Talibah Mateen-Hooper

An energetic and spiritual presence, Talibah Mateen-Hooper is a devoted member of the Midtown community. Her name, meaning “seeker of knowledge,” is especially fitting for this powerful and inquisitive woman. Ms. Talibah has an eye for the joyous intricacies of life and desires to share with the world around her. 

A part of The Great Migration, Ms. Talibah’s family journeyed north to Chicago, where she was born, and then to Milwaukee. She was one of eight siblings.  Among many rich memories of her childhood, she recounts an annual road trip to visit her grandmother in the South. With familial roots in the rural south, she feels nostalgic for the southern hospitality she once experienced. When her sons Rasheed and Ahmad were three and eight years old, respectively, she moved into her current home in Midtown. Since then, she has become a shining light in the community– caring deeply for the future of the neighborhood while also acknowledging the work of elders who paved the way. 

After purchasing the duplex from West Side Housing Cooperative, she has adapted and transcended her dwelling to serve as a space for creativity and free expression. She lives in this home with her husband, Mr. Tyrone Hooper.  Ms. Talibah’s home emits a tranquil energy abounded by the aroma of incense as well as carefully curated artwork and family photos. Prominent among the artwork that decorate her walls are her handcrafted collages. These meticulous compositions, ranging in color, imagery, and text. According to Ms. Talibah they are an expression of the ways in which “African Americans flow in America.” These collages are creative media that facilitates healing; these pieces exist as symbols of Ms. Talibah's perseverance through life’s unrelenting turbulence. 

Ms. Talibah dreams that her home, a space that has allowed her art, spirit, and passions to flourish, will support her family for generations to come. Now a mother, grandmother and great grandmother, Ms. Talibah’s driving force remains her family. Currently, she also sponsors four children in Tanzania. Two will be attending university while the other two are working on certification to get into college in 2025. Their goal is to attain as much education as possible and achieve economic freedom as a way to break the cycle of poverty within their families. Ms. Talibah envisions her home as a future generational safe space for her family long after she is gone. 

Having lived in her home since 1981, Ms. Talibah has not only observed how the community has changed, but more importantly she has taken part in its ongoing stewardship. She is a healer and she extends kindness and support to everyone she interacts with. She describes herself and her neighbor, Ms. Betty Glosson, as the caretakers of the neighborhood.  She serves as the Treasurer of the Midtown Neighborhood Alliance. In this role, she aims to foster a sense of unity as well as empower those around her. Most of all, Ms. Talibah desires a “community of caring people” with a greater sense of connection and collective work among neighbors and family. She is “always thinking about tomorrow” and wondering what her block will look like years down the line.

​Written by: Aiyana Rockwell
Interviewed by: Aiyana Rockwell & Lizzy Vermeulen

Photo By: Lizzy Vermeulen

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