Welcome to Uprooted, a space for the ignored and disenfranchised to feel seen and reroot themselves. My name is Hanna (my family calls me  Rutha) and I created Uprooted because I don't always feel seen in the places I occupy. Growing up I was made aware of the labels and identities I was supposed to carry and abide by. The only problem was that these labels never quite fit, and I felt myself trying to break out of every box I was put in. As an ethnic Tigrayan living in the United States, the immigrant label was the one that shaped my life the most . I lived in two worlds all the time and it was completely jarring. When I ventured to create a space for others with my shared story, I never imagined that my ethnic group would experience ongoing genocidal campaigns from the state of Ethiopia.

 

Since then the vision has expanded to preserve the cultures of indigenous peoples of Africa, starting with my own group. I believe our stories deserve to be shared in every medium and those who have been uprooted can preserve a connection to their roots. Uprooted peels back the real layers of what it means to be removed from the 'home' you were supposed to be born to and find a way to replant yourselves. We're here to support one another as we "find our way back home".