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Saniyyah Mayo has been cultivating a relationship with the written word since a haiku poetry assignment in fifth grade which exposed her to the power of writing as a means of healing and self-expression. Several major events in her teenage years threw her life into upheaval. First, the immense grief brought on by the untimely death of her beloved sixteen-year-old brother, and later, the birth of her first child at the age of sixteen. Such moments compelled Saniyyah to grow up quickly. In addition to the newfound responsibilities of caring for a baby, the teenage mother struggled with the insensitive critical judgment of society at large and the lack of emotional support from her family.

However, ever tenacious, Saniyyah tapped into her own will power and self- confidence and pushed on through these challenges undeterred, and determined to defy the negative expectations of others. Through it all, writing remained as a powerful ally and method of coping. These experiences have empowered her to continue to write and record poetry.