10-24-2021 Women to Watch - Flipbook - Page 48
Diquayla Dukes
25, women’s wellness lead at the Black Men’s Xchange and
beekeeper
Faced with the challenges of growing up with a
young single mother, women’s wellness advocate Diquayla Dukes is surprised that she made it. “In my teen
years I just expected to be another statistic.” said Dukes.
The North Carolina native moved to Baltimore in
2018 after graduating with a degree in public health
from East Carolina University, where she was introduced
to the benefits of holistic health, yoga and meditation.
After two AmeriCorps terms, Dukes encountered the
Black Men’s Xchange (BMX), an organization dedicated
to social-justice and challenges faced by Black men. At
the time, BMX was in search of a women’s wellness expert and Dukes joined the team to lead programs about
spiritual and physical health.
Dukes’ programs target the adversities that Black
women face through teaching self care.
“Growing up as a Black woman and a dark-skinned
Black woman, I didn’t have much self esteem,” said
Dukes. “When I learned about how white supremacy, colonialism and how all of that has impacted me, I realized
that being Black and being woman is beautiful. I want to
help others be aware of that as well.”
Dukes has found it difficult to get women to prioritize their healing but the changes she sees after they finally do motivates her. “It’s so beautiful because when
one person has that spark, they can inspire a spark in
someone else,” Dukes said.
In addition to expanding BMX programs, Dukes
hopes to open a nonprofit that teaches women’s wellness through beekeeping, another hat she wears while
working at Baltimore’s only Black woman-owned apiary,
The John Newman Bee Company.
To other young activists she says, “The road is hard
but if you have something that you’re for, it will propel
you forward.”
PHOTO BY LLOYD FOX
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