20 Questions with zahra alabanza

8 min read zahra alabanza is a mother, organizer, creator and adventurer. A project starting, wandering, overlover and outdoor junkie. Currently, she utilizes outdoor adventure, biking, growing food, and curating space to bring people together. These community building tools are used to enhance self-determination, joy physical and mental wellness, economic vitality and environmental stewardship among Black Folks. You may know her from Red Bike and Green Atlanta.

“The bike, its ability to move me through space and time, to heal me, and to expose me, reminded me of the joy that was robbed from me. So, the bike is what contributes to my aliveness, my youthful and adventurous spirit.”

What city or town do you call home?

Whew, home is a place of belonging, this has always been hard for me as i’m a nomad of sorts.  Home is anywhere i choose to build a community and those places include Southern California, Chicago, and where i currently reside, Atlanta.

What is your favorite place to live in other than the one you currently live in?

Playa Del Carmen, México

What is your favorite public resource in your home or favorite city or town?

The parks are my favorite public resource in Atlanta.  Atlanta is a city in a forest. It is lush and has a diverse landscape of parks that serves many purposes that bring joy, respite and connection with nature. 

What is your favorite place you can easily access via public transit?

In Atlanta, i love that the train (though not a vast system) goes straight to the airport. Not only do I love airports in general, but it is always important to me to have an easy way to get to and from them. Public transit to airports is ideal for the way i like to move around. 

What was your childhood dream job?

i don't actually recall, but probably a basketball player or something else that included playing. 

Food Well Alliance contracted Blue in Green Consulting to put on the Soil Festival 2019 [photo by: Food Well Alliance]

Could you have imagined being in the profession you are today?

Not at all, but i am glad i was led to live a life that allows me to pick and choose what i want to do and figure out how to get paid for it. I have my own consulting company that specializes in Events, Experiences and Place Making Planning,  Production and Execution. Blue in Green Consulting Group centers:

1. Spaces and experiences that are culturally relevant, high vibrational and a mesh between what is expected and unexpected at the specific type of event being held

2. Black, Indigenous, and People of color  (women first)  venues, vendors, business, and providers that align with the organization/events mission

3. The practice of being hyper local by hiring, working with and consulting folks from the area where the event is being held

4. The practice of being easy on the earth by being digital as possible, minimizing waste, and demonstrating that other large events can center this practice as well

5. Utilizing local partners

If you had to tell a 7th grader, what does it take to do what you do?

i wouldn't tell a 7th grader what it takes to do what i do. i think the youth have a far more expansive imagination than adults do and i'd like them to hold that as long as possible. Adults often have become jaded, robots or have compromised themselves so much they are out of touch with possibility and their true desires. i'd actually want to listen to what a 7th grader would tell me about how to regain and sustain joy and laughter, how to be more like them.

What would you tell a 7th grader that you would have loved to know?

i imagine that they know more of what i want to know, i don't think i could offer a 7th grader much.  They are the wise ones, more connected to the untainted mind, so i'm trying to listen to them deeply. However, if i said anything at all i'd encourage them to learn from what we deem are mistakes, to lean into those mistakes and let them teach them. i'd also suggest to them to take more calculated risks, don't go with the norm or easy flow if that isn't what their heart calls them to. 

If you could have had a different career what would you have done, or what might you do next?

i wouldn’t have a career, i'd just do what i needed to do to make hella money so that i could own my time and have the space to do whatever i want to do. 

What is the impact you have made on your community that you are most proud of?

The biggest positive impact i have made has not actually been directly towards other people, but for myself.  i exist and that has had the biggest impact on myself, lol, and my community. The simple and pure existence of my being is an offering to community that has and continues to be beneficial to so many.

Existence of Black life is one of the most postive impacts the world has seen. As a collective body of people, we ignite possiblility, hope and love for humanity. We light the paths for better ways and im honored and forever grateful to come from a lineage of people that leave this mark on the world. 

