#HBD: KAH

Name: KAH a.k.a. "K3v!ñ"

Birthdate: 4/14/1986

Location: New Mexico, USA via Japan, Germany, Florida, Texas, & California (😮‍💨)

Why they feelin' The Sting today:

K3v!ñ's my first cousin through my Grandma Sally; her youngest boy child my Uncle K3ññy's son; & our baby Lil Em's dad (whew... 😓). 

Kev grew up hearing how he's basically the spitting image, lil YT-presenting version of my Uncle K3ññy, who himself was a rambunctious little Black boy growing up in the Nation's Capital. 

As YT as he looks to some, Kev also grew up viciously defending his Blackness to any & everybody. Literally his entire life various people of all races & ethnicities have told Kevin--with they entire chests, y'all--exactly who K3v!ñ is & is not. 

Some people feel so strongly about K3v!ñ's existence as a proudly self-identifying Black American male that... well, let me preface this by saying that K3v!ñ's more of a soldier than a s3ri@! ki!!3r in my opinion. 

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...But needless to say, he got them hands, ok? 👊🏾💥

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When Grandma Sally & I were scouting for legit RNs with BDE to father one of my seeds (I already told y'all she's *BEEN* with the 💩), somehow my cousin K3v!ñ's name appeared on the list. 

"It makes sense on paper," Sally told me. 

We've both known Kev his entire life; he's already familiar with our family's nonsense--in fact, he's a *direct* product of said nonsense; I know him as my goofy cornball brother-like cousin, but grown Kev do have a 'heroic' quality about him. 

I mean, the way he goes around literally beating people's 🍑 over questioning his Black identity, much less that of his family & other loved ones??

*AND* getting away with it as self-defense???

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That's bawse 💜

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Just as I was starting to fully wrap my head around my cousin 'Krazy Kev' being one of my BDs, Grandma Sally brought a forgotten memory of mine to the forefront. 

She reminded me of when Kev & I were kids & he smashed my LEGO treehouse I'd recently built. 

That side of the fam was visiting DC for the summer, with my YT aunt Sh3rri & Kev's Black-presenting full-blood sister J3ss!e in tow. 

Kev's always been a little Tasmanian Devil of a person, methodically moving from one scene of destruction to another; this was especially so in our youth. 

Aunt Sh3rri excused Kev's behavior by saying "Boys will be boys," but I was truly devastated that something I'd worked so hard on & displayed with pride now lay in shambles at my feet. 

I didn't cry or even verbalize to anyone nearby at the time just how hurt I was, but Grandma Sally saw from across the room what had just transpired. 

She's the one who tried to hold Aunt Sh3rri accountable for her son's serious misstep. 

Aunt Sh3rri basically blew it off & minimized the behavior, & it was like talking to a brick wall trying to get her to see her responsibility in the matter. 

My grandma & I locked eyes during this conversation & I knew in that moment what somebody like Kev & his sis J3ss!e were up against growing up as two little mixed-race American kids--one YT-presenting, one Black-presenting--with a YT mom 😱 

Like, my Uncle K3ññy's a proud self-identified Black man, & only really got with a YT chick as an attempt to "diversify the bloodline," so to speak. 

...But even 50% of his RN DNA ain't gon' save a genetic catastrophe 🧬 #That'sReal

Anyways, being reminded of that LEGO-smashing incident from our childhood gave me pause, even though I find 'adult' Kev to be a real, down a$$ person in present day. 

These aren't words that I use lightly to describe someone, but Kev's literally the best dad on the planet for someone like our baby Lil Em coming up in the world. 

Kev's already lived Lil Em's YT-presenting Black life, & is *more than* well-equipped to help Em navigate this wild, crazy, racist AF world of ours.

As we told Lil Em on his first Hoo' Ride through Soufeast DC:

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Racists/anybody who vociferously denies your existence as a little YT-presenting Black/Latino/Asian American boy (a.k.a. "BIPOC," because who got time to say or type all dat? #RealQuestion) is basically a 💩 stain on the crunchy, day-old p@ñt!es of Amerikkka, n!99@. 

We Black & *PROUD* over here ✊🏾

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That's why, as YT as he looks, I think Lil Em'll be alright 😇

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Big Kev, #HBDwh0re (lovingly) 🥳

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