What does it mean to be Black? Depending on who you ask, the answers will undoubtedly differ. Not just because each individual has lived his or her own experiences, but because the African diaspora is so widespread and diverse. To be Black is to be African, Caribbean, Afro-Latino, Southern, et al. We are a melting pot of cultures and traditions that exist under a singular umbrella of Blackness, but our passions and interests expand far beyond who or what others expect us to be.
We are not a monolith. We are not defined by presumptions and stereotypes. We do the unexpected. We ski, we swim. We skate, we fly. We invent, we invest. We love, we travel. We do anything and everything because we are Black and unlimited.
This year, as part of Black History Month, we celebrate this diversity with 28 Things About Me, a four-part editorial series where members of our own community share their personal stories around Blackness. First up is Complex’s own On-Air News Anchor/Editorial Producer Claire Ateku, a daughter of Kenyan parents who lives out her dreams as a well-traveled woman that is comfortable in her own skin.
Be sure to check out Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4.
1. What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “Black and unlimited?” How is your Blackness unlimited?
The two are synonymous because I think we’re more unlimited than we allow ourselves to be. As a people, we’ve been systemically brainwashed to think there’s a cap on how much we can accomplish, but I think we’re all able to break our own glass ceiling multiple times. I keep my Blackness unlimited by dreaming crazy dreams that scare me but only because I believe if I can dream it then I can do it.
2. What is the best thing about being Black?
How universally saucy we are! For there to be so many variations of Black people; we all have a certain swagger and sauce about us. The way we dress, the way we move, the way we speak… it’s literally in all of us!
3. How does your personal style reflect your Blackness?
It’s 100% who I am. I’m very expressive in my aesthetics, sometimes it’s subtle and other times it’s louder but I’m usually always wearing something from a Black-owned business, or have my afro out or something that is Black AF. In my opinion, it’s an act of resistance in a Eurocentric facing world that tries to push conformity and deems “professional” as anything leaning more towards whiteness.
4. What is the Blackest thing you own and what does it mean to you?
My jewelry and accessories from Kenya/Black/African flea markets. They’re much more important to me than any designer or expensive pieces because most of them are handmade. They always add color, vibrance and Afrocentricity, which reflect who I am at my core.
5. Who would you say is your best example of Black love? How have they influenced you?
My parents! The way they’ve stayed together despite the challenges of moving to a whole other continent and raising my brother and I in a house that always embodied love, is goals! There’s never been a power or ego complex with either of them; they’ve always balanced each other out and corrected each other in constructive ways. It’s set the bar eternally high for the types of love I allow in my life both romantically and platonically.
6. Where were you raised and how did your hometown environment influence the person you are today?
I was raised in a suburb of Dallas called Allen, Texas. It was a mostly white town with a small Black/minority community that gave me a sense of security and safety but made me realize living in more multicultural cities was non negotiable for me in the future. I needed to live somewhere more entertainment/media-focused and with more opportunities for excitement and discovery like LA, NYC, or abroad.
7. What foods most remind you of home? What special memories do you have about this dish?
In Kenya [where my family is from] we make a ginger honey lemon tea called “Dawa,” which means medicine in Swahili. It’s good for indigestion, inflammation, and great for fighting infections. Every time I go home to visit my parents my mom somehow always has some ready for me and it feels like home. I’ve tried to make it myself but can never get the proportions right.
8. What are some of your family’s traditions?
Every new year we have a family meeting and discuss what our goals are for the new year. We then check in with each other during the year to hold each other accountable and celebrate what’s been done and can help each other with the rest.
9. What’s one lesson about Blackness that your family or an elder passed on to you that you still carry with you today?
Family is the most important thing. Regardless of how annoyed you might be with each other or indifferent, we’ll always have each other’s back and support each other like no one else in the world.
10. What does your family name represent for you? In what ways do you look to honor the legacy of your ancestors?
It’s everything! It’s complicated and people see the T, K, U [in my name] and get overwhelmed but I always correct them because my last name is part of my identity. To me, it reminds me that my life, work, and actions are bigger than just me.
11. What TV show from your childhood defined the Black experience for you at the time and how did that impact your view of the world?
Watching The Cosby Show was super-impactful when I was growing up. As a first-generation American, that show really set a standard of Black excellence by showing what a strong and healthy Black family/household looked like.
12. How do you personify Black excellence in your day-to-day life?
Black excellence to me means existing in spaces that we weren’t always allowed to be in and persevering at chasing dreams while remaining joyful despite any challenges. Black excellence isn’t usually one moment but rather a collection of moments and baby steps toward greatness. As long as I’m doing things daily that align with my goals, I feel like I’m personifying Black excellence.
13. Who is your favorite Black artist? What is it about his/her art that speaks to you?
Rihanna because of the way she’s built a legacy that transcends music. She’s become such a businesswoman, made FENTY into a name that carries weight and even an ambassador for Barbados. #Goals
14. Which modern-day Black creative do you admire most and why?
My friend Nana Agyemang is one of the most fire women I know and love. She created and built a brand called EveryStylishGirl that celebrates and inspires the modern millennial Black girl. She grew her business from a blog/Instagram page to a full platform that now has events around the world all while working as a journalist and excelling in her professional career.
“I love the way this new generation of Black people are traveling and exploring just because we want to.”
15. What piece of Black literature has had the biggest influence on you and why?
Elaine Welteroth’s book More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say) has easily been one of the best and most empowering books for the modern millennial Black girl trying to find her footing in her career.
16. What’s your favorite movie with a predominantly Black cast and why is it so special to you?
Moonlight because of how beautiful the film was from the storyline to the cast to the production. I had never seen the story of a gay Black man from the hood maneuvering his romantic journey and the trauma of his upbringing be told in that way and with such delicacy.
17. Who is your favorite Black actor/actress and what about their on-screen work appeals most to you?
Chadwick Boseman, R.I.P. A) Because he went to Howard [laughs] and B) The way he really embodied all of his roles and immersed himself in those stories knowing how major they were was so impressive.
18. What’s your fondest memory from attending an HBCU?
Springtime at Howard is something special. Everyone sits on the yard and it’s one of the most beautiful sights to see. The fine arts kids painting on the steps in front of the fine arts building, the Showtime marching band practicing while the Bisonettes practice cheers, the Greeks hanging out by their respective trees practicing strolls and traditions, the international kids picnicking on blankets in the grass… It’s special!
19. If you were making a playlist that would be the soundtrack of your life, what song would be your intro and why?
Easily, “Brown Skin Girl” by Beyonce. Until I heard that song, I never heard a song that allowed me to feel completely seen, appreciated, and celebrated.
20. What song would be your outro and why?
“Black Parade” by Beyonce because it’s such a beautiful and celebratory soundtrack of Black excellence.
21. When someone says, “Black is beautiful,” what is the first thing that comes to mind for you?
I think about dark skin Black women and men. How beautiful and pure our skin is and how we glow/shine from the inside out. For a long time, I didn’t like the color of my skin. I got made fun of growing up and I’ve heard the same from other people of my hue and darker, so after doing the self-work to realize we are the most beautiful, I’m proud to think about us when I hear that phrase.
22. What is an interest of yours that isn’t typically considered a “Black thing” but is 100% part of who you are?
Traveling! As an adult I’ve started prioritizing travel. At first, I just thought it was because I like to travel but then I realized it was an act against resistance towards our very work-obsessed culture. I also realized that many Black people only think travel is something that you do when you have to go visit family etc. but I love the way this new generation of Black people are traveling and exploring just because we want to. There are places that you travel that are anti-Black or don’t like the presence of Blackness so traveling is 100% resistance to that experience as well.
23. If you could travel to any Black nation in the world, where would you go and why?
Anywhere in Africa to be honest! Just to witness more indigenous Blackness and observe the ways that we’re all so similar while still being so different.
24. Why do you feel celebrating Black History Month is important?
It honors those that came before us. Even though every month is Black history, it demands the respect of other communities in a way that forces us to celebrate our existence and contributions.
25. What is your favorite Black invention and why?
Anything from Black designers like Telfar, Pyer Moss, and Hanifa. Their contributions to fashion have been innovative as designers, not just Black designers.
26. What piece of Black history are you most inspired to have experienced in your lifetime?
Having a Black First Family in Barack, Sasha, Malia, and Michelle. It was such an experience to have the most important family in the country look like my own household for eight years.
27. What do you want your legacy to be?
I want to be remembered as someone that changed the world with positivity. Someone who had influence and impact for helping others with whatever resources I had.
28. Why does your Black life matter?
Because for so long major populations haven’t always believed that. I believe we’re all here to do something great and my life’s work can’t be completed without believing and knowing that my life matters.
