Rabiyya Smith is an aspiring writer and native New Yorker who currently resides in the Kensington section of Brooklyn, NY. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Spelman College in 2004; and her Master of Arts degree (also in English Literature) from the University of Toledo in 2008. Rabiyya has worked as an Arts and Entertainment Reporter for The Brooklyn Paper and free-lanced for several institutions. Recently she held a position as an Adjunct Lecturer at a GED program, administered by the City University of New York.

She is extremely passionate about education and issues that plague the African-American community; particularly those issues that affect black women. It was during her matriculation at Spelman College that she became cognizant of how “broken and oppressed” black women are because of their hair. This is also where her “going-natural” journey began. Seven years later, Rabiyya considers herself to be a 28 yr. old conscious, African-American woman who is no longer “disillusioned” by European standards of beauty. She has embraced, and loves her natural curls and kinks, and is thrilled to be a contributing writer for Going-Natural.com, so that she can help other women of African descent through the “going natural” process!