But one of the major lessons I was forced to confront early in the year was remembering to trust the process. For many people (myself included), 2017 wasn’t an easy year. We were tested, tired, felt depressed and hospitalised. We ended relationships, lost loved ones and found ourselves searching for directions. But one of the…
Marc Carr grew up in Jennings, Mo., a suburb of St. Louis not far from Ferguson. His passion for social justice and entrepreneurship has led him to work on civil rights campaigns in the Deep South and organize community forums in the U.S. and West Africa. Currently, Marc is the Program Director for Impact Hub…
Read more I’m Marc Carr, Social Justice Warrior, and this ‘How I Rise’
When I moved to D.C. in the summer of 2014, two things were true: I was broke and had no friends. This changed in the Fall (minus the broke thing), when I attended a creative facilitation workshop as an AmeriCorps VISTA. Here is where I first met Autumn Breon Williams. My interaction with Autumn would…
Read more I’m Autumn Breon Williams, Reimagineer, and this is ‘How I Rise’
You can’t live in D.C. and not have an opinion. If you don’t work in politics, you still know a lot about it. It’s the world you live in. Millennials here still read newspapers, talk about the Iowa caucus, and work on political campaigns (or know someone who does). That means if you’re meeting Kamau…
Read more I’m Kamau M. Marshall, Organic Gentleman, and this is ‘How I Rise’
From the acclaimed author of The Brother/Sister Trilogy and Choir Boy, Wig Out!, penned by Tarell Alvin McCraney, who earned an Oscar in February for co-writing the screenplay of best picture winner “Moonlight,” is set in the glamorous world of African-American/Latinx drag balls. McCraney and Company deliver a dazzling spectacle about the timeless desires to be desired,…
Read more Wig Out! captures the mesmerizing world of drag balls at DC’s Studio Theatre
Why do we dance? We dance because it’s the fastest, most direct route to the truth — not some big...
Read more Why We Dance: Photos from a Celebration of Life, Love and Unapologetic Pride
A couple of years ago, while visiting home in Dallas, TX, I decided to do some major retail therapy by first visiting one of my favorite thrift shops in Lower Greenville (Buffalo Exchange). There I met a captivating buyer, who would later become a good friend and a source for motivation and creative inspiration. This…
Read more I’m Crys Crain, Stylist for the Everyday Woman, and this is How I Rise
The life and times of Alix Montes are indeed filled with nonstop people interactions and a booked calendar stacked with side gigs which include, 6 A.M. yoga instructing, Thursday evening swim coaching and a office gig in one of DC’s leading advertising agency’s. Those who know him well call him Alix or Montes for short.…
Read more I’m Alix Montes, DC Ad Man + Yogi + Swim Coach, and this is How I Rise
In life, we come to learn that the best way to meet it – and those along your journey – is warmly, kindly and mindfully. I first met Amarie Baker in Huntsville, TX back in 2009 (I a sophomore; she a freshman), and our first early interactions was exactly that — warm, kind, mindful and…
Read more I’m Amarie Baker, Activist, Artist, Asé, and this is How I Rise
This past week marks 4 years since I took the oath and became a U.S. citizen. In September of this year, it will be 21 years since my family fled the Congo and arrived to the U.S. as refugees. With age I have become keenly grateful for my parents’ courage, but I have also come to…
