By Sheila Beasley, Ph.D, Soul Pitt Quarterly

Kiva A. Fisher-Green grew up in Homewood as the native daughter who inherited the resilience and resourcefulness of the community, with a succession of Pittsburgh greats who sustained her through the perils of life. With the option to attend Westinghouse High School, just walking distance from her home, young Kiva took the longer road to travel to Perry Traditional Academy on the city’s North Side for what appeared to be a more advantageous school choice at the time.

She graduated in 1989, proud to represent her family as the first generation to attend college. She was very protected and surrounded in unconditional love and support from her grandmother and great aunt who raised her. Life would have been tumultuous if she had remained in the custody of her birth mother. At 3 years of age Kiva was stabbed amidst a fight between her mother and uncle. The incident placed her in foster care. Once she was placed in the permanent custody of her grandmother and great-aunt, they held on tight. Their love, while well intended, created challenges for Fisher-Green as it shielded her from people and experiences she would ultimately need to know how to navigate.

Fisher-Green attended Cheyney University as a freshman on a buddy system with
her high school bestie, LaShon Smiley-Moseley, with sights set on earning a
business degree and becoming a beautician. Campus culture shock was
overwhelming with so much independence, which had an adverse effect on her. She
persevered through freshman year with the outlet of one of her favorite
jobs — working at an Arby’s restaurant. Arby’s helped to pass the time through college and ease anxiety with a newfound enjoyment of interfacing with the public.

Likewise, it was the public exposure where she experienced racism for the first time being called the N-word. It was hurtful as she knew the derogatory roots of the word, but she didn’t let it cloud her overall enjoyment of meeting people at the restaurant and saving money.

“It probably was my first glimpse of how talking with people brought me great fulfillment. It was also great to save up my own money because my grandmother and great-aunt took care of all my needs,” Fisher-Green says.

For more, visit https://www.unionprogress.com/2024/09/04/from-soul-pitt-quarterly-she-came-back-a-different-person-to-help-people-and-live-well/