Meet the 2024 Gullah Geechee Herbal Gathering Teachers

Yuma "Docta Yew" Bellomee is a Certified Holistic Health Consultant, herbalist, wellness advocate/educator, and musical artist, who has been featured in numerous radio programs, natural hair, health & beauty expos, magazine articles, herbal conferences, and community and school programs as a speaker and workshop facilitator on wholistic wellness & herbal medicine. He is also the founder of Yew-360 Wholistic Health & Wellness, LLC, and a member of the African Wholistic Health Association (AWHA), and the Collective Health Initiative (CHI) in Washington, DC.

Lucretia is a wise woman herbalist who encourages plant relationships with single herb preparations, deep listening, and simple ceremony. She is the owner and artisan of House of Lukaya and founder of the HWB WishFlower Gardens Project. Lucretia apprenticed with Susun Weed in 2003 and has served on the board of Herbalists Without Borders since 2015. She and her family have been building a solar and rain powered homestead in Virginia since 2019.

Marissa Brown is the co-founder of Brown People Foundation (BPF) based in Chicago, IL which focuses on Earth stewardship. She has been a homeschooling expert for over 10 years helping families take control of their children's’ education. As a grassroots organizer, she had the epiphany that in order to get to the root causes of our peoples problems we must start at the beginning; food and birthing. She now does this via her birthwork as a doula and fighting food apartheid as an urban microgreen farmer.

Brandon Ruiz (he/him) is a Community Herbalist and Urban Farmer based on Catawba Land (Charlotte, North Carolina). He runs Yucayeke Farms, a farming and herbalism project that works to provide equal and affordable access to herbal medicines, culturally relevant crops and preserve traditions in the diaspora. Brandon works to preserve his Puerto Rican roots by practicing and teaching about Traditional Caribbean Herbalism online and in person, and is an educator, chef, farmer and more. He has taught throughout the world in conferences, school programs, universities, at individually organized centers and in one-on-one programs.

Victoria Snowden, also simply known as 'Moyo', is a Deathkeeper, Birthworker, and Rootdoctor birthed on Muscogee Land. She provides spiritual consultations and teaches Hoodoo classes via her platform, Moyo Mysteries. Through Guided Cycles, she also teaches an abundance of monthly Deathwork community classes, provides professional trainings, inclusive of the Hoodoo-centered Guided Spiral Black Deathkeeper training, hosts support groups, and more. She also is the founder of The Black Deathkeeper Society, which is a group of Black Death Professionals of African descent working to preserve and explore Black Death culture while advocating for Black Death Justice.

Julian J. Desta is an Artist, 200hrYT Instructor /Reiki Level 3 practictioner, & Certified Soundhealing Facilitator residing in Richmond Va. Always having a passion for the creative arts he was introduced to the practice of Sound Healing and Therapy when given his first singing bowl as a birthday present from a friend. Julian began researching the depths of sound and it’s powerful healing techniques. Specializing in a variety of instruments from the didgeridoo, to flutes, singing bowls, and drums Julian has created a unique Sound Healing Experience called Elemental Sound Healing. Discovering relationship between sound healing and nature he calls on the 5 elements of Air, Earth,Water, Fire, and Ether to channel through each practice to bring balance to the human system or what he likes to refer to as homeostasis.

Kennae Miller (she/her) a Taurus, pitta-vata dosha, mom, friend, wife, sister, daughter, spiritual activist, caregiver/worker and community member. I am a decolonized and embodied healing guide, teacher and speaker, that centers the lived Black American experience. I offer Ayurveda, Herbalism, Reiki, Yoga and Yoga Therapy as tools on the path to healing and liberation.

Renee K. Smith (Ifagbaye Esubola Ayelaagbe Egbesina) is a certified flower essence practitioner and proud founder of Akika Flower Essences & Apothecary. Renee received her flower essence certification from Oceans & Rivers Acupuncture and Wellness and The Flower Essence Society (FES). Her goal is to assist others to find joy through the use of plant intelligence in as many forms possible beginning with flower essences. As an Iyanifa and Olorisa, initiated to Ifa and Egbe in Nigeria, Renee also uses the knowledge she gains from her spiritual practice to assist her clients in finding and maintaining balance in their lives. She continues to expand her repertoire of community tools for healing through consistent study of our plant allies, learning and practicing the art of alchemy as taught by Master Teacher Diana Pharr and becoming a Level II Reiki Practitioner certified by Taino Reiki Healing.

Empress Zella Taj Kan Aset Xi is a Medicine Woman. She is a trained ecologist, herbalist, energy worker, Interfaith Minister, and Spiritual Guide among many other things. Her ministry is that of divine connection and sacred relationship with all of creation. As a bridge between worlds, Tatiana works to reconnect us with the sound of own spirit and the spirit within everything around us. Connect at: neteruapothecary.com & ministryofneteru.com

I come from a long line of farmers from the Mississippi Delta. Currently, Charlotte, North Carolina is my home base. My background is in urban farming and teaching others how to garden organically and sustainably with the space they have. Majority of my gardening and herbal experience comes from hands-on workshops, immersives, and 1:1 training. Food is love, food is community, and food is medicine.

Khet Waas hutip is a Master herbalist, Master Reiki teacher and holistic health nutrition counselor. He is the Owner of Sacred Rootz herbal shop now based in Summerville SC, and has been assisting the community in healing holistically for over 12 years. Student of the great ancestor Baba Dr. Laila Afrika, Khet Waas has a passion for empowering the community with the ability to heal themselves and family by the methods passed down by the ancestors.

Taylor Rae is a community herbalist, clay worker and archivist who grounds their work in Black land traditions. After studying plant science in university, Taylor craved a way of relating to nature that was more rooted in her ancestry. Now, Taylor works to create avenues for the collective remembering and a return to the land for herself and her community, especially as a method of combating the systemic barriers that exist between Black folks and our relationships to nature.

Tamara Gale Campbell, is the owner of Great Mothers Garden Solutions in Prince George’s County Md, she operates a full herb & cut flower farm and nursery. She also prepares herbal products from teas and tea blends, oil herbal infusions, herbal extracts, butters and balms, etc..flowers, bouquets and herbs. She also conducts research, and provide education.