The Fools Journey

 The Fool’s Journey is about taking a leap of faith — stepping into the unknown with trust that the path will unfold. For me, that leap was starting Ashley B. Childhood Advocate.

At the time, I was a single mother of two, deeply invested in my children’s education. But as they grew, I began to notice the same inequities I had seen as a child. Because of redlining and zip codes, schools in different neighborhoods offered very different levels of opportunity. I remembered my own experience — from schools in Georgia to Bedford Heights to Shaker Heights. Out of them all, Shaker stood out because it was diverse and offered resources both in and out of the classroom. But many of the schools I attended — and later, the schools my children attended — hadn’t changed.

What I saw was a pattern:

• Schools that were boring and rigid, leaving creative children behind.
• Standardized tests valued over imagination.
• Behavior treated as a problem instead of an opportunity to understand and engage differently.
• Boys punished instead of guided.
• Girls struggling with bullying, identity, and community.

My son, a hands-on learner, was constantly in trouble for his “behavior,” when in reality he was simply trying to express his creativity in a system that wasn’t built for him. My daughter faced bullying, a lack of sisterhood, and disconnect among young girls.

This is why I first created B.L.A.C.K Q.U.E.E.N — Bringing Beautiful Brown Black Ladies Around Collectively, Knowing Knowledge Keeps Queens United, Empowered, Educated, Elevated, Noble, and Nurtured. From there, my vision grew into something larger.

I wanted to create a non-profit that gave children what the schools could not — creativity, opportunity, healing, and community. So, back in my family home in Ward 1, I started Ashley B. Childhood Advocate.

At its heart, my dream has always been to build an art school — a safe space where children living in survival mode can transform their imagination into something powerful and productive. A place where art, music, dance, and hands-on learning help them discover who they are and what they are capable of. Until that full vision unfolds, I’ve poured the mission into programs like cooking competitions, book fairs, entrepreneur showcases, carnivals in the hood, and community events that always highlight creativity and expression.

Why? Because our children deserve more. They deserve schools and programs that see their genius, not their “problems.” They deserve to learn in ways that spark imagination and self-expression, not just in ways that fit a test.

Ashley B. Childhood Advocate exists to:

• Guide youth in the hood to identify their superpowers.
• Advocate for the inner child.
• Provide healing through behavioral health and creative programs.
• Prepare the next generation now, not later.

Children are sponges. The earlier we expose them to their greatness, the deeper it sinks in, and the stronger they become.

The Fool’s Journey for me was about stepping out on faith, trusting my vision, and believing that our children — especially the creative ones — are the key to transforming our communities.