology, English and Business Management, Islamic Studies & Arabic, a Veterinary Assistant, a mother, a Board of Director at IMAN (non-profit), a trainer at Amel Education LLC, a pet owner, a writer, a poet, a small business owner and a Muslim...to say the least.
Growing up in Chicago as a Black Muslim, a female, from a sometimes financially struggling family, a dedicated and optimistic mother bent of creating a better life for her children encouraged her them to seek out and always do better. By the movements of her mother in life, navigating diverse spaces was a part of her childhood and in doing so, had its challenges.
"You know, I grew up around many different people, whether it was people that were in the financial struggle or super rich, black people, white people, Arab people, Desi people, Asian people, people that know of Mother Gaia, or people that relish in music, books, or those that are completely cut-off from a healthy spirit.
What I believe being introduced and had lived around so much diversity did to me, was that I recognized that I was all of what I was experiencing, despite not actually being like anyone or anything else. It was like, I may not be rich, or poor, or directly from some other people, or something, but I am actually you or it. No one else could see it but me, though. Acceptance from others with such supposed distinct differences never came easy."
