February is Black History Month and we are so thrilled to be celebrating our African American team members, growers, organizations and community here at Hamama. Black History Month began as a way of remembering important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. Black History is a time of rejoicing, honoring and celebrating African-Americans. Please join us. Today we want to share a little about our Hamama Happiness team member Ray. Ray is a valued member of the Hamama fulfillment team! He is so good that he always gets assigned the toughest of the tough orders. He is from Louisiana but currently resides in California. Ray loves being with his family, sports, and cooking BBQ (Hamama's wasabi-mustard greens are his favorites to use on his meals)! What does Black History Month mean to Ray? "I am a Black creole from Thibodaux, a small city 25 miles outside of New Orleans, Louisiana. The Creoles of color are an ethnic group of Creole people that developed in the former French and Spanish colonies of Louisiana. Our unique culture consist of things such as gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish étouffée, zydeco music, Mardi Gras and languages (Cajun and Creole French) which reflect a diversity of cultures unified in one region. I’m proud of my heritage and celebrate it not only in February but 365 days a year. Black History Month is a time for highlighting the many accomplishments and contributions that African Americans have made to the scientific, educational and social justice fabric of our country." Who is a Black creator that Ray thinks everyone should know, read, watch, or listen to? "There are two quotes from Black History that I often refer to. The first is “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” – Frederick Douglass. This quote speaks to me because I have faced many obstacles throughout life that I have used as learning experiences instead of viewing them as failures. The second quote is “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.” – Booker T. Washington. I feel that we shouldn’t measure our success based on others, we should set our own goals and work towards them at our own pace." Learn more about our wonderful Ray here! Check back for more Hamama Team member & Organization spotlights this Black History Month.
