Visible Figures - Vol 21
SVP on poverty porn, Malia Obama hooks up A'ja Wilson, Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes raises $35M, and Dr. Gina Spivey-Brown will be madame president.
Hello, hi from Woods Hole, Massachusetts. I am here for WHOI board meetings. The ocean 🌊is bae.
*trigger warning* This volume contains representations of poverty. If it makes you uncomfortable: good, it should. Read on.
My mother was robbed during Mother’s Day weekend.
…three times, by teenagers at a strip mall in Prince George’s County, MD. No one was harmed.
For the past 30 years, my mother has been, what I affectionately call, off-plantation (corporate accountant turned hobbyist); she creates and sells bespoke gift baskets 🧺 and crochet crafts at fairs, bazaars, craft shows, and occasionally in strip mall parking lots. She has an entire room in the 5-bedroom house she built dedicated to yarn. 🧶
In three decades, this was the first time my Ma had ever been robbed. It was the first time I’ve ever heard her speak about owning a gun. 🙄
Cyndi Lampkin had me on the government’s dime. She was a single 25 y/o Delta Sigma Theta Tuskegee alum in a community hospital in SE Washington, DC. The cost she paid for my government-funded birth: unfettered access to her vagina by any and all med students on call. Nothing is free. I came out 9.5lbs. Ready to go. 💪🏾 I spent my formative years in Prince George’s County, MD during the peak of the 80’s drug epidemic.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. -Charles Dickens
I remember my mother’s car windows regularly smashed in on her red Ford Escort. I remember the angst, agitation, and aggression of un- and under-employed adults. I remember physically, sexually, and emotionally abused children. I remember the smell of urine. I remember hunger. I remember roaches. I remember drugs. I don’t remember Ronald Reagan talcumbout “Make America Great Again” (watch this), but I do remember the real-life impact of his administration on our day-to-day life.
History is cyclical. This is going to be a tough time for A LOT of people resembling the 80’s: more drugs, more crime, and mental health decline. No one is immune. AI/automation = job displacement. Duh. For those of us in positions of power or influence, it begs the question:
What role(s) do you want to play during this era of global distress?
The Capitalist? The Philanthropist? The Voyeur? The Escapist? The Denialist? It is a question I have grappled with since watching the 9:29 knee to Mr. Floyd’s neck whilst earning speaking fees upwards of $50,000 to share my ‘rags to riches’ story. Is my role Poverty Pornographer or Storyteller? Depends on who you ask. I can tell more about you based on your reaction to my origin story than you can deduce about me from hearing it. My takeaway from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED talk: many fall prey to the single story. I have no single story. My life is a goddamn chapter book chock-full of stories to evoke hope, empathy, action, and inspiration. Being born poor is not a character flaw. Shaming it is. Please, my friend, save your “I’m so sorry that happened to you.” It’s disingenuous. Instead support The Work. I will reserve the more real, raw, and inspiring stories via stacks, lives, and in-person events, exclusively for VFMH members. Join by becoming a paid subscriber.
What I’m Watching (again): American Fiction on Amazon Prime directed by Cord Jefferson, starring Issa Rae, Erika Alexander, Jeffrey Wright, and Sterling K. Brown. The first time I saw this movie it didn’t stick. Second time, I got it. As the name would suggest it is a testament to the cringe (and beauty) of American art and media. It’s a mirror. Hollywood Shuffle is to Bamboozled what Bamboozled is to American Fiction. Wanna talk about it? 🤓 Wanna join our upcoming film, book, and podcast discussions? You know what to do.
What I’m Casting: Motherhood on Throughline (NPR) Errybody and they mama need to know the facts laid out in this podcast. Did you know some British dude, William McDougall (1878 - 1938) popularized the myth that women have innate maternal instincts? Have you thought about why women are significantly delaying or completely opting out of motherhood? The math ain’t mathin’ ya’ll.
Love Always Wins,
Maji Moment 👑
The ‘Maji’ are citizens of the mythical African kingdom of Orïsha in Tomi Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone who are born with the ability to summon magical powers.
Congresswoman Raychel Proudie gives a compelling speech to the US House of Representatives on capital gains taxes. Ten. Toes. Down.
Things You Should Know 👀
Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes and her team at Aruwa Capital Management successfully raised a $35M Fund I 💰to invest in women-led or focused African companies targeting untapped segments of the economy with a natural competitive advantage. Adesuwa has long been a part of the Visible Figures community. I’m extra proud. I have spent enough time in the VCPE space to know, this was no easy feat. Well done. I would roll up my sleeves for the Aruwa team.
Malia Obama directed A’ja Wilson’s Nike shoe promo ad and it’s fabulously seasoned, layered, and baked. Can you imagine the weight of being the progeny of Barack and Michelle? I love that she is tapped in to her creative genius. Check out more of her work here. Meanwhile A’ja Wilson’s A’One signature shoe 👟 sold out in less than 5 minutes. Let’s goooo!
Dr. Gina Spivey-Brown has been appointed the first women president in Oakwood University’s 129-year history. 🎓Dr. Spivey-Brown, who currently serves as dean of Howard University's College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, will assume leadership on July 1, 2025. I was woefully ignorant about Seventh Day Adventist schools, beliefs, and culture until the deepening of my Caribbean consciousness over the past decade. This is progress. Real progress.
Upcoming Events 🗓️
Brooklyn, NY, Sunday May 18, 2025 - NY Salon: We’re headed to Brooklyn!! Good food, great company, and critical conversations. Official invites with private location will be sent to NY-based VFMH members. Join VFMH by becoming a paid subscriber.
Virtual, Tuesday, May 20, 2025 - Leveraging Social Media for Professional Branding: We’ll be covering the details, pros, and cons of starting with different social media platforms to reach your target audience. It’s never too late to join us! Recordings will be made available to VFMH members. Join VFMH by becoming a paid subscriber.
A Number to Remember 👇🏾
As of December 2023, only 21% of the 107 HBCUs in the United States were led by a Black woman president (Journal of Research on the College President, 2024). Compare that to the 33% of all US colleges led by a woman president and the 64% of all HBCU students who are women.
I always learn a few new things in this newsletter. Thanks for sharing and your honesty!
You are a juggernaut!