Ayo Handy-Kendi, Founder

BIO of Ayo Handy Kendi

AYO HANDY KENDI has assisted in the growth and development of individuals and communities for over 30 years.

Since 1989, Ayo Handy Kendi has served as Founder/Director of the African American Holiday Association (AAHA) which perpetuates and preserves culture through traditional and non-traditional holidays, celebrations and rituals. She has been blessed to appear on radio, t.v and in print in the Washington Metropolitan area and globally as a recognized authority on cultural holidays and holiday stress management. In 1982, she founded the African American Holiday Expo which today provides a learning and earning, anti-violence/crime prevention experience for her Youth Entrepreneur Project (YEP). Furthermore, she is the founder of two commemorative wholydays, Black Love Day-Feb 13th, an alternative to Valentine's Day and Ancestor Honor Day, in addition to "The Ritual of Reconciliation", a new tradition for relationship healing. As a Griot (storyteller) she is renown as "Mama Ayo, the Kwanzaa Griot", and has presented cultural performances, lectures, and workshops before thousands. She also officiates community ceremonies such as Kwanzaa Candlelightings, Juneteenth, Black Love celebrations in addition to rituals such as Libations, African Weddings, Jumping the Broom and Rites of Passages .

Since the '70's, she has used her expertise as an organizer and entrepreneur to benefit numerous community organizations and individual business efforts, developing their public relations and special events through lectures, workshops and consultations. She has provided technical assistance to help coordinate over 30 marches, demonstrations and events, notably Black Expo USA, the 40th Anniversary March on Washington, the Million Family March, Atlanta Million Youth March, 3rd World Conference on Racism and served as Wash. Metro Regional Coordinator for the '97 Million Woman's March.

As a communicator, she has produced "A Show of Unity" on D.C. cable television; has authored, compiled and self-published two books, "The Black Love Book" and "Positive Energy - Motivational Messages from a Sister in the Struggle" and is currently working on a "The Breath Handbook for People of Color". She further founded and served for 9 years as Publisher/Editor for "Positive Energy Newsletter", a cultural, health conscious, community publication.

As CEO of PositivEnergyWorks™, her most recent venture, she offers a health service focusing on breathwork, alternative therapies, diversity trainings, life coaching and PositivEnergy Principles™, a charged-up, wholistic approach to wellness.

As a Certified Transformational Breath Facilitator (CTBF) since 1996, she has witnessed the impact of the "power of the breath" while coaching conscious breath techniques to hundreds of people helping them transform, heal their relationships and bring peace to the planet. She has appeared on radio, t.v. and in print as an authority on the breath. Her coaching to help others "relearn how to breathe for better life and health" has re-ignited Sister Ayo's, 1982 concept of PositivEnergy™ which serves now, as an approach integrating culture and alternative therapies such as breathwork, meditation, visualization, reiki and aroma therapy, with 13 basic principles of wellness. In this approach, she champions the belief that health and wellness prevention emphasize good nutrition and exercise concepts in addition to wholistic practices, spirituality, cultural identity, community empowerment, conflict resolution, violence reduction, stress management, and addiction/recovery maintenance as essential concepts for marginalized people in a racist society.

She is credentialed as a Breath Facilitator from the International Breath Institute, Certified in Reiki I, II, Qi Gong I and is a Diversity Trainer, certified by NCBI, FECES and NMCI. She also holds a BA in Community Organizing from Antioch, AA in Human Services, Washington Technical Institute and is spiritually degreed in overcoming the life challenges of sexual abuse, domestic violence, addiction and the violent death of her teenage son and suicide of her oldest brother. Contact her at 202-667-2577 or view www.breathepositive.com.

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