Whitney A. Ford is a twenty-eight year old African- American woman CEO of “Y’all Ain’t Gon’ Worry Me” (Y.A.W.M ) movement and apparel, Certified Mindset Coach of four years, Resume building and revision/documentation, Speaker, Ms.Wheelchair Alabama – America 2017 and published author of Sister, How Are You? Whitney also happens to live with Spina Bifida Myelomeningocele, clinical depression as well as generalized anxiety disorder amongst other things. Whitney is famous for one liners like, “ I have Spina Bifida, Spina Bifida does not have me.” and most recently “ I eat plants and water humans.”
Sister, How Are You? is Whitney’s first book publication where what her pen and heart met authorship on May 27, 2017. We all know a woman — A human who has had experiences or is presently experiencing depression. Sometmes, more often than not we do not know what to say to someone who is visibly not showing up as their best self and so we say nothing.
Whitney chose the title Sister, How Are You? for two reasons. One of is that we tend to take the question, “how are you?” for granted both as as the person asking and the one being asked. Secondly, it’s acronym is S.H.Y. and for me growing up I always heard things like ” Ah she’s just shy.” or “Girl you aint shy. When so and so was here you were doing this and that.” All the while, I was living with clinical depression and generalized anxiety disorder.
Sister, How Are You? was written with things like this in mind. It is a collection of poetry written at times in her life that whitney lacked language for the things that she was encoutering and before she truly believed much of anyone cared to hear.. how she was doing. At it’s first publication the book was released to help it’s author raise proceeds for the national pageant as she was at the the time still presently in her reign as Ms. Wheelchair Alabama- America 2017. She knew she wasn’t alone in her message, she gathered photos of real women whom she knew and loved and created the collage you see as the cover of the collection of heartfelt poetry.
At that time twenty-three years old , Whitney is now twenty- eight and feels she has reached a new space as a woman and writer and looks forward to building on S.H.Y.’s foundation in the very near future. However, until then intends to give as many as possible the opportunity to discover that foundation.
“I feel that I have grown a great deal since Sister, How are You? was first published both as a writer and a woman. I am looking forward to releasing a part two which will dive deeper into it’s overall message. “
Whitney A. Ford
