Me and @variopicasso met around 2010. Two creatives who saw something in each other before the world caught up. Learning ourselves, leaning on each other’s art and intelligence through some of the darkest and most formative years either of us had seen.
Life did what life does. Distance happened. Not beef, just growth pulling people in different directions. We tapped back in recently. Both of us on different peaks now.
Him: husband, father of 2, 5 years deep as an assistant principal. But more than any title, Devario Hawkins, a.k.a. Casso, has been the person in the building making sure kids who look like us knew they were seen, smart, and more than their circumstances ever suggested. Growing up in Petersburg meant holding two worlds at once. What school said you should be and what your block already made you. One teacher tried to push him into special ed. Another welcomed him in, and he flew. That moment never left him. It still drives every decision he makes for kids who need somebody to make that same call. His grandfather dropped world wisdom between fishing casts. His father told him street credibility ain’t worth what people think. His mother made a deal, bring home good grades, get what you want. Now Watching books get banned, DEI gutted, programs defunded and still walking into Monday mornings composed enough to lead takes something most people don’t have. Then he said something that stopped me cold when we were together “The one thing I need to get me through is the one thing that could get me taken out of here. And that’s my passion.” That’s what it means to do this work as a Black man in America right now.
I asked what he’d do with the keys to the Department of Education. He said bring vocational programs back. Invest in early literacy for Black boys. Build schools that serve families on weekends. Teach emotional regulation before suspension is ever the answer. Make schools feel like the center of something again. The biggest buildings in the poorest zip codes are schools and churches. We should be using them like it. #phreshingredient #storytelling #education #brotherhood #petersburgva
… The flow so special, got a 38 feel..
Grateful for another rotation around the sun! Life is good, God is greater. Continuing to make that little boy in the last slide proud! Cheers to more peace, prosperity and blessings at 38! 🙏🏾 🎈🥂
Lots to be thankful for this year and always. Here’s a few highlights:
•Cruising with the family to Turks, San Juan, and St. Thomas, Virgin Islands 🇻🇮🇵🇷🇹🇨🛳️
•10 years of celebrating birthdays with my lady
•Kru and Suede having more motion at 4 and 1 than I ever had.
•Family, Health, Prosperity.
Feeling beyond grateful. Life is Amazing! 🙌🏾🙏🏾
🎃👻HAWKINS FAMILY HALLOWEEN 2025🎃👻
…it’s suede actively trying to leave the family for me😆
#halloween #nightmarebeforechristmascosplay #nightmarebeforechristmas #halloweenfamily
OUR SUEDE! we cannot believe how quickly this year has gone by - we love you we love you we love you - happy FIRST birthday to our sweet little princess 🥹✨👸🏽🎀🌸💕💖🪩🎂🎈
First time in NY as a family of 4. Quick story time:
Soon as we checked into the hotel, I hit the fire alarm with the cart prompting a false fire alarm but FDNY still came, embarrassing 🙈 , we were also double parked unloading and the fire truck almost blocked us in 😬. ( idk how but somehow that was Destiny’s fault. Stay tuned because there’s a theme here 🤨) Destiny found ALL of this hilarious by the way. After that first 30 mins of skress, things smoothed out, we walked by the water, had some dinner and relaxed.
Day 2, we got GOT. I KNOW not to purchase anything from the folks on the side of the road, but Battery Park was closed for construction, so we ended up getting a BS cruise to see the Statue of Liberty as opposed to the official cruise that disembarks. I’m gonna blame Des for this because while I was tryna figure things out, she kept mentioning how there’s construction, “babe that side walk is closed, babe we can’t go that way.” which paved the way for this almond skin scammer to nicely ask us were we trying to see the Statue, Kru screamed yes, so there I was, tapping my Apple Pay. I was HOT when I realized we wouldn’t get off at Ellis Island but I called them folks over at Wells Fargo and they sorted me out. Told them bout them scammers in the pink shirts. S/o to the good folks at WF. The cruise turned out to be cool and Kru loved it so whatever. 😅
Day 3 was the absolute best! No skress, no scams just good vibes. The first day we didn’t look like tourist. Kru and Suede took their first ride on the subway, hit The Top of The Rockefeller Center and took in some great views of the city. We ended the day at Central Park and even found the Polaroid Man! Let’s see what tomorrow has to offer 😅.
All in all we’re having a blast and making some beautiful memories. “NOTHING BEATS A JET 2 HOLIDAY”
-Hawkins Family, NY Summer ‘25 🗽
A few things..
Des went crazy with the 35mm film camera
I took some of these so I want my credit too
Amongst the madness make space to be still
Lastly, This Yuna record is timeless.
That’s it.. 🤝🏾
📸 @desssb
