Queen Mother Blakely and the Ark of Return

By Dileepkumar Thankappan

Queen Mother Dr. Delois Blakely champions the aspirations of women, youth, education, economic-social development and community relations. In 1958, Blakely entered the Franciscan Handmaids of the Most Pure Heart of Mary convent for ten years, as a teen under the name Sister Noelita Marie. Queen Mother Dr. Delois Blakely graduated from the Franciscan Handmaids of Mary College in 1965 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Religious Studies. She has received numerous honors as a Community Fellow {1981-82} at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology {MIT}, an Education Policy Fellow {1982-83} of the International Education Leadership {IEL}, a Fulbright Scholar in Tanzania and Nigeria {1984-85}; Master of Education Degrees from Harvard University {1982}, Teachers College and Columbia University {1983} and a Doctorate of Education Degree from Teachers College {1990}. She has published scholarly and popular books; and articles on self-reliance, education, recreation and culture.

A great day with Queen Mother Dr. Delois Blakely is an American former nun and current religious leader, pan-Africanist, writer, activist and humanitarian. She is the successor of Queen Mother Audley Moore, and attended the unveiling ceremony of the United Nations’ permanent memorial “The Ark of Return” on March 25, 2015.

In 1995, Queen Mother Dr. Delois Blakely was appointed “The Community Mayor of Harlem” and sworn in by former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. Her duties as the Community Mayor of Harlem is supporting the needs of youth, family and the community-at-large. In 2009, Queen Mother Dr. Delois Blakely was appointed Goodwill Ambassador to Africa for her extensive travels and relationships with the African Union (and its respective countries within the African region) to the United Nations. She has been given the task to deal with women, children and human rights issues of the African Diaspora and serves to share these findings with the United Nations.

She has published books and articles on self-reliance, education, recreation and culture. She criticizes economic injustice against billions of lives worldwide, and campaigns for improvements to education, basic business training, science and technology, entrepreneurship, and compassion as potential solutions for economic, social and sustainable development. Her two books are “The Harlem Street Nun: Autobiography of Queen Mother Dr. Delois Blakely (Volume 1)” in 1987 (ISBN 978-1492289678) and “Pilgrimage to Goree Island (The Harlem Street Nun) (Volume 2)” in 2016 (ISBN 978-1502370167). In 1995, she was appointed “The Community Mayor of Harlem” and “Ambassador of Goodwill to Africa” since the late 70s.

Queen Mother Dr. Delois Blakely was mentored by notables, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, Former President of Tanzania and Dr. Angie Elizabeth Brooks, First Woman President of the General Assembly at the United Nations. She is a life-long student and practitioner of the visual arts, music, dance, modeling, law, business, and social work. Queen Mother Dr. Delois Blakely serves the World as a Humanitarian Trailblazer for Human Rights, Women, Children and Eliminating Poverty worldwide.