From Soul Pitt Quarterly: She came back a different person to help people and live well

This story is shared from Soul Pitt Quarterly magazine.

Kiva A. Fisher-Green grew up in Homewood as the native daughter who inherited the resilience and resourcefulness of the community, with a succession of Pittsburgh greats who sustained her through the perils of life. With the option to attend Westinghouse High School, just walking distance from her home, young Kiva took the longer road to travel to Perry Traditional Academy on the city’s North Side for what appeared to be a more advantageous school choice at the time.

She graduated in 1989, proud to represent her family as the first generation to attend college. She was very protected and surrounded in unconditional love and support from her grandmother and great aunt who raised her. Life would have been tumultuous if she had remained in the custody of her birth mother. At 3 years of age Kiva was stabbed amidst a fight between her mother and uncle. The incident placed her in foster care. Once she was placed in the permanent custody of her grandmother and great-aunt, they held on tight. Their love, while well intended, created challenges for Fisher-Green as it shielded her from people and experiences she would ultimately need to know how to navigate.

Fisher-Green attended Cheyney University as a freshman on a buddy system with
her high school bestie, LaShon Smiley-Moseley, with sights set on earning a
business degree and becoming a beautician. Campus culture shock was
overwhelming with so much independence, which had an adverse effect on her. She
persevered through freshman year with the outlet of one of her favorite
jobs — working at an Arby’s restaurant. Arby’s helped to pass the time through college and ease anxiety with a newfound enjoyment of interfacing with the public.

Likewise, it was the public exposure where she experienced racism for the first time being called the N-word. It was hurtful as she knew the derogatory roots of the word, but she didn’t let it cloud her overall enjoyment of meeting people at the restaurant and saving money.

“It probably was my first glimpse of how talking with people brought me great fulfillment. It was also great to save up my own money because my grandmother and great-aunt took care of all my needs,” Fisher-Green says.

Plans to be a beautician tanked as well as continuing school at Cheyney University. But it was indoctrinated from childhood that “Education is the great equalizer,” so she knew not continuing her studies was not an option. Fisher-Green kept it local and started taking classes at Community College of Allegheny County’s Allegheny Campus and then later at CCAC’s Homewood-Brushton Center. She completed her associate’s degree in social work with an additional concentration in drug and alcohol studies. It was at the Homewood center where Fisher-Green met Juel Smith, Ph.D., executive director and associate dean of sciences. Smith was the first Black scientist she had ever met and helped to inspire her to see beyond what was visible.

The trajectory of her life changed when she started working for Operation Better Block in 2009. John Wallace, Ph.D., was instrumental in leading her on the path of discovery for people with mental health challenges in the community.

“I thought I was going to be like a Barack Obama in community organizing and advocacy. But when I met with people face-to-face on the ‘One Thousand Conversations’ project, I saw people close-up, and my interests shifted from community organizing to organizing for mental health and social work specialties,” Fisher-Green says.

Growing her family

One afternoon Fisher-Green was watching KDKA-TV’s “Waiting Child” segment, then hosted by Lynn Sawyer, when she saw a story about five siblings who needed forever homes. The “Waiting Child” is a cooperative program with KDKA-TV and the Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network. Fisher-Green was moved to adopt the children.

“I knew I didn’t want biological children. I always wanted to adopt. When I saw those five siblings on on ‘Waiting Child,’ I said to myself, ‘Those are going to be my children!’ and I called the number,” she says.

At the Thanksgiving dinner table she captured everyone’s attention, announcing, “I have something to say” and served the greatest dish — that she had started the process to adopt the five children. Her grandmother asked, “Is this something you really want to do?” Fisher-Green confirmed, and the grandmother gave her blessing that would Dare Not be questioned or challenged. “OK. What do you need us to do?” said the grandmother, responding in full village support. Later, another family member confided that her grandmother lost five children in the 1950s and ’60s in the system. Fisher-Green felt this had to be a divine restoration to have these five children in their family.

She says her grandmother’s story was a full circle moment that “leaves her with goosebumps” to this day.

“I wondered why my grandmother was such a cheerleader. This was redemption for the five children she lost. I could only imagine how she felt. We have no distinction of titles or differences in love for biological or adopted children in my family. She was proud as a peacock over those babies.”

At the same time, Fisher started dating Turner L. Green III. They fell fast in love and started living together when he shared that he was also interested in adopting children. With full village support of her family and future husband, the soon-to-be Fisher-Green ambitiously pursued adoption of the five siblings.

