Lifting as we Climb: The Nipsey Way

I entered college knowing I wanted to study accounting. During my first semester I was recruited to join the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) campus chapter. Before joining I did research on the organization’s history, mission, vision and logo. Their logo was stood out to me because it had a yellow background with an image of one black hand pulling up another black hand. The wording on the logo read “Lifting as We Climb.” At that time I didn’t understand the power of the logo. It wasn’t until after my junior year that I started to realize the magnitude of the NABA logo. As we “make it” in life, it is important that we give back to the community that house people that look like us. Those urban communities that lack resources and opportunities for black and brown people to be successful, let alone survive. We have some amazing people who fly under the radar but take their time to come back to these communities and invest their time and money. They generate resources and pass along knowledge, so others can have a better chance at being successful. We recently lost one of those amazing people, Ermias Joseph Asghedom also known as Nipsey Hussle.

Now I am going to be completely honest, I had no clue who Nipsey Hussle was until last year. He was trending because he smacked a security guard at the BET Awards. It wasn’t until after his death a few weeks ago, that I started to see his positive initiatives trending. All up and down my feed I see Nipsey’s pictures and clips of his past interviews where he explained the changes he was trying to make in his community and for his people. I have a special passion to inspire youth so I really related to his Vector 90 initiative. Vector 90 is a STEM center to help expose science, technology, engineering and mathematics to inner city youth in Crenshaw. He made the following comment about his project “In our culture, there’s a narrative that says, ‘follow the athletes, follow the entertainers’… And that’s cool but there should be something that says, ‘follow Elon Musk, follow Zuckerberg.’ I think that with me being influential as an artist and young and coming from the inner city, it makes sense for me to be one of the people that’s waving that flag.” People are always ready to point out what’s wrong in the hood but who is actually willing to try and be apart of the solution? Who’s stepping up and waving that flag?

Some people walk this earth and only worry about their personal success which dies with them. Helping others is how you build a legacy of success that will last a life time. I am not saying everyone has to be a Nipsey Hussle, but I am saying it will be beneficial if we all tried to contribute to the betterment of our community. Giving back can be as simple as doing community service to help clean a local park, so kids can play safely. It can be you tutoring our youth, so they can graduate high school. It can even be you volunteering to mentor someone who needs guidance. A little time and compassion can make a world of difference in our community. As Maya Angelou said “If you are going to live, leave a legacy. Make a mark on the world that can’t be erased.”

It is without a doubt sad the way Nipsey died but the bigger picture is the impact he made in Crenshaw and around the world. If you notice that was the focus at his celebration of life. To watch the ceremony on television and see the STAPLES Center which seats 21,000 packed from wall to wall; that speaks to how many lives he touched with the messages he spread. For us to grow as a people we must be willing to invest in ourselves and our communities. If we don’t who will? Our ancestors did it for us, otherwise we would still be in the fields picking cotton. Now it’s our time to pay it forward for the future generations.

I have been blessed to have met many people over the years that pay it forward. They take their time and resources to build and inspire others in their community. It warms my heart and inspires me to see the work that they are doing. Below is a list of their initiatives, movements, programs and/or organizations. They are really doing some wonderful things, so check them out and support.

The Power Lab

The Power Lab is a community-incubator and co-working space located in the heart of Southwest Yonkers. We are a collective of leaders, creators, innovators, entrepreneurs, and activists who hope to spark a renaissance in Southwest Yonkers that will bring our communities to new heights of collective development and self-determination.

https://www.thepowerlabny.com/#thepowerlab

Toni Colman-Brown

In January of 2012, she fulfilled a long-time dream of helping woman business owners by launching the Network for Women in Business, an affordable online resource for women in business to get training, connect with other professionals and advance their business. The motto of the Network is “We Educate to Elevate Women in Business“.

https://thenetworkforwomeninbusiness.com/blog-2/

SELF Inc.

SELF Inc. is a nonprofit organization that provides a cultural rite of passage program which encourages adolescent girls of color, to embark on a journey of self-discovery and sisterhood. Our holistic program gives young girls an opportunity to explore their purpose, talents, beliefs and goals so they can reclaim their “truth” and break hold from limitations and labels that are created by society.

http://www.selfnyc.org/

AATC

AATC offers high quality financial services at reasonable prices to people in the local community. We service individual financial needs ranging from preparing individual taxes to financial planning. We also specialize in small to medium businesses development. From starting a brand new business to growing an established business, your request will be met with expert advice, individualized attention, and innovative solutions.

https://www.aatcservices.com/

Ladies Power Circle

Ladies Power Circle is a nonprofit network of entrepreneurial women, formed to educate, empower, & encourage one another. Our mission is to plan and host quarterly events which aim to destroy the intimidation of networking for today’s female entrepreneurs. To build a brand of interactive networking which adds to each attendee’s individual network, as well as, further motivating them to conquer their goals.

http://www.ladiespowercircle.net/

Simone Veronica Smith-Peart

Simone helps individuals in the local community gain the financial tools to equip them for a better brighter future. She partners with Primerica to provide them with complimentary Financial Needs Analysis (FNA). The FNA is a customized game plan, which pinpoints where they currently are financial and shows them the steps they need to take to get where they want to be. Her overall goal is to assist people with achieving financial freedom.

http://www.primerica.com/public/PrimericaRep?rep=simonevsmith