About Me

All Op-Eds, opinions and written blogs or expressions I make here or published elsewhere under my name(s) (Yasmina Blackburn, Yasmina Reality) are solely mine and mine only. My opinions and writings do not reflect that of any business I work for or volunteer for or any organizations or groups I previously worked for or volunteered for. They represent my individual thoughts and feelings on the topics I care about. I am an individual artist, writer, activist.  Thank you. Yasmina Blackburn

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Fan Me on Huffington Post and get updates from my Huff Blogs: Yasmina Reality HuffPost Blogger

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Yasmina_Reality
Like me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YasminaReality

SoundCloud Podcasts: https://soundcloud.com/yasmina-reality

I’m also a proud Contributor at The Good Men Project. Thrilled to serve on this publication that honors men. http://goodmenproject.com/author/yasmina-blackburn/

I support #BDS.

Updated October 28, 2021

Hi- and welcome to yasminareality.com.

I am mom to 2 amazing children who are now grown and wife to the only man who knows how to put me in my place. (Lucky for him!) I was born and raised in Chicago and now live in suburbia where I enjoy such amenities as a guaranteed parking space and having first world debates about garbage collection and coyote sightings in my town Facebook groups. I am fully vaccinated- including my booster shot. My grandmother had TB. My mom had polio. I had Covid. All diseases that have been or can be eradicated by vaccines. All 3 of us lived through our illnesses, my mom bearing the worst brunt of her plague for her entire life, up until today. #GetVaccinated

I have spent 35 years in corporate America. Yes, that’s a long time. I’ve worked in human resources, technology implementation and pre-sales, freelancing (technical writing, marketing, blogging, recruiting) and now proposal management. I also spent a lot of years volunteering for my kids’ schools as well as for causes important to me. I spent a few amazing years as a key principal for the MyJihad.org campaign that garnered worldwide attention. I march for Palestine whenever things go so bad over there; it’s the least any human with a conscience can do. I march against fascism when it threatens to ban Muslims or take away our civil rights. I march for women though I don’t relate to the label, “feminist.” (I don’t knock anyone who relates to it though.) I write and podcast for progressive causes, particularly for the oppressed and for issues that are completely twisted in American media that my words resemble some sort of exotic, alien lingo. I love interfaith dialogue, but not in a kumbaya sense. I have learned that you can lose yourself when you get so enmeshed with beating a drum together. But I love it; and I love my Christian and Jewish brethren. It’s part and parcel to my faith.

I like helping others. I’m very approachable. And friendly. And sometimes loud. And I’m outspoken. If you get deep into my inner circle and heart- you’ve won me over and I’ll do anything for you. And not ask anything in return. I’m very forgiving. But I will always stand up for the underdog. And for what is right and true. I can’t help it. It’s how I’m wired since I was a little girl–as far back as I can remember. I value authenticity both in myself and others. I’m a very deep and abstract thinker which can sometimes annoy more concrete, here-and-now thinkers. But I’m okay with that. I’m not doing it on purpose and I “gotta be me.”

I’m a progressive with no political party affiliation to speak of- and I’m a Muslim American, born to a Bulgarian Muslim father and a Croatian Catholic mother. Both of my parents have amazing, emotional and tragic backgrounds and stories that I’m finally ready to share in my writings. My father escaped communism. My mother was born in a refugee camp in Linz, Austria. My upbringing was different than other kids I knew- but it also afforded me perspectives about life that to some- seem out of this world.

I hope to share some of my perspectives here at YasminaReality.com and at my blog on Huffington Post.  (Edit: My previous HuffPost blogs are available- but I no longer contribute actively.) And I hope to interact with you.  I don’t care what color you are, what religion you are, what nationality you are.  If you were the outcast at school- I was likely the kid friending you and making sure no one kicked your ass. 😉  My only requirement to engage in dialogue with anyone is that they come in good faith.  If you are here to bash me or Islam, don’t waste my time.

Thanks for stopping by.