Image by Victor Enam
Texas-based multi-media artist, portrait photographer and Sony Alpha Female Creator Nitashia Johnson is a big believer in good energy when it comes to living life and creating art.
“Always try to align yourself with good people, and always try to match the good energy. The worst thing you can do in life is hurt anyone else and the world we all live on. We need to focus on being nice first.”
Nitashia says her early years were turbulent while growing up in the projects in West Dallas. Her father was deported back to Nigeria when she was a child, and her mother was in and out of her life. "It's not like she was a bad woman or anything. But when the world gets a hold of you, especially if you're a sweet and gentle person, it can change you in ways you would ever imagine.”
Support and encouragement came from her grandmother and step-grandfather, who primarily raised her. She also encountered a number of mentors while in school. “They pushed me to the next level. And I can honestly say that if it wasn't for them and the family members I had around me, I would have probably ended up in a worse off situation.”
Images by Nitashia Johnson
Now, Nitashia is paying it forward and acting as a mentor to high school girls as the founder of the creative arts after-school program called The Smart Project. “Teachers and mentors can really inspire a kid. I was inspired when I was a teen, and I always wanted to be a mentor to other kids.”
Many of The Smart Project's participants are from the BIPOC community, and Nitashia understands that having mentors from the same background is vital. “The kids were able to come and talk about lots of issues. They talked about the relationship abuse they see in the school and their views on politics. They see what's happening in the news, and it's very hurtful to some of them. So we've created a safe space for everyone to be themselves.”
Images by Nitashia Johnson
Being herself and feeling pride as a member of the Black community is something that Natashia has struggled with, and she channels those experiences into her art. “In the community, people find it very hard to love themselves. This is due to the stereotypes that have been enforced and the ideas of oppression that have been enforced since a young age.”
To empower the Black community, Nitashia created “The Self Publication"—an uplifting collection of photography and personal essays designed to combat harsh stereotypes. “It's hard, because I do it all alone. But it's necessary. I wouldn't change it for the world because I love my culture. And I love the idea of people reading it and understanding it,” said Nitashia. Each edition features personal essays, accompanied by portraits from Nitashia. Many collaborators featured in “The Self Publication” are Millennials who feel they're not represented in the media. So Nitashia gives them the space to be themselves and share their stories.
“People talk about the encounters they've had with racism, like the idea of others touching their hair in the workplace or about being profiled and told to leave a neighborhood. All of the stories wound up sharing similar experiences around trauma, but none of the people knew each other. So I wanted to open up a platform for people to speak and talk about themselves in a way that allows others to relate to them. It's a way to heal.”
Images by Nitashia Johnson
While the stories within the publication address the injustices and oppression people of colour have had to face, contributors also share the love, unity and support they experience within their community.
"One of the first questions I ask people is, How do you feel about self love? That opens the door immediately. Most people say, 'Oh, I love this about myself. This makes me happy.' So before talking about anything negative, they talk about love first."
Images by Nitashia Johnson
To watch Nitashia Johnson's entire Storytelling for Change interview and access all of the previous webinars, join our community by becoming a PWB member.
