📸 Photography by Passion Ward
Hey Kenisha! Who are you? What do you do?
I am just an around the way Black girl from Liberty City turning my dreams into reality and utilizing my talents to contribute to the betterment of my community. I am a writer, advocate, and philanthropist. I am a Success Coach at Saints House, serving youth who have aged out of foster care. I am a junior board member and volunteer for Precious Dreams Foundation; our focus is the well-being and mental health of children experiencing foster care. I’m also a board member for the Angel B. Wilson Foundation; we provide financial support to individuals impacted by gun violence.
What neighborhood(s) are you reppin’?
Liberty City.
What brings you most alive about the 305?
As a 305 native who’s explored beyond our area code, I truly appreciate the music we vibe to and the access to the different cultural foods that live here.
What’s your favorite Miami memory?
During my childhood, along with my friends, I would visit Charles Hadley Park to get in the pool. While at the pool, I would jump off what we call “the platform” (a tall piece of concrete) into water so deep that it makes you come alive when doing it. I do not recommend it if you do not know how to swim.
If you could eat only one meal from a local restaurant for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I would have to say the delicious crab cake appetizer to complement my jerk pasta entree from Smith and Webster restaurant.
Outside of the obvious stop above, share your other top three destinations for where you’d go on your perfect Miami day.
It depends on my mood, so a day at the beach, a nightclub, or a visit to the art exhibit at the D.A. Dorsey House hosted by Youth Concept Gallery is a perfect Miami day for me.
If you could give any one piece of advice to locals, what would it be?
Go outside and touch grass! I always felt I had to travel out of state to explore and experience fun activities, but that is not true. There are so many hidden gems here in Miami. The social account @peakacity helps me to discover things to do in my own backyard.
How does Miami help you do what you do or influence your work?
The most profound support I recently received was from local business owner Ramona Hall of Phillips Concessions. As an indie author and philanthropist, the journey gets stagnant at times. With her support, I was able to utilize her Starbucks storefront to hold a very successful book signing and fundraiser for Angel B. Wilson Foundation. It was my first event since COVID.
If there was one thing you could change, address, etc. about Miami, what would it be?
If there was one thing I could change about Miami, it would have to be lowering the cost of rent.
What’s a project you’re working on and how can our readers help you with it?
I am preparing to launch a cooking segment on my YouTube channel. Readers can continue to purchase, review, and share my book, LABELED, subscribe to my channel, and follow my Instagram, @kenishaskith.
What are you looking forward to between now and the end of the year?
I am looking forward to being a featured author at the Miami Book Fair, launching my cooking show on YouTube, and volunteering with the Precious Dreams Foundation this holiday season.
That’s a wrap on this week’s Locals to Know, sponsored by Miami Book Fair. Know someone who ought to be featured or would like to be featured yourself? Reach out by sending an email to [email protected] with the subject line “TNT Locals to Know 2023.” If chosen, you might just see yourself or a friend in a future newsletter.