Occupation: Branding & Design Consultant

City of Birth: Merrillville

City of Residence: Gary

Age (optional): 36

What does it mean to be Black?

Well to me being Black means to be a person with Melanated skin. A person whose culture was striped in the African diaspora, while living under oppression in a society that was built with free labor and terrorism. To be Black means to be resilient. To be loving, forgiving and powerful.

What small act of kindness were you once shown that you will never forget?

I lost my retail job at hardware store in the 2008 recession. It was hard finding a job at that point. A good brother named Arrington Fultz took me under his wing and taught me how to invest in real-estate and how to become an awesome photographer. He gave me my first semi-pro camera the canon 20D and taught me the art of shooting portraits. A skill that continues to pay off today.

What makes a person strong?

Being able to love others and treat them with decency despite our differences. Being able to put aside personal prejudices or biases to find the humanity in a person.

If you could give any advice or words of encouragement, what would it be?

Love God, Love yourself, Love others. Live un-apologetically, and do everything through love. Open doors for the next generation and respect the wisdom of the elders.