So many of the folks we work with have multidimensional stories.  They often aren’t just working on a single project, business or mission – instead they are often involved in so many things all at once and so we often wonder about what they themselves hope their legacy will be about.  We’ve shared some of their responses with you below.

Tyler James | Poet, Musician, Writer

I want my legacy to be one of creativity and kindness. As an artist, I often live with this fear that I’m not doing enough – not makin enough art and content, not being kind enough or showing the love I’m supposed to. Maybe sometimes I’m truly not; maybe at times I need to do a lot better in this life in many aspects. Other times I feel like my ability to go through the things I’ve gone through and maintain a smile, and a positive outlook on life, are creative forms of existence. When I write, I either try to find beauty in the world around me, no matter what it looks like, or I try to express emotions we all are feeling: love, pain, excitement, anguish, etc. I want people to relate to me, sometimes too much so. This is an over arching form of kindness in the sense that I want others to feel included, seen, and understood. I want people to press play on my music and say “I’ve felt like this. I’m one with him on that. Read more>>

Branden Green | Photographer

I want my legacy to be a contribution to the increased representation of black entrepreneurship and beauty through my photography. I want others to remember how empowered and confident I made them feel about themselves. I believe that we all have a story and something special about ourselves, but sometimes we have a hard time letting our light shine due to societal standards and pressures. So if I’m able to reach someone and have a positive impact on them, I’ve been a success. Read more>>

Aniqua Hawkins | Mompreneur

I want my legacy to be that I helped bring a better lifestyle for my community by providing natural, nontoxic body care products. We all are in a time where we are more cautious about what we eat to be healthy. So that should be considered what we use internally and externally. I want my family to know that I worked hard to break generational curses by building a successful brand. I want people to remember me as being ambitious, nurturing and caring. Read more>>

Dr. Vincent Dortch | Pastor of Antioch Baptist Church

I want my legacy to fall in line with the words from Mahalia Jackson…If I can help somebody. As a pastor desire each day is to live a life that is a blessing to someone. As as a matter the lyrics of that same song states…”If I can cheer somebody, with a word or song, If I can show somebody, that he’s traveling wrong then my living shall not be in vain.” I have discovered more and more from Covid-19 that people are hurting every day and my job is to provide a word of comfort to people. I don’t us my title, my position, my calling to pull people down but encourage them through the Word of God. I want people to remember as a down to earth person that they can relate to. Read more>>

Catherine Buccello | Content Curator | Creative Manager | Founder of #BlackMenCryToo

Legacy is an interesting yet important factor for me since the passing of Nipsey Hussle. When we lost Nipsey Hussle the story was way too familiar, it hit home. I knew more about the impact Nipsey had over his music. The way he bought the block back, owned masters, changed his life from gang banging tolerating and educating and helping those in his community think and see differently. Loss and death are inevitable, however leaving an impactful legacy, not many can say that they do. It was from that moment that I decided I wanted to be an Agent of Change and a Vessel as a Healer. I admired Nipsey and Kobe because we openly heard and watched them make mistakes, and learn and grow from them. We are not perfect people, we will make mistakes that will effect one, some, or many people. However, how can we become better human beings my growing from it? How else can we encourage and inspire others to not just accept whatever they did or are not doing, and use as an opportunity to better and change. Read more>>

Vanessa Calloway | Fashion Stylist

I want the kindness, compassion, and love I’ve shown to others to be remembered for generations to come. For me, style is an outward expression of my inner self and I use it to encourage and promote individuality, self worth, and confidence for those who I am blessed to have around me. I want the way I express myself to empower and positively influence others to become the best version of themselves. Read more>>

Vikki Johnson | Speaker, Author, Life Strategist & Founder, South Wealth

I want my legacy to be that I inspired people to become the absolute best version of themselves via Soul Wealth (a way of being and doing). I want people to remember that I was committed to transformation. I want people to remember that I loved well and I was loved well. I want people to remember that I made a positive difference in the lives of others. Read more>>

Brandi Swift | CEO

I want to break generational curses so my children will never have to go through what I went through. Everything I do is for my children’s future. I want people to remember that no matter how hard it got, I never gave up, never quit and that I was blessed back with everything I lost plus more. Read more>>

Lanita Lucas | Career Readiness Consultant/Youth Advocate

You often hear people say they want to leave the world a little better than when they came into it. Similar to that train of thought; I’d like for my legacy to be that I tried to build people up and teach skills that could last a lifetime. Basically, “teaching them how to fish.” In doing that, I hope they too would pass it forward whenever they have an opportunity to do so. Read more>>

DeVante Wynn | Teacher, Community Leader, and Entrepreneur

When I die, they are going to host a funeral and gather all my loved ones. When they start my eulogy, they are going to say a bunch of nice things and mention how good of a person I was and brag about the type of man I tried to be. I hope to live a life so purposeful and impactful that they won’t have to lie at my funeral. When they speak of all the lives I touched and how big of a difference I made in my community, I want it to be ALL FACTS! No exaggeration or sugar-coating. Read more>>

Abbie Knights | Radio Personality

They say that in life, your journey, is simply a matter of choices. My greatest motivation in success, has always been to build a platform large enough to be able to help children in a big way. Discovering your purpose is powerful, I truly believe mine’s always been to help others. One day, if I were no longer here, I’d want to be remembered as a humanitarian and an all-around good person. Read more>>

Darlene Deloris | Artist, Instructor, Curator, Tattooist

Since I was a little girl, I”d always wanted to be a famous artist. I wanted to be known for my work. And I wanted my work to have a voice. As an adult, my entire process involves giving a voice to Black women. I use reference photos to create portraits of Black people frozen with stoic reactions or moods, and then use symbols, texture, patterns, and vibrant colors to portray emotion. My artistic process varies depending on the demand, the day, and the current project. Over the years, I’ve taught myself how to use several mediums including acrylics, oils, pastels, graphite, colored pencils, mixed media, and even tattooing. I am heavily influenced by my black female ancestors, vintage photography, African & Tibetan artistry, and Black history. I enjoy developing my Black female perspective into a more fine art and straightforward perspective. I strive to make conscious, direct and whimsical art that presents a stoic emotion to the viewer, while using colors to equate emotion. Read more>>

Morgan Kelly | Hair Loss Specialist and Founder of Olivia’s Nectar

I have been thinking about this question since I first started my business. My legacy is something that is really important to me because of my children, I want them to know that their little tiny mom worked hard for them to not have to work in the future. I want my legacy to be very impactful. I would like people to look back at me and remember that they can create their dreams and have the life they want no matter how hard life gets. Olivia’s Nectar will definitely leave a mark on the world that will empower women and men to feel confident and beautiful in their natural state . The most important thing I would like people to remember about me is that I built this this business while having no job, struggling through a pandemic and I still was able to make things happen. I never take no for a answer, and no matter how bad things seem externally I kept a positive mind frame through it all, and was able to make my dreams come true, and that’s really what I would like people to not only remember about me, but about themselves as well!. Read more>>

Kourtney J. | SHE.E.O of Plus Boutique

SHE CARED. That is it, regardless of the obstacles and how many times I have been given a reason to quit and walk away from anything or anyone I always cared. For me, caring is where it all begins and ends. If we don’t care, we don’t love or dedicate ourselves to our passion. You cannot truly care for those you wish to serve if you don’t take care of yourself as well as those you work with. Caring will get you out of bed in the middle of the night to jot down ideas because you want to present your best results. While this is where I’m at today, I recognize that my thoughts on my legacy may evolve. For now, my hope for my legacy will continue to shape who I am and how I continue to live my life. Read more>>