Meet Catrice M. Jackson aka Nyalla Mkale Ukwazi | Speaker, Educator, Freedom Fighter and Performance Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Catrice M. Jackson aka Nyalla Mkale Ukwazi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Catrice M., let’s talk legacy – what do you want yours to be?
I want people to remember me as an unapologetic, authentic and inspirational woman who fulfilled her purpose and destiny without permission or approval. I want people to be inspired by my dedication to leave no stone unturned and to not waste my Divine gifts. I believe the ultimate purpose for every human being is to love and be of service to others during their lifetime and I am doing that now. While it would be nice to have other people recognize my contribution to humanity it’s far more important my descendants know the true story of their ancestor, Catrice M. Jackson and that they are proud of the legacy I left and inspired to pick up the torch to lead their own legacy. I want to be remembered as a courageous Black woman who boldly and confidently walked out her destiny of being a spirit-led, freedom fighter, activist and unapologetic voice for racial justice.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My “work” doesn’t feel like work. My work is simply a matter of finally saying yes to what I was created to do and being who I am without asking for permission while listening to my creator for the next steps in the journey. The beautiful thing about showing up in the world this way is I get to be my authentic self without restraint or censorship. If I do nothing else in my lifetime, the one thing I will do is be authentic, which is my number one core value. Thankfully I don’t have to clock in and out and build someone else’s financial bottom line or their brand legacy. I get to wake up every day when I choose, do the work I love and that comes naturally while being obedient to the call on my life. Essentially, if my creator is pleased with me and how I serve humanity, that’s all the approval I need. It wasn’t always this easy though. I ran from my calling most of my adult life attempting to chase the “American Dream” instead of embracing my Divine destiny. And therefore I struggled to create the success and lifestyle I dreamed of living. But once I stopped running and said yes to my calling success came naturally and now I live the dream I always dreamt of, to speak, travel, write, inspire and be of impactful service to humanity, specifically Black people. My work as a racial justice educator, truth teller and freedom fighter is definitely challenging, emotionally exhausting and sometimes dangerous, yet I love it and I’ll do my work, my way until I take my last breath. Fighting for racial justice is what I am here to do. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned along the way is to not care what other people think about me nor what they say. To always be spirit-led, confident in my gifts and do my work my way, on my terms and according to my unique Divine assignment. When I live this way, I will win and I will be prosperous. I also learned that it’s okay to not be liked by everyone. If everyone likes you, you’re not speaking the unfiltered truth nor being your authentic self and those are two things I refuse to sacrifice or compromise.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would be most interested in taking a road trip with my besties. We’d go to the deep South and then hop over to the Southwest, specifically South Carolina. I love learning and uncovering the true history of my ancestors. Learning about how Black people survived chattel slavery and found ways to thrive intrigues me. We’d start off in New Orleans and go visit the Whitney Plantation just a few miles outside of New Orleans. This wouldn’t be odd or a downer because my friends are also fellow freedom fighters.

After visiting the Whitney Plantation we’d return to New Orleans and head to Bourbon Street to release, celebrate and nourish our bodies with some delicious Cajun food. I’m not a fan of seafood but I do love a great jambalaya (minus the shell fish), hush puppies, dirty rice and boudin. I’ve heard rave views about Dooky Chase’s Restaurant and I’d definitely take them there. We’d then hop on over the The Cat’s Meow for some Karaoke and hurricanes.

After that we’d head to Mississippi to experience the Mississippi Freedom Trail to include the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and trace the Mississippi Civil Rights History on the Mississippi Freedom Trail. I’m sure my friends and fellow freedom fighters would too enjoy learning more about the founders, leaders and ancestors of the movement for Black lives. We would be sure to stop in the Estelle Wine Bar & Bistro for drinks, good food and a live saxophonist to unwind and relax.

We’d then be off to Alabama to experience the Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery, Birmingham’s Civil Rights District, home to Kelly Ingram Park, a site where marchers and activists came together in protest and the 16th Street Baptist Church, where Ku Klux Klan members killed four young girls in a 1963 bombing and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, a museum affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution, that exhibits events that shaped King’s life and includes the cell door of the Birmingham Jail in which King wrote Letter from Birmingham Jail. And before we left Alabama we’d adorn ourselves in our activist gear and walks the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Leaving inspired to keep fighting for justice we’d then head to Georgia.

While in and around Atlanta we hit up as many of the following attractions as possible: Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park, Martin Luther King, Jr. Birth Home, The King Center, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Center for Civil and Human Rights and the The Carter Center. We’d be sure to check out Slutty Vegan, The Old Lady Gang and Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint for some scrumptious food, fun and fellowship.

And finally we’d arrive in Charleston SC to rest and relax. We’d spend most of our time on Gullah-Geechee Islands soaking up the history of our ancestors and Gulla-Geechee people and customs with several moments of sipping on our favorite drink while lounging on the beach.

We would be sure to experience Atlantic Beach. I haven’t been there but the history of the area intrigues me. I found this on their website. “Atlantic Beach, cCalled the “Black Pearl,” Atlantic Beach is a strip of primarily black-owned coastal property in Horry County. Historically, African-Americans went there because they could not use the same beaches as whites in South Carolina. In the early 1930’s, defying Jim Crow laws in the segregated south, debunking black stereotypes, and broadening the enterprises of the Gullah/Geechee people, black men and women opened hotels, restaurants, night clubs, and novelty shops in Atlantic Beach. With desegregation and the development boom in greater Myrtle Beach, the town today is trying to preserve its early historical identity.”

On the way back to the Midwest, we’d spend a day in Charleston SC. I’ve been there once and it’s a place I’d love to visit several more times. We’d hit up some flea markets, do some shopping, buy some sweetgrass baskets and visit the Old Slave Mart Museum. Of course we’d indulge in a variety of low-country restaurants. And before we left we stand on the shore of Adger’ Wharf in gratitude of the ancestors who came through South Carolina unwilling into forced servitude. Thanking them for their courage and tenacity that allows us to exist today. It’s because of them we can.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would love to shout out the people who mean the most to me, my family. First my husband for walking this bittersweet journey of entrepreneurship with me. I’d like to shout out my son for being the wind beneath my wings. In every step of this journey keeping my descendants top of mind has been paramount to my motivation, dedication and success. Being able to achieve my version of success will not only light the path for them but allow him and his children to be the first in my family to be the recipients of generational wealth. And finally, I want to shout out my mother who because of her I am, I can and I will continue to be a phenomenal woman who positively impacts the lives of countless people.

Website: www.justiceislove.com