Conversations with Tamara Beasley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tamara Beasley

Hi Tamara, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born in Compton, CA. When I was two years old, my mother passed away and at that time my two older sisters were eight and nine years old and my younger brother was one day old; she passed away the day after she gave birth to my brother. My maternal grandmother took on the responsibility of raising us.

My mother had 4 children by three different men when she passed at the age of 25. She had a relationship with my two older sisters’ dad for a while and as for me and my brother, we will call it a “situation” she had with two different men and the two of us came along. My brother and I grew up not knowing who our fathers were, which is why we ended up being raised by our maternal grandmother. However, we were extremely close to our grandmother.

My grandmother passed away on October 6, 2023 (the morning of my birthday). I was devastated. I spent a few months in a really dark space while doing my best to navigate through the pain.
After a few months of just existing through the pain, I decided I wanted to honor my grandmother for all that she had done for me and my siblings and I also wanted to come up with a way that I could dedicate a day to her so that I would not be depressed every time my birthday came around, this is when Daughters of Heavenly Mothers (DOHM) was born. I started a nonprofit organization that would allow me to bring together and support women and girls who have lost their mothers. I wanted to use my pain to help others as opposed to allowing my pain to keep me in the dark space I was in. I didn’t want to just have the pain. I wanted to honor my grandmother and support other women and girls who share the experience of losing a mother.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I would say in terms of starting the nonprofit, it was a smooth road, however, the one challenge I did face was funding. I had my first event in October of 2024. I did not want the women to have to pay for anything, so I funded the event on my own.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Daughters of Heavenly Mothers (DOHM) is a nonprofit organization that brings together women and girls who have experienced the loss of their mothers. I host an annual brunch where attendees can connect through their shared experiences and find support. I held my first annual brunch for women/girls who have lost their mothers in October of 2024 and the turnout was better than I expected. I hosted about 50 women; my goal for the next brunch is to host 100 women. I started DOHM to honor my grandmother and to use my pain in a positive way; through that I realized the need. The amount of positive feedback I received from the women helped me realize I made the right decision in starting DOHM. I am most proud of being able to follow through with my idea and bring it to life as it started as a thought in my head. The fact that I was able to see it through in spite of the pain has shown me that I am stronger than I thought I was and that makes me proud.
I think what sets me apart from others is that I have tremendous compassion for people and I am able to put myself in others shoes and feel their pain, I am able to see beyond myself.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
What I love most about our city is that there are an unlimited amount of resources, you can find almost anything you need in the great city of Los Angeles. I do wish there were more funding or sponsorship opportunities for small nonprofits.
I also love the diversity of Los Angeles and the fact that you can experience almost every culture in terms of food, clothing, atmosphere, etc.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://daughtersofheavenlymothers.com
• Instagram: @dohm1018
• Facebook: dohm1018