Credit is nothing to play with. It can work in your favor or completely work against you. BLACK ENTERPRISE caught up with founder Christia’n Annice of eMillions+, a credit repair agency, who gave us four tips on how to increase your credit score.
Pay your bills on time
Delinquent payments and collections can have a major negative impact on a credit score. According to FICO data, a 30-day delinquency could cause as much as a 90- to 110-point drop on a FICO Score of 780 for a consumer who has never missed a payment on any credit account.
In comparison, as stated on Equifax, a consumer with a 680 FICO Score and two late payments (a 90-day delinquency on a credit card account from two years ago and a 30-day delinquency on an auto loan from a year ago) would experience a 60- to 80-point drop after being hit with another 30-day delinquency.
Keep balances low on credit cards and other “revolving credit”
When your balance is low so is your utilization percentage, which is extremely important to your score. To boost your score, pay down a credit card with a high balance relative to its credit limit. Also, try and increase your credit limits. You can do this by calling credit card companies to negotiate.
Apply for and open new credit accounts only as needed
Applying for new credit accounts for about 10% of your FICO score, so the impact is relatively small but still important to consider.
Opening new accounts is a different scenario. If you only have had credit for a short time, don’t open a lot of new accounts too rapidly. As stated on MyFico, new accounts will lower your average account age, which will have a larger effect on your FICO Scores if you don’t have a lot of other credit information.
Pay off debt rather than moving it around
It is extremely important to pay off your debt. A lot of people use moving it to different cards as a strategy but, the only sure fire way to make sure that it is affecting your score in a positive way is to pay it off.
Journey Beyond Limits With ‘Go Girl 2: The Black Woman’s Book Of Travel And Adventure’
Go inside the second edition of the first travel guide by and for Black women, "Go Girl 2: The Black Woman's Book of Travel and Adventure."
Nearly 30 years after penning the first travel guide by and for African American women, author Elaine Lee is back with the launch of Go Girl 2: The Black Woman’s Book of Travel and Adventure.
With the second edition of her barrier-breaking travel guide, Lee furthers her legacy as a travel literature pioneer with a new compelling collection of fifty-four travel stories, poems, and photographs, crafted to inspire, educate, and entertain Black women globetrotters. Readers get to join in on thrilling adventures from the icy Arctic to the sun-soaked Caribbean and uncover cultural treasures across Africa, Australia, the Americas, and Asia.
Featuring captivating stories by Maya Angelou, Alice Walker, Jill Nelson, Linda Villarosa, Faith Adiele, and Evelyn White, along with other beloved favorites, Go Girl 2 also includes republished pieces from the original Go Girl. Explore stories from a new generation of travel writers, featuring experts like Lola Akinmade Åkerström, Lebawit Lily Girma, Georgina Lawton, Martinique Lewis, Rue Mapp, and Noo Saro-Wiwa.
“I was inspired to create Go Girl 2 because there was a need for a forum to showcase the voices of the modern-day Black woman traveler and travel journalists,” Lee told BLACK ENTERPRISE.
“There has not been another Black woman’s travel anthology published since my first one in 1997 and it was high time to have an updated and more expansive version.”
“Go Girl 2 delves into the challenges Black women face with racism while traveling, overcoming fears, and asserting their rights. It also provides practical advice on everything from packing to solo travel safety, making it the ultimate guide for modern Black women on the move.”
“Go Girl One was the first Black travel book published after Victor Green’s Green Book, which stopped publishing in the 60s. It was a pioneering work that opened the door for dozens of other black travel books to follow,” Lee shared.
“Go Girl 2 is following in that groundbreaking tradition by ushering in a new era of travel media mavens and an exploration into the new Black travel movement.”
An editor and freelance writer, Lee’s work showcases specialty storytelling that highlights the rich, diverse experiences of Black women travelers. With two travel guides under her belt, she invites readers on a journey that is both personal and universal, providing insights into the joys, challenges, and transformative power of travel.
“It is astounding to see the number of Black women’s travel blogs, groups, books, websites, Facebook pages, and influencers that have mushroomed in the past few years,” Lee says about the progression of Black women globetrotters since the release of Go Girl One.
“When I took my solo first trip around the world in 1992, I had never met a Black woman who had accomplished such a feat, and it’s part of what inspired me to create my first RTW travel book for Black women. I didn’t want other curious Black women travelers to have the same fear/terror that I had when embarking on my first trip and I also wanted them to know how glorious, safe, and fun it is to circumnavigate Mother Earth.”
Lee’s travel guide and anthology serve as a beacon, guiding future explorers and storytellers to unleash their inner wanderlust. An avid enthusiast for her work, Lee gushed about the types of inspirational travel stories readers will enjoy.
