Daughters of the Diaspora

I love coming home for many reasons, but the main one is re-connecting with friends and family. This time the focus is the Heartland, and I've spent the past few days in Chicago with these two dazzling Daughters of the Diaspora.

I've known Veronica almost exactly 20 years now. We met at the Chicago Reporter, where I was the first Robert McCormick Tribune Foundation Fellow. I was instantly impressed with Veronica's "backstory." She had left a cushy job with a book publisher to go back to journalism grad school, after which her first job was at The Reporter, a monthly newsletter focusing on race and poverty issues.

Clearly, the sista had guts, and I think that cemented our friendship fairly quickly. By the way, this is also the woman I toured France with in May 2000, mostly on Relais and Chateaux's nickel. I swear, we both still remember those glorious Southeast France vistas, and the beautiful hotels, and the amazing meals we ate, as if they'd just happened yesterday. Of course, some of the chocolate mousse from that trip is still trapped in my left buttcheek, so that helps with the whole memory thing, too.

Anyway, the last time I saw Veronica's adorable daughter August, she was about 3, I guess, and it was in DC, right before I headed to Gulu. Now, August is all tall and thin--and at 8 years old, she's talking like a grown woman! I swear, you need a playbook to keep up with these kids today!

In this shot, Veronica and August are wearing some of the Afro goodies I brought them. I'll be mailing other packages today for various "Mommy and Daughter Combos" I know and love tomorrow. Can't be everywhere at once, and give them all the hugs and kisses they can stand while I'm on this Homeland Tour, but at least I'm on the same continent. And I hope they can all feel the love from Auntie Rachel!