mariama whyte

The best thing during covid is having time with my son to do things together like cooking and bike riding. This is a year that we have had more time together. He has also learned to lean on me for more academic support. I watched the transition happen as he began to lean more on me and trust me to be that extra teacher for him. I am privileged to have a strong village that surrounds me that is made up of my mother, father, sister, aunt and other family members and friends. I am happy my son has friends who have parents that are helpful and understanding and who step in to offer me a break from time to time.

I have lived in Shaker since second grade. I also lived in New York to pursue a career in broadway. I began to tour with the Lion King and The Color Purple, towards the end of the tour my son who was about eighteen months who had been on the road with me, moved back to Cleveland to be with my mom for about six months. I returned to New York to spend time as an understudy for three roles while my son's dad, who is South African, was also in Broadway theater.

Eventually I would return to Cleveland choosing to refocus my creativity from theater because of the time it took from parenting. I began to record music while I also worked at Boulevard school and at the Cleveland Playhouse all while parenting.

I signed my son up for many sports and activities such as ti quan do, baseball, music production and more. The bond is special between my son and I, we share an open and honest dialog, I am grateful to have an open and trusting relationship with my son.