Makeda ”Dread” Cheatom: Protecting Culture for Future Generations

One of the qualities of our female elders that we find unique is the almost universal desire to pass down and protect culture. For Makeda “Dread” Cheatom, cultural media like music, dance and food have been tools she has used to ensure that her community in San Diego has a deepened understanding of history and cultures not taught in mainstream society . She has spent a lifetime researching, connecting and learning from a diversity of peoples from Africa to Japan — and giving people from all over the opportunity to experience these at the World Beat Cultural Center in Balboa Park. In this episode, we learn about her journey and the wisdom she has gained along the way.