Tamara, why the heck are you doing this anyway? Who are you and where did you come from?

 

  

Originally published on August 10, 2013:

Whole Rubin familyTamara Rubin was born in Saginaw, Michigan in 1969. Her family soon relocated to the historic town of Hingham, MA, (founded in 1635!) where she spent her youth.

Growing up in Hingham created an indelible impression on young Tamara, instilling in her an appreciation for historic architecture and later — thanks to a high school program in which 15 and 16-year-olds helped “preserve” some of Boston’s oldest historic residences by stripping and removing layers of old paint and wall paper — she developed a passion for architectural integrity and environmentally safe-practices in renovating historic structures.

Tamara with Michael Moore in Lansing, Michigan, April 2013
Tamara with Michael Moore in Lansing, Michigan, in April 2013.

After high school, Tamara spent the summer riding her bike 2,400 miles around Europe and then moved to New York City to study stage-acting (with Broadway’s Circle In The Square and the Experimental Theater Wing). In 1991 she received a BFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Through NYU, she studied mask and clown work with the Theatre du Soliel in Paris as well as with the legendary circus arts master Hovey Burgess. She also attended summer semesters at Skidmore and Dartmouth.

Always passionate about the health and well-being of children, Tamara supported herself through college (1987-1991) by babysitting and nannying for many of the young families within the burgeoning visual arts community in Manhattan.

Tamara with former Oregon Governor Barbara Roberts, 12/8/2013
Tamara with former Oregon Governor Barbara Roberts, 12/8/2013.

In 1991 Tamara moved to Marin County, California, and discovered it was a bit tricky making a living as a circus arts performer. She decided a career path with a bit more security might be warranted and completed coursework for a Master’s in nonprofit administration at the University of San Francisco in 1994. (One day, she hopes to eventually complete her graduate degree! This is sort of a running family joke, as her plan was to be the first in her immediate family to receive a graduate degree, but life intervened prior to completing her thesis — with just one chapter left to go.)

In 1996, after giving birth to her first son, Colescott, Tamara launched a nonprofit fundraising and special event planning consultancy (“Budgett Consulting” — a play on words based on her maiden name, Tamara Budgett), so she could work part-time and spend time with her son.

In April 2001 she met her future-husband Leonard Rubin, and they were married in May! Len and Tamara connected over bicycles and Len’s equal passion for environmental causes (including what was at that time still considered by many to be a bold dream: To explore and expand the boundaries of an intentionally car-free life in the U.S., which prompted the small family’s move to the growing bicycle mecca of Portland, Oregon in 2002). Tamara and Len’s second son, A.J., was born in July 2002, and Avi (their third son) was born in January 2005. (The couple’s fourth son, Charlie Parker, was born later in 2008.)

Tamara with Robert Reich in Berkeley, CA 12/10/2013
Tamara with Robert Reich in Berkeley, CA on 12/10/2013.

In 2005, with an expanding family, the Rubins decided to refinance their home so they could take some equity out and make home improvements. Their neighbor and mortgage broker told them that, in order to get the best loan, they would need to repaint the exterior of their home so it looked good for the appraisal. After interviewing nearly a dozen contractors, the Rubins chose a painting contractor who said he was certified in the Lead-safe work practices required to safely repaint the exterior. Unfortunately, he lied — they later learned he had failed the Lead-safe work practices certification exam. In fact, the contractor used the most dangerous methods possible to prepare their home for painting (open flame torch burning, dry scraping, and pressure washing) and their children were instantly poisoned.

Unwilling to settle living with the pervasive societal ignorance around everything related to childhood Lead poisoning (and unwilling to see future generations of children poisoned as her children were), Tamara vowed to change the narrative around the issue and increase awareness so that some day in the future all children would be spared this wholly preventable man-made environmental illness.

In the years since her children’s poisoning more than a decade ago, she has become an internationally recognized and award-winning* Lead poisoning prevention advocate, author, and documentary filmmaker.

  • In 2008, she began her personal advocacy site, mychildrenhaveleadpoisoning.com.
  • In 2009, she became certified in using a Niton XRF (see the certificate HERE) and has been conducting independent consumer goods testing since that time.
  • From 2009 through the present, she created and developed the largest international online network of support and information for parents (about childhood Lead poisoning prevention and related subjects) using social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter.
  • In 2011, she began directing and producing the documentary feature film MisLEAD: America’s Secret Epidemic. It is currently in post-production.
  • In 2017 and 2018, Tamara formalized her independent consumer goods testing and Lead poisoning prevention advocacy work by creating (and officially becoming) “Lead Safe Mama.”

(Article continues below video.)

MisLEAD: America’s Secret Epidemic, Trailer from Tamara Rubin on Vimeo

Since then, Tamara has created an unprecedented web and media presence (including on social media) for Lead poisoning prevention in an effort to bring this message to the world:

Lead-poisoning was not “solved” with the 1978 ban on Lead in residential paint.

Tamara is committed to educating every parent about this wholly-preventable environmental illness that causes permanent brain damage in young children, yet still today conservatively costs the United States more than $50.9 billion annually!

Through her advocacy work, Tamara often reaches more than 100,000 people online each month and has personally helped thousands of families create safer homes and environments for their children.

For those new to the Lead Safe Mama website:

Tamara Rubin is a multiple-federal-award-winning independent advocate for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety, and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children (two of her four sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005).