Annie Ruth is an award-winning artist, poet, illustrator, and author of numerous books, articles and inspirational commentaries. She uses her positive voice and spirit to inspire women throughout the United States. In 2002, she released an inspirational CD entitled Soul of a Sister and her song “My Sista, My Friend.” Her song is rapidly becoming an anthem for women’s groups across the country.
Annie Ruth is the founder and president of A. Ruth Creations, a fine arts company that distributes her work nationally and Eye of the Artists Foundation, a nonprofit arts mentoring organization. Annie Ruth created the My Sista, My Friend Leadership Development Circle in Cincinnati to empower young women and connect them to positive sisters throughout the community. Visit www.annieruth.com or www.mysistamyfriend.com for more information.
She resides in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband of 24 years, Gerald Napier. She and her husband have two children, Cameron and Gerian.
MWLM: Tell us about your children’s book, Dada Means Sister, which was released in October 2007.
AR: “The story is about a little girl named Nia which means purpose in Kiswahili and a great poodle named Jezebella who has not found her purpose. Nia meets Jezebella while she is ill in the hospital. When Nia is well again, she goes with Jezebella to Jezebella’s agility contest, does community service with her, and they learn about each other’s culture. By the end of the story, they become sister scouts. The book is intended for children ages 5-9 years old. The book can be used to teach leadership and also works well in early childhood education.”
MWLM: When did you realize that you had a “calling” for this type of work?
AR: “I knew that I was an artist from age 3, but I had plans early on to go to medical school. I wanted to graduate in the top 10 percent of my class, and I wanted to find a cure for my mother’s mental illness.
“However, things changed when I moved to Atlanta to live with an aunt during my sophomore summer of high school. The education system was much different in Atlanta. When I returned to Cincinnati, I took advantage of taking both college prep and vocational classes in Cincinnati Public Schools. And I realized for the first time that I could make a living from being an artist.
“There is healing property to connect people from different cultures and bring diverse people together. I feel that I have a special gift which is greater than myself, and I am proud to be the vessel of this information.”
MWLM: Describe “Dada Rafiki" and how has it has impacted the others? 
AR: “Dada means sister in Kiswahili and Rafiki means friend. In 2005, I did a solo exhibit at the Cincinnati Museum Center called Dada Rafiki which celebrated eight women and then their diverse contributions to their communities. I made a new piece of art to honor the woman’s impact on the community. We had a Sisterhood celebration in conjunction with the exhibit, and it was a complete surprise to the women who came to the exhibit to be honored. The group wanted to keep the energy going, so in 2006, we pulled together 20 artists and writers, and honored 22 women. The Eye of the Artists Foundation donated the 22-piece art collection to the Cincinnati Hamilton County Community Action Agency. In October 2007, we honored 27 women by creating a new piece of art or duplicating a piece of art made by the honoree.
“Nothing compares to the female artists who give of themselves. I am humbled by it. The faith and confidence which they instill in me is beyond compare.”
MWLM: Can other women duplicate what you are doing in their towns and cities?
AR: “I would like to work towards taking Dada Rafiki to other cities. I sincerely want to build bridges, but you need to help people build relationships with each other. We need to trust each other to embrace the freedom.”
MWLM: You work to honor women’s achievements throughout Cincinnati. What is your greatest achievement?
AR: “Many people tell me that it is an achievement that I bring diverse groups of people together and that I can bridge cultural and age divides. But my personal greatest achievement would be my children. They provide inspiration to me and they critique my work now. They keep me on track. I have kept a balance for giving to the community and giving to my family.”
MWLM: Describe the “My Sista, My Friend" Leadership Development Circle.
AR: “In October 2006, we invited 400 young women ages 13-20, along with the Dada Rafiki award recipients and their families, for a night of learning. In addition to the awards ceremony, there were several workshops that the young women were able to attend. But we realized that it was just a one day program, and that there was no way to measure how it impacted anyone. So we came up with the idea for the Development Circle.
“The Development Circle began this fall with 26 women ages 14-19 years old. The Circle meets with the leadership faculty and teaches the importance of networking and creating circles of connection in their lives. We will attend performances together and learn from each other about a variety of things.
“The Circle teaches the young women how to be proactive. If they want something in their lives and the expense is too large, then they need to create ways to make it happen in their lives.”
MWLM: What advice can you offer mom writers/artists?
AR: “As a mom, my family has always been first. When the kids were little, I painted late at night. My son would paint when I painted and it became my interactive time. I tried to find a way to pull my children in. These are our children and we have to make them our priority.”
Kathy Schlaeger, Cover Editor, lives in Liberty Township, OH with her husband and three daughters. She has been published in "The Cincinnati Enquirer", "CIN Weekly", and the "Pulse Journal."
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