“Stories range from ‘Belonging’ a vivid exploration of the experience of visiting a majority Black country for the first time, and ‘Going to Ghana,’ the story of a mother and daughter who travel to Africa to participate in sacred rites in a Ghanaian village; and ‘A Homegirl Hits Beijing,’ a jaunty account of studying Mandarin and learning about oneself,” she shared.
“Maya Angelou tells the story of arriving in Africa a stranger but leaving claimed as a member of the Bambara tribe. Evelyn C. White writes about finding new pride in being Black after visiting Egypt. Alice Walker offers a quiet meditation on how the beauty of the country stirred her imagination. Opal Palmer Adisa evokes the sights, sounds, and aromas of urban Ghana where she traveled to meet her lifelong pen pal.”
And then there’s her favorite story in the book, which tells the story of a couple who vacationed after struggling with infertility and experienced a miraculous shift.
“It’s about a couple who used their frequent flier miles to visit Gambia on vacation to recover from the wife’s long-term and exhausting fertility challenges,” Lee said. “In the course of their journey, they happened upon a fertility ritual that ultimately resulted in them having twins.”
Go Girl 2: The Black Woman’s Book of Travel and Adventure is available for purchase on Amazon or at www.ugogurl.com.
Otis Redding’s Estate Partners With Sony Music To Bring His Classics To New Audiences
The estate of Otis Redding maintained that this deal is strictly to administer the songs of the late soul legend in the United States.
The estate of the late soul singer Otis Redding has entered into an agreement with Sony Music Publishing, which will allow the corporation to administer his songs, which include “Respect,” “Try A Little Tenderness,” “These Arms of Mine,” “I Been Loving You Too Long,” and “Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay” in the United States.
As WXGA reported, the estate of Otis Redding, which is doing business as Big O Holdings LLC, has not sold any rights to the music, or the catalog itself, but maintained in a statement to the outlet that this is strictly a deal to administer the songs. The was for an undisclosed amount.
In 1967, Otis Redding finished recording the song "Sittin On The Dock Of The Bay" in Memphis, TN. Tragically, 72 hours later he died in a plane crash at the age of 26.
When the phone rang at the Stax/Volt studios in Memphis in late November of 1967, guitarist Steve Cropper was… pic.twitter.com/jqXR9J4Fw3
“Sony and the catalog of Otis Redding assures the longevity of the legacy and promises to align Redding’s songs and vision nationally and internationally,” the family told WGXA in a statement. “There will never be information disclosed on the financial transaction and the Estate has not sold the catalog and will continue to have all approval rights on use of name, image, likeness and use of music.”
Redding’s widow, Zelma Redding, who never remarried following the soul singer’s tragic plane crash in 1967, told the outlet, “For over 50 years I have been diligent to make sure Otis’ legacy remains relevant and recognizable around the world. I feel that the Sony Music Publishing team can assist my family in this never-ending effort.”
Sony Music Publishing chairman and CEO John Platt told Billboard that the company is excited to partner with Redding’s estate, “As one of the most significant songwriters of our lifetime, Otis Redding remains an American treasure,” Platt said. “Otis’ songs have shaped the cultural landscape across genres and generations, and it is a privilege to partner with the Redding family as stateside custodians of this singular music catalog.”
Brian Monaco, the president and global chief marketing officer of Sony Music Publishing told Billboard of his admiration for Redding and his music. “Otis Redding was a rare talent – his songs are unmistakably brilliant, and their enduring impact remains strong to this day,” Monaco said. “We are honored to join forces with the Redding family to represent his catalog and strengthen his legacy as one of the most iconic songwriters in American history.”
Redding is arguably one of the greatest singer/songwriters America has ever produced. In 2021, Rolling Stone named “Respect,” which Redding wrote, and Aretha Franklin transformed into her own standard, as the best song ever recorded. In the recently released four-part docu-series Stax: Soulsville USA, Redding’s place at the label that served as a home for Black music artists is explored in detail, and Stax Records picked up two Grammys in February, nearly 50 years after it closed its doors for the last time.
As the documentary’s director, Jamila Wignot, told Billboard, “It was my hope that the series would provide a complex and nuanced portrait of the label’s story and of the rich community of artists who comprised that story. I think it will surprise audiences familiar with the likes of Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Isaac Hayes and The Staple Singers to know just how tenacious the label had to be to achieve the success it did. And how determined it had to be in the face of the powerful forces — industry bias, racism, corporate greed —that stood in the way of its dream, which was a simple one: to make great music and have it reach audiences hungry for that singular sound. The emphasis we place on Stax’s latter chapter, 1968-1975, will illustrate what a profound effect the label had on the industry and the possibilities it created for Black artists.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Eliminated In Libertarian Presidential Nomination Vote; Trump Disqualified
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was eliminated in the first round of voting for the Libertarian Party’s presidential nomination during their convention.
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was eliminated in the first round of voting for the Libertarian Party’s presidential nomination during their convention on May 26. Despite being nominated unexpectedly, Kennedy received support from only 19 delegates, or 2.07%, and was quickly ousted.
