Meet Panel Member- Bunmi “BB” Babalola

Arlington

29

Divorced/Single by Choice

BOND Girl: Tell us a little bit about yourself?

B.B.:  I’m a 29 year old African American, career-oriented, single mother. I have a beautiful five year old. I’m prior military (Army) and have served all over the world, including South Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan. I’m currently a full time journalist working for the federal government, and a part-time college professor. I am extremely optimistic about life, politically-minded, love my job, love my family and plan to run for president of the United States in 2024. People who know me would describe me as extremely giving, generally loving and intelligent. Some even call me wiseJ. I love children, especially youths and dedicate my life to helping develop theirs. I’m a go-getter and I genuinely love people. My daughter comes first in my life. My work is a close second.   

BOND Girl: What are your personal philosophies, attitudes and/or beliefs on (the) Importance of Fathers in the Household?            

B.B.: I believe that fathers are extremely important in the household. As a single mother myself, and an accomplished professional, we tend to sometimes think we can do it alone and do not need the father. I do not disagree that we can do it alone – many of us do so successfully. However, the father figure that the child would miss can never be replaced with anything. The emotional stability and the social influence they have on their children are like no other. Besides, if a child sees a strong and healthy relationship between his or her mother and father, that child is deemed to be positively impacted by that relationship, albeit indirect. It’s one thing for a child to have one positive role model; it’s a double effect when they have two positive ones. Besides, a father is seen as the caretaker, the protector and the leader in a household. Children see them as more of a force than anyone else and when they use their roles positively, the sky is the limit!

BOND Girl: If you were single, would you rather date, mate, relate or wait? Why or Why not?

B.B: I am single and I would rather date. I believe that dating promotes one’s self esteem, makes room for self-disclosure and has a positive influence on one’s quality of life later down the road. Besides, it helps me develop communications skills and increases my understanding of the opposite sex. I certainly wouldn’t mate while dating because I think it overshadows what’s really important in a relationship when both parties are focused on sex. I would rather date and wait until marriage before mating and relating. 

BOND Girl: What is one piece of advice you’d give right before he/she says I do? 3

B.B.: As a person who has said “I do” at one point in my life, the one piece of advice I would give to another is to ensure you are willing to give 500+ percent  before you dive into a marriage. Being able to let go and give everything you have to make the relationship work is important. A marriage requires you to meet your partner halfway, which may sometimes mean giving up some things that are very important to you. If you are not ready to do so and not ready to commit fully in such a way, do not say “I do.”