However, to be more specific about my impact on community, i think inheriting two children and living my life as authentically as possible has given the folks that experience me more possibilities for their own lives and existences. i think we deserve to see more than what it fed to us, we need more blue prints and more opportunities to create the blueprints that suit us best. i’m a reflection of possibility like so many of us are. i also think my bike life has impacted people, this makes me happy.  Being introduced to biking and its power shifted my entire life. Well, the bike and my children.

Red Bike & Green ends a 286 mile bike tour from DC to Brooklyn at the Afro Punk Fest

The bike, its ability to move me through space and time, to heal me, and to expose me, reminded me of the joy that was robbed from me. So, the bike is what contributes to my aliveness, my youthful and adventurous spirit. This spirit is infectious and well, it has brought people from all over the world to engage with me and some of them have seen themselves wanting what i reflect and they too have been changed. Black folks finding joy via the bike, them exploring their city in new ways, building new community for themselves and enhancing their quality of life, reclaiming their time and all of outward has had a trickle affect, it’s infectious and has a huge impact on people.  The wheels just keep on turning.  

What is unique about your perspective?

My perspective is unique because it’s mine and i am one of a kind, just like every person alive. No matter how my perspective may be like others, due to who and how i am it will always be one of a kind. It’s seeped in my lived experiences, combined with world teachings, formal education, observation, compassion, the sun moon and stars, constant evolution and hella fuck ups. 

What has been your favorite speaking engagement?

i don’t think i’ve had a specific one worth mentioning or that sticks out in my head, but it probably was during my residency in Chicago where i was the Associate Director for the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health. i started as a youth organizer there and had the privilege to work with young people in a variety of capacities. Speaking with them about how amazing they are and how they can change the world and do anything they want. It will be hard but worth it. 

Who was the most inspiring or influential person you’ve ever met?

zahra and her children, Cassius and Marley

This is so cliche, but whole heartedly true. My children, Cassius and Marley are the most inspiring folks i have met in my life. We have a unique family story, one that inspires many, but inspires me most.  Their presence in my life has encouraged me to be more than i could imagine, more of who i truly am, and more alive than life allows us to believe we can be.

Have you ever attended a community meeting? 

1. If so, what was your experience? YES, tons and often. The experiences range from inspiring, productive, inclusive and democratic or people led. The other end of this spectrum leads to there being power struggles, information only being extractive, participants not feeling heard and no action or progress being made. 

2. If not, what has stood in your way? When i have stood away, it’s due to power struggles and the lack of time due to life.

3. What is the first word you think of when you hear… 

   1. Community? PEOPLE

   2. Equity? White Supremacy

   3. Design? Possibilities

What is your favorite... 

1. Element in a park or public space? The aspects that encourage diverse use of the space by a variety of people. Does the space consider different abilities, ages, cultures, ease, family status (single, with children, with elders etc). i appreciate a functioning well lit bathroom, water fountains, comfortable seating, interactive games, a native thoughtful landscape, open space, inviting vibes that encourage physical activity, art.

2. Street? i love pedestrian-only non-motorized streets with fun seating, games, art,  trees, colorfulness and welcoming business and people engaging with each other. Elements that encourage walking, rolling and biking. So, functioning wide sidewalks and bike lanes, lights are always a plus and a design that keeps everyone who could possibly use the street safe and considered. 

Pedestrian-only plaza, Broad Street Boardwalk, in Atlanta [photo by: Atlanta Downtown]

What makes you feel safe when walking along at night alone?

The culture of walking makes me feel comfy, so there being other folks walking and engaging in the streets is important. Business open, people communing with each other, complete sidewalks, clear visible traffic ways, etc.

What was the best thing you have taken away from the pandemic?

That we as a world can evolve into something more than what we know it to be, that change is hard and sometimes forced, but can bring about the improved ways we desire for ourselves and the world. 

What do you think is going to be the most powerful change from 2020 to 2021? 

Change itself is the most powerful thing that will come from any year let alone the years that taught us change is going to and will continue to happen no matter what. 

What brings you hope?

Shit, humans give me hope and fail my spirit every day and at the same time.