Happy Birthday and Happy Father's Day

Children and Grandchildren of
Marvin X












I thank my father for not disappearing, but forever remaining present in my life. I was exposed to healthy eating, good restaurants and my favorite Indian food from my father. I fell in love with the absorption of news, lectures and the pursuit of intellectual knowledge from my father. I gained my boldness that is sometimes offensive to the timid of heart from my father.

He didn’t provide financial support to his children, but I do not hold any grudges against him for what he did not do. I embrace all that he did do for my siblings and me. I cannot change the past, but I am thankful for what was invested into my life through him. I was able to experience his life which provided a strong foundation for me to embrace my rich cultural heritage.

I challenge people to learn how to embrace the essence of the beauty that we each have to offer. There will not be one person on this earth that you love everything that the individual has to offer. By loving my father, I have learned to embrace that which is beautiful about him, and that which I disagree with, is not a hindrance to our continued love. I see so much dissension in our world because individuals don’t share a person’s political, religious or other ideological perspective and as a result the entire person is vilified. Human beings are complex, especially the mature, the learned and those who are seeking to grow. Just as there are many pieces of me to love, there are just as many pieces of me to loathe. My father has helped me to understand how a person pushes his essence forward and exists as he is, and you can either chose to love or depart. I have chosen to love him for being bold enough to be who he is, as complicated as this can be. This is the essence of love. It is easy to love the loveable, but we begin to reflect the beauty of God’s light and love when we can love that which is unloveable in others.

My father has challenged me to be free to be me, to seek truth, to seek knowledge, and to do my “thang” following the bliss that God and I have outlined, not according to anyone else’s standard, and for that I love you.

Nefertitti Jackmon is a writer, nonprofit consultant/organizer and educator who resides in Houston, Texas. She is also the oldest of Marvin X's three daughters, along with Muhammida and Amira. He also has a son, Marvin K. Another son, Darrel/Abdul, made his transition in 2002 at 38 years old.