words with real bishes : mekela

(c) popart rupaul by bellonart

words with real bishes came out of an idea i had about my girls. they're lovely grown women, well-educated, strong, vulnerable, honest, supportive, and often hilarious. i wanted to do an interview format where we talk about all manner of things: the unbearable blackness of being in america, beauty, the legend that is cookie monster, and our current situations. also for the laughs. if you'd like to participate in words with real bishes, email me here. 

my first amazing sister is mekela. she's a graduate of UC davis, a substitute teacher for oakland unified school district, a mother of two gigantically tall sons, and a social media bon vivant (it was from her i learned what a hashtag even was a few years ago).

hey girl!

hey girl!

mslisa: so, tell me how we met?

mekela:  we met (about 10 years ago) as teachers at learning for life in east oakland. our supervisor was a bish! i knew you had black in you, but i wasn't sure how you identified. then you said something and i knew you were black!

mslisa: (chuckling) where were you born?

mekela: i was born and raised in oakland. i grew up in west oakland and went to oakland tech. i wasn't an east oakland person. when i was 7 i moved to kansas city for about 8 months, then came back. my grandmother lived right across the street from the dmv in temescal.

mslisa: i know you're a huge warriors fan. things have gotten super hot for them. how do you feel about the NBA finals?

mekela: i think it's so amazing! i grew up watching basketball; dr. jay and jordan, all these cool players. i broke up with the warriors once when they traded chris webber.  monta ellis was curry in 2007-08. there was always some kind of strange trade going on with the warriors. in 2012-13 monta got traded and the owner got booed out of the stadium. the team as a whole is doing so well right now. i can't believe it!

mslisa: you and i have an on-going facebook feud where you tag me with anti-cat propaganda. why do you hate cats so much?

mekela:  why do you call it propaganda?! i don't trust them. you never know where they are. i think they're plotting to murder us all and suck our breath out in our sleep.

mslisa: i sometimes tag you back with goat videos. what do you love about goats?

mekela: well, i'm a capricorn and i identify with goats. a capricorn never goes down without a fight! we're also ambitious. one of my nicknames growing up was billy goat because i did a lot of testing of items with my mouth. i think goats are so playful and friendly and cute. one day i want to have a goat farm.

mslisa: you recently posted a meme of a sexy dude for a BET film called chocolate city? girl, it was hilarious! is this real? i think it's a joke.

mekela: lisa, what's real anyway? well, i thought it was so funny, but i didn't get it. straight to BET? it was supposed to be in theaters? but, yes the film is real.  did you see the trailer? ginuwine is in it and brian white. girl, there are loads of chocolate in the movie.

mslisa: (cracking up) who is an inspiration to you as a black woman?

mekela: well today it's serena! she's super bad! but tomorrow it could be someone else, even in my own life. you know brandi is my BFF. i think she's way cool. i will say this; i was really faithful and into traditional african dance back in the day. there was a time when i was dancing with all of these black women. it was the most positive energy all the time. i was able to build wonderful relationships with those women. it gave me a lot of confidence as a black person.

mslisa: thank you, girl! this was cool.

mekela: thank you!