Samimah’s artistic flow comes from her personal and deeply painful memories of childhood neglect, mental, physical and emotional abuse…memories of her wanting to feel loved and appreciated… memories of her turning to a life of gang banging for ten years after her parents divorced… memories of her own voice saying that she would help save as many young lives as she could because she once was a lost and hurt child that no one listened to or helped.
Samimah Houston embarked on her creative journey as an artist and educator at the age of eighteen through teaching Elementary Education and hip hop dance. She married and gave birth to three sons and one daughter. Samimah and her husband moved to Illinois to raise their family. After a bitter divorce Samimah and her four children returned to St. Louis Mo in 2011.
January 28, 2014, Samimah’s seventeen year old son Makay Nelson was shot and killed in the streets of North St. Louis. During this same time Samimah’s two oldest sons were incarcerated leaving her to endure losing three sons in the blink of an eye. Samimah began to express the pain she experienced from the murder of her son through painting, songwriting, and singing.
She currently works as the Director of Education and Programs at the Gateway Community foundation where she created Camp Classic Summer Youth Program for children between the ages of four and thirteen. She currently writes and directs educational and outreach programs for the community.
After the death of her son, years of suppressed emotions and pain kept hid and tucked deeply away began to flood to the surface. Feelings of rage, not being understood, hurt, sadness, despair, pain, and depression began to whisper and grow into darkness. Not wanting to go insane Samimah woke up one morning and began painting.