Self-Care & Supporting One Another
for Black Disabled Women and Mothers
Finding Inspiration in Every Turn
Instinctive Living is a path to ending the unnecessary suffering of the legacy of negative disability culture in our families. Through our individual influence and actions, one conversation at a time, we can change the culture.
When we honor our internal wisdom; the messages from our mind and body, we can tap into a strength to get our needs met. The journey evolves into our own unshakeable truth which helps us as well as provides the wholeness to support one another.
Meet The Group
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Sabriya Charles (Dobbins), Founder of Project Passport, & Founder of Fruits of Freedom Counseling, holds a master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. As a Master Life Coach, she adopted a unique style of serving individuals. She designed dynamic boundaries, codependency, and self-trust group therapy experiences that assists individuals to learn tools for healthier living. Sabriya also developed impactful and cohesive group experiences that assist corporate employees in exploring and addressing their mental health needs. Her unique style of group experience allows individuals to undergo positive transformation and encourage belonging within a safe space.
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Tameka Citchen Spruce is a disability justice activist. She is a Detroit native, who graduated from Oakland University with a degree in journalism. Tameka loves telling stories that give a voice to people. Because of her journalism background and disability activism she learned the importance of telling a person’s story. Her short film, Justifiable Homicide, has been nominated and won an award and her My Girl Story documentary has been selected for film festivals. Another important role in her life is being a wife and a mother to two young children.
Safiyyah Muhammad is a mother of five, and advocate for disabled people and their families. Her journey began in 1993 while striving to understand her son’s diagnosis of Oppositional Defiance Disorder. Her journey shifted as three of her sons were eventually diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Safiyyah was appointed to the NJ Council on Developmental Disabilities by Governor Chris Christie in 2012, and in 2020 was appointed to chair the council’s committee addressing barriers to service delivery impacted by race, and culture. Safiyyah’s work for the rights of disabled people and their families has taken her to the White House and has afforded her a seat at the table with a host of elected officials.
Jackie Pilgrim is the founder of Autism's Love: The Pilgrimage. She is a single parent of an adult son with autism. Autism's Love endeavors to shift global perspectives on Autism and other developmental disabilities. In her role as Director of Autism's Love Jackie presented at the United Nations World Autism Awareness Day in 2017. Jackie has trained police officers and first responders on Intellectual Disabilities as part of the Crisis Intervention Team quarterly training. She serves on the Board of Directors for NAMI NC, The Board of Directors for Autism Support and Advocacy Center and a host of other organizations.
Cheryl Cumings is an advocate for the Blind. She emigrated from Guyana South America to the United States with her family. Cheryl has a BA from Princeton University and a MA from Tufts University. She served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic. Ms. Cumings completed a graduate program in Total Quality Management in nonprofits, gerontology, and was a fellow at the Shriver Center for Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities at the University of Massachusetts.
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Ms. Cumings was a policy analyst in Disability and Community Services at the University of Massachusetts. In 2005 she founded Our Space, Our Place, Inc. a Boston based nonprofit that provides after school and career exploration for middle and high school students who are blind or have low vision.
Barbara Johnson has worked in disability advocacy and support services for 30 years. While working as a contractor, for the state of New Jersey, Barbara volunteered for the Seeking Ways Out Together Team (SWOT). She assisted in facilitating various workshops designed to prepare adults residing in developmental centers for transition into the community.
Ms. Johnson is also a Behavioral Assistant for children ages 3-17. She designed various activities including self-esteem enrichment techniques to address each child’s need based on his/her personality, interests, and strengths to realize his/her true potential. Barbara has a master’s in public administration (MPA) and is certified as a Behavioral Assistant and Life Coach.