The nomination ultimately went to Chase Oliver after seven rounds of voting, CNN reported. Kennedy’s candidacy faced boos from delegates, and he urged Libertarians to support his campaign even though they might not agree on all issues. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump, who spoke at the convention and was loudly booed, was disqualified from consideration as he failed to submit the necessary paperwork. Trump received six write-in votes, while adult film actress Stormy Daniels received one vote as a rebuke against him, ABC News reported.
Following his elimination, Kennedy posted on social media expressing his gratitude for the unexpected nomination and emphasized the need for independents and third parties to unite against the two-party system. Although Kennedy did not originally intend to seek the Libertarian nomination, he had previously met with Libertarian officials to discuss shared beliefs. Some delegates, however, felt Kennedy was using the party for his own gain without respecting its values.
“What an unexpected honor to wake up this morning to a groundswell in the Libertarian Party seeking to nominate me. I would have accepted the nomination if offered because independents and third parties need to unite right now to reclaim our country from the corrupt two-party system,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy’s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, remarked on the relevance and potential success of collaborating with the Libertarian Party, though she did not speak at the convention following Kennedy’s elimination. Despite setbacks, Kennedy continues to campaign on platforms appealing to Libertarians, including free-market approaches, anti-war stances, and support for constitutional rights, positioning himself against both Trump and President Biden in the upcoming election.
Georgia Prosecutor Fani Willis Appeals Judge’s Ruling To Dismiss Several Trump Charges
Among the six counts set to be dropped, three directly involve Trump.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has filed an appeal against a judge’s decision to dismiss multiple charges in the racketeering case against former President Donald Trump. This latest legal maneuver comes after Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ruled in March that six of the charges against Trump and his co-defendants lacked sufficient detail and should be dismissed.
Willis, who did not provide specific reasons for why the dismissal should be reversed, is challenging the decision. She filed the appeal on May 23, Fox News reported. Among the six counts set to be dropped, three directly involve Trump. The original indictment included 41 counts against Trump and his co-defendants, Newsweek reported.
In addition to Willis’ appeal, Trump’s legal team has also filed to have Willis removed from the case. They allege that she had an “improper” affair with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, who was hired to assist with the prosecution. Judge McAfee previously ruled that the relationship did not compromise the trial’s integrity, but a Georgia appeals court has agreed to hear an appeal on this matter. Wade has since stepped down from the case.
The legal battle between Trump and Willis has intensified against the backdrop of Willis’ recent primary election victory, where she won by a significant margin over her Democratic challenger. In her victory speech, Willis reiterated her commitment to justice, stating, “There is no one above the law in this country. Nor is there anyone beneath it.”
Harlem School Of The Arts Celebrates 60th Anniversary With ‘Bridgerton’-Themed Gala
The gala also served as a fundraiser, raising over $2 million for the school’s diverse arts programming and tuition assistance for students.
On May 20, the Harlem School of the Arts’ (HSA) celebrated its 60th anniversary at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City. The event honored the legacy of the school’s founder, concert soprano Dorothy Maynor, and guests were greeted with a Bridgerton-inspired dinner theater experience, coinciding with Netflix’s release of the show’s third season.
Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos gave a heartfelt speech to his wife, author, and former ambassador to the Bahamas, Nicole A. Avant, who was honored alongside her late parents, Jacqueline and Clarence Avant. Celebrated for their efforts in philanthropy, business, and politics, the Avants were recognized at the event. Other honorees included Deborah Roberts, Al Roker, their son Nick, Jennifer Jones Austin, and The Herb Alpert Foundation, which has supported HSA for over a decade.
Guests wore 1800s-inspired ball gowns, enjoying live jazz and music from The Roots, with performances reflecting HSA’s musical legacy, Vogue reported.
The gala not only celebrated HSA’s milestone but was also a fundraiser. Over $2 million was raised, supporting the school’s diverse arts programming and tuition assistance for students.
HSA President James C. Horton emphasized the event’s significance in continuing Dorothy Maynor’s vision of uplifting underrepresented communities through the arts.
“As we reflect on HSA’s 60 years of unwavering dedication to the transformative power of the arts, we stand in awe of the remarkable individuals who have embodied the spirit and vision of our beloved founder, Dorothy Maynor,” said Horton. “We look forward to honoring those whose tireless efforts have echoed her legacy of uplifting underrepresented and underserved communities through the arts.”
Sandra Buchanan Hurse, board member and gala committee member, highlighted the life-changing impact of arts education and the importance of ensuring access regardless of socio-economic status. “The impact of receiving arts education can be life-changing, and no child should have to be without that experience because they can’t afford it. The funds raised this evening provide access to arts programming for young people regardless of their socio-economic circumstances,” said Hurse.
What’s Next After California State Senate Passed Three Reparations Bills
The bills are