WHAT’S YOUR LEGACY? | Celebrating Black History Month
In celebration of Black History Month, we're amplifying the voices of the Black community while remarking on the history that influences the legacy to come. Throughout the month, we're highlighting creatives and artists from across the country and asking them to share their stories and the legacy they aim to leave behind.
DARREN GRAHAM | Lifestyle Blogger
What does legacy mean to you? And what do you want your legacy to be?
To me the definition of legacy is, leaving behind a story that is so damn good that it’s incomparable to what’s next. My legacy WILL be one where I write the story of a life filled with compassion, consistency, boldness and one not blinded by “fame". I rather have a bunch of failures because I took the leap, over having a lot of possibilities and maybes because I was afraid to go against the grain.
Who are prominent figures in your life that inspire you to live authentically? How does that inspiration fuel your creativity?
The prominent figure in my life is truly my mother. My mother is 1 of 8. A queen from a very small island in The Caribbean, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines. Watching my mother take the leap of faith to leave the island with $50 in her pocket and traveling to a foreign country (USA) to make a means for our family really inspired to to never settle. My mother reminded me at every chance she got to change my language to “what if it does work out.” Believe in possibilities. Think of the best case scenario. Retraining your mind will lift you higher out of the overthinking, stress, and worry of negative habitual thoughts. Her favorite reminder was "Change starts with your mindset. Shift it. Switch it".
How do you hope to use your legacy to impact the future of artistic expression and creativity?
I hope that my legacy will remind creatives that they are ENOUGH! I hope that my sacrifices, tone, representation, art and drive helps them to understand to ALWAYS choose inconvenience over complacent any day just to make a difference on this planet.
MAYA MOORE | Amputee & Model, Disability Advocate
What does legacy mean to you? And what do you want your legacy to be?
Legacy is your chapter in history, it’s what you leave behind for future readers. I hope my legacy defies the long held assumptions that life as a disabled person is tragic and only defined by struggle and exclusion. I hope that the pages I leave behind ooze queer, Black, disabled joy and inspire others to find and claim theirs.
Who are prominent figures in your life that inspire you to live authentically? How does that inspiration fuel your creativity?
My parents named me after the Phenomenal Woman herself, Maya Angelou who said “there is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you”. This idea of healing your trauma through creating has freed me, grounded me, humbled me and above all inspired me to keep pursuing joy in a world that often doesn’t feel like it was made for me; a queer, disabled, Black woman.
How do you hope to use your legacy to impact the future of artistic expression and creativity?
Art has long been a medium for marginalized people to protest, heal generational wounds, and pursue joy— this is especially true for Black people. Every time I create, I’m protesting Eurocentric beauty standards and ableism. When I create, I’m healing the trauma I’ve inherited and endured as a Black woman in America who descended from enslaved people, and I’m audaciously pursuing the joy that some may not think I deserve as a queer, disabled, Black woman. I hope that the words and pictures I leave behind inspire others to capture their queerness, their disabilities and their Blackness.
JESSICA MANNING | Digital Creator
What does legacy mean to you? And what do you want your legacy to be?
Legacy to me is the mark I leave. I hope I make a positive impact on the people I share this life with. And I hope to do my best to respect people and the planet in the process.
Who are prominent figures in your life that inspire you to live authentically? How does that inspiration fuel your creativity?
I am deeply inspired by my siblings. They live fearlessly and always step first with their truth. Seeing that in them always encourages me to do the same. In life and in creativity.
How do you hope to use your legacy to impact the future of artistic expression and creativity?
I hope that part of my legacy is encouraging people to really lean into who they are creatively. For me that shows up in the way I create my home, the way I dress, or the ways in which I create art. I do my best to rest on what I really love and not worry too much about what's currently popular.
PHILLIP ROBERT HOLMES | Digital Creator
What does legacy mean to you? And what do you want your legacy to be?
The word legacy is far more than the materialistic means (property or wealth) one can leave for future generations in a family lineage. Legacy is the epitome of what one stands for; it is one's values, beliefs, culture, traditions, and customs. Legacy is rooted in my ancestors' struggles, which anchors me, a descendant, to their struggle, and gives me the strength and courage to face today's challenges. I want to leave a legacy that will transcend race and encourage people to love, find their purpose, and live out their authentic selves.
Who are prominent figures in your life that inspire you to live authentically? How does that inspiration fuel your creativity?
I have a strong foundation, but I acknowledge that the women in my family have instilled in me the value of living in my true self, especially my mother. These values fuel my creativity as they remind me to stay true to myself and create with a purpose, inspiring and giving hope to other black and brown folks.
How do you hope to use your legacy to impact the future of artistic expression and creativity?
My legacy will be a blueprint for other creatives to use to help guide them:
1.To live in their truth.
2. To Honor individualism.
3.To create content that uplifts and amplifies their community and culture.
In celebration of Black History Month, we're amplifying the voices of the Black community while remarking on the history that influences the legacy to come. Throughout the month, we're highlighting creatives and artists from across the country and asking them to share their stories and the legacy they aim to leave behind.
DARREN GRAHAM | Lifestyle Blogger
What does legacy mean to you? And what do you want your legacy to be?
To me the definition of legacy is, leaving behind a story that is so damn good that it’s incomparable to what’s next. My legacy WILL be one where I write the story of a life filled with compassion, consistency, boldness and one not blinded by “fame". I rather have a bunch of failures because I took the leap, over having a lot of possibilities and maybes because I was afraid to go against the grain.
Who are prominent figures in your life that inspire you to live authentically? How does that inspiration fuel your creativity?
The prominent figure in my life is truly my mother. My mother is 1 of 8. A queen from a very small island in The Caribbean, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines. Watching my mother take the leap of faith to leave the island with $50 in her pocket and traveling to a foreign country (USA) to make a means for our family really inspired to to never settle. My mother reminded me at every chance she got to change my language to “what if it does work out.” Believe in possibilities. Think of the best case scenario. Retraining your mind will lift you higher out of the overthinking, stress, and worry of negative habitual thoughts. Her favorite reminder was "Change starts with your mindset. Shift it. Switch it".
How do you hope to use your legacy to impact the future of artistic expression and creativity?
I hope that my legacy will remind creatives that they are ENOUGH! I hope that my sacrifices, tone, representation, art and drive helps them to understand to ALWAYS choose inconvenience over complacent any day just to make a difference on this planet.
MAYA MOORE | Amputee, Model, and Disability Advocate
What does legacy mean to you? And what do you want your legacy to be?
Legacy is your chapter in history, it’s what you leave behind for future readers. I hope my legacy defies the long held assumptions that life as a disabled person is tragic and only defined by struggle and exclusion. I hope that the pages I leave behind ooze queer, Black, disabled joy and inspire others to find and claim theirs.
Who are prominent figures in your life that inspire you to live authentically? How does that inspiration fuel your creativity?
My parents named me after the Phenomenal Woman herself, Maya Angelou who said “there is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you”. This idea of healing your trauma through creating has freed me, grounded me, humbled me and above all inspired me to keep pursuing joy in a world that often doesn’t feel like it was made for me; a queer, disabled, Black woman.
How do you hope to use your legacy to impact the future of artistic expression and creativity?
Art has long been a medium for marginalized people to protest, heal generational wounds, and pursue joy— this is especially true for Black people. Every time I create, I’m protesting Eurocentric beauty standards and ableism. When I create, I’m healing the trauma I’ve inherited and endured as a Black woman in America who descended from enslaved people, and I’m audaciously pursuing the joy that some may not think I deserve as a queer, disabled, Black woman. I hope that the words and pictures I leave behind inspire others to capture their queerness, their disabilities and their Blackness.
JESSICA MANNING | Digital Creator
What does legacy mean to you? And what do you want your legacy to be?
Legacy to me is the mark I leave. I hope I make a positive impact on the people I share this life with. And I hope to do my best to respect people and the planet in the process.
Who are prominent figures in your life that inspire you to live authentically? How does that inspiration fuel your creativity?
I am deeply inspired by my siblings. They live fearlessly and always step first with their truth. Seeing that in them always encourages me to do the same. In life and in creativity.
How do you hope to use your legacy to impact the future of artistic expression and creativity?
I hope that part of my legacy is encouraging people to really lean into who they are creatively. For me that shows up in the way I create my home, the way I dress, or the ways in which I create art. I do my best to rest on what I really love and not worry too much about what's currently popular.
PHILLIP ROBERT HOLMES | Digital Creator
What does legacy mean to you? And what do you want your legacy to be?
The word legacy is far more than the materialistic means (property or wealth) one can leave for future generations in a family lineage. Legacy is the epitome of what one stands for; it is one's values, beliefs, culture, traditions, and customs. Legacy is rooted in my ancestors' struggles, which anchors me, a descendant, to their struggle, and gives me the strength and courage to face today's challenges. I want to leave a legacy that will transcend race and encourage people to love, find their purpose, and live out their authentic selves.
Who are prominent figures in your life that inspire you to live authentically? How does that inspiration fuel your creativity?
I have a strong foundation, but I acknowledge that the women in my family have instilled in me the value of living in my true self, especially my mother. These values fuel my creativity as they remind me to stay true to myself and create with a purpose, inspiring and giving hope to other black and brown folks.
How do you hope to use your legacy to impact the future of artistic expression and creativity?
My legacy will be a blueprint for other creatives to use to help guide them:
1.To live in their truth.
2. To Honor individualism.
3.To create content that uplifts and amplifies their community and culture.