It was an arduous process. The SWAN representative shared the process would be expedited if she and Turner were married. With that, the couple moved their marriage plans into high gear. She reconnected with her bestie, LaShon, who became her maid of honor, and all of the pieces came together for a celebration of nuptials on Aug. 12, 1998, which also happened to be Turner’s birthday. Soon after, the village family welcomed the five children, who were officially adopted on March 24, 1999.

Happy to have the forever family envisioned for her five children, Fisher-Green and her family thrust themselves into parenting siblings ranging from age 10 months to 9 years old. The family was unfortunately upset by the untimely passing of her grandmother on Sept. 5, 1999. Sadly, in 2002 Fisher-Green’s husband, Turner, also passed, further upending the family unit.

Overcoming assault

To help make ends meet Fisher-Green started working an overnight job at a residential program for people with intellectual disabilities. While working at the facility she was sexually assaulted. Fisher-Green recounted the terror of the sex offender who broke into the facility and tied her down with rope while wielding a weapon. Strength supported her to fight the assailant, and she made it to the Cranberry Township Police station. According to court documents, the convicted sex offender had a record that spanned five states, convicted of serious crimes including kidnapping, sexual assaults and rape. He was caught four days later and charged with multiple assaults.

Fisher-Green was immediately referred to Pittsburgh Action Against Rape. Before doing so, she met with her close friend, the late Bernadette Turner, who was the beloved executive director of Addison Behavioral Care Inc. and co-founder of the African American Leadership Association.

“Bernadette and I stayed close. At the time of the assault, she and I had plans to go Christmas shopping. Bernadette was always a voice of reason … a great buffer. She was the first person I called because she was a calming support. She was at every milestone in my life. I miss her terribly,” she says.

At PAAR she met Ann Hyman, who was a rape counselor. Ann was as striking to Fisher-Green as her sister — the late great Phyllis Hyman, American singer-songwriter and actress raised in Pittsburgh. Ann Hyman helped Fisher-Green stay emotionally strong.

“She saved people’s lives affected by rape,” Fisher-Green says. I was devastated emotionally but determined that he [the assailant] would not have that power over me. … He had one
moment in time! I had been stabbed at 3, fostered, widowed and raped but knew I wanted to live for my children,” she says.

A call was made for Fisher-Green to receive additional therapy and counseling from Sue Van Doren at the Keystone Treatment Center. She found solace through therapy with Van Doren, who helped to change the outlook of her life with therapy that reached the little girl inside that she exclaims “didn’t feel good enough.” Therapy untangled wires she didn’t know existed. She realized through therapy she had to process anger from not having her mother steady in her life.

Transitions and moves

Fisher-Green continued her higher education at Chatham University, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in social work in 2011. It was at the graduation at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall she noticed her great-aunt didn’t look well. She had lost a substantial amount of weight and had a terrible nosebleed. Her great-aunt, never wanting to be a burden, dismissed that “everything would be fine.” Turns out she was fighting COPD and lung cancer and succumbed in 2012.

Meanwhile, Fisher-Green’s children were introduced to their biological family, which created problems that separated the unit as it was.  With only the youngest child still in her primary custody, she and her child moved to Atlanta for a fresh start in July 2012.

Fisher-Green started the master of social work program at Clark Atlanta University. She graduated in 2014 while working as a mobile therapist for The Imara Center LLC with Sala Imara Hilaire, founder/therapist at Healing Consultants LLC. The Black-owned practice opened her eyes to entrepreneurship, which surpassed the goals instilled by her family — to work a good job and get a pension. She realized she could have her own business and live a good life from those she watched in Atlanta with thriving businesses, enjoying the finer things in life.

“There was an urging — a voice that spoke to me to ‘GO HOME.’ I always felt I would return to Pittsburgh, but there was an urgency that spoke into my spirit that I needed to move quickly. I was grateful for Atlanta. I needed the experience to change my life. I came back home a different person with the insight and confidence to help people and live well,” Fisher-Green says.

Upon returning to Pittsburgh, Fisher-Green immediately started working at the Alma Illery Medical Center as a director of social services. Three months after returning home she felt a lump on her breast, which turned out to be Stage 2 breast cancer. Now the urgency of the voice in her spirit to return home was clear — as Pittsburgh has some of the best hospitals and medical services in the country. The family in town were also a blessing to assist with her recovery. Fisher-Green made their burdens of recovery support lighter from faith and determination that surpassed their reach.

“My family didn’t have to do much or help long because I put my trust in God. I had the surgery on Monday and was back at work on Friday with draining tubes and all,” she says, adding, “I’m just made of a substance that I’d rather keep moving rather than focusing on my condition.” Today as a clinician she knows she should have rested longer.

Ecstatically, Fisher-Green rang the bell, declared cancer-free, leaving the cancer ward of West Penn Hospital in August 2017.

At Alma Illery Fisher-Green worked multiple therapist jobs including Vision Towards Peace Counseling Services with Erica Upshaw, Ph.D., who was a great business model and inspiration. She was in a great professional space of fulfillment but continued to feel the tugging inside to follow the inspiration she received in Atlanta to own her own practice. Alma Illery even offered her a promotion with a higher position and salary that was difficult to resist, but she stayed focused on her goal.

The pandemic hit, and she was in a very dark space. “I live by myself in Plum, and the isolation was mentally difficult for me,” she says. She was also saddened by
the statistics that COVID-19 was killing African Americans at higher rates than white Americans due to underlying conditions, structural conditions, misinformation and distrust of the vaccine. Compelled to make a difference in this disparity, Fisher-Green did what her family told her to never do — She quit one job without having another to ambitiously lay the foundation of her own practice.

But then came a ray of light: The pandemic prompted Fisher-Green to start Sanant Counseling & Wellness LLC in 2020. Sanant stands for healing with a mission to improve the quality of life of its clients by offering compassionate, person-centered and culturally responsive care to individuals across the lifespan. Services include: individual counseling, group counseling, breast cancer thrivers and consulting/training on trauma-informed care, culturally responsive interventions and practices, small business coaching, and more.

The future

For self-care to date, Fisher-Green embraces travel in her travel business, KSF Experiences. She and best friend, Kathy Fitzgerald, have traveled to Egypt, Greece and Australia and also appreciate local phenomena such as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater and other natural scenic wonders.

“Once a month I take a vacation. My family was not rich and worked hard for all they had. It’s their sacrifices which has helped me choose what I want to do,” she says. In her future aspirations she wants to grow members of the KSF Experiences so more people, especially people of color, can enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Fisher-Green’s Sanant business premise states that her work is dedicated to helping people develop healthy relationships and productive, satisfying lives. At the core, she sees herself as a social worker helping people, because she recognizes her journey was not taken alone. Family, friends, colleagues and the nurturing community of Homewood businesses and leaders have helped to shape the resilient professional she is today. Fisher-Green especially recognizes the Bible Center Church family, with Pastors John M. Wallace Jr., Ph.D., and Cynthia Wallace, Ed.D., who have been there for her on her best and worst days. In the spirit of community, she considers it a privilege to take a collaborative approach to help others reach their goals as she has been so fortunate to do.

Fisher-Green has shared her brand of steel to the steel town with contributions that include: Clean Pittsburgh Commission-City of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh City Council, The Pittsburgh Marathon, Homewood’s Children’s Village Inc., Homewood/Squirrel Hill Redd Up Coalition, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and more. She is an avid supporter of fundraising initiatives for local high school events and has been recognized by the New Pittsburgh Courier’s 50 Women of Excellence, Redd Up Community Champion by the City of Pittsburgh and Volunteer of the Year by Allegheny CleanWays.

While impressive and well deserved, Fisher-Green’s accolades are the last thing she
will volunteer to share with you. She’s a humble servant, far busier with her
counseling and wellness services and sharing inspiring messages of encouragement
from her journey throughout the city of Pittsburgh and travels abroad.

This Soul Pitt Quarterly story is one in a series on Western Pennsylvania doers from a partnership of about 30 regional newsrooms as part of an inaugural Newsapalooza event, Sept. 27-28. The collaborative series demonstrates the power of a story when networked through an entire community. Read more on the event and buy tickets at newsapalooza.org.

Others in the series include:

Meet the man behind the ‘Yinzburgh!’ comics (from the Northside Chronicle)  

Rondón, Velázquez foster community, diversity and economic development
for Latinos in Pittsburgh (from Pittsburgh Latino Magazine)

Community leader’s cancer fight gave him strength (from Latrobe Bulletin)

Laura Magone’s Wedding Cookie Table community: A labor of love (from the Mon Valley Independent)  

New Castle native sows seeds of knowledge, positivity (from the New Castle News) 

Faces of the Valley: Volunteering and firefighting is family affair for Lower Burrell woman (from TribLive.com)

A Joe of all trades helps his North Side neighbors (from YaJagoff!)

Pittsburgh environmental activist’s ‘sustainability salons’ foster community (from The Allegheny Front)

A Penn Hills candy factory is making life sweeter for folks on the autism spectrum (from Pittsburgh Magazine)

‘Give Back King’: Go-getter Jamal Woodson a leader on and off the court (from Pittsburgh Union Progress)