In this episode, I had the great honor to sit with Ashley J. May of the Grassroots Morning Garden Project for an enlightening conversation about Ramadan, Eid al Fitr, Dhul Hijjah, and Eid al Adha.

The religious or spiritual traditions that we are brought up with are often the only ones that we celebrate or have any knowledge of, for our entire lives. However, there is such value in learning about the traditions, and the meanings behind the traditions, of the cultural groups that differ from our own. Ashley's work focuses on nature-immersive parent-child groups, community-engaged research, and collective care. In our conversation, Ashley talks about how she and her family prepare for Ramadan, as well as how they celebrate the festival of Eid when Ramadan is over. We also spend time discussing the inspiration behind Ashley’s book, Thirty Sunsets and a Moon, and what she hopes this volume brings to people. Ashley gives a number of other resources which will help those of us who are new to this topic, but she also highlights the fact that there are so many different voices within the Muslim faith and the best way to learn about other people is by engaging with them directly. We should all learn from Islamic practices and be open to bringing others into our fold.

Ashley J. May is a mother and ethnographer living on the unceded Tongva lands commonly known as Los Angeles, CA. She is the Founder and Project Director of The Grassroots Morning Garden Project that aims to liberate families and organize parents and their children around spaces of freedom through a co-constructed model for holistic, nature immersive parent and child groups, community-engaged research, public scholarship, and collective care.   

Her graduate training is in research and evaluation--specifically in early childhood and community care contexts.  She has over 20 years of experience in education and holds a Child Development Site Supervisor Permit from the California Department of Education.  She is a member of the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America, the American Anthropological Association, and the Society for the History of Children and Youth.

Ashley infuses the beauty of Waldorf philosophy, feminist pedagogy, and culturally sustaining, place-based informal educational practices into her work and home life while interrogating places of expansion and opportunities for transformation in order that we are in right relationship with the families and communities we serve.
You can discover more about Ashley and her work on Instagram   @mayashleyj

SHOW NOTES

Book Mentions:

The Islamic Year by Noorah Al-Gailanic & Chris Smith published by Hawthorn Press
Muhammad by Demi  (recommended for ages 7 to 10)
Painting Heaven: Polishing the Mirror of the Heart by Demi Hunt & Coleman Barks

Other resources:
Mamanushka.com

SoulFood FM: Episode 4.1 Ramadan on Apple Podcasts  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/soulfood-fm/id1001264567?i=1000386106717

Habits of Head  A Guide to Feminist Pedagogy https://myvanderbilt.edu/femped/habits-of-head/

The Grassroots Morning Garden Project

Thirty Sunsets and a Moon

Toni Morrison

Wild Little Seekers Cooperative

The Islamic Year

MAMANUSHKA

Mules and Me

Bessie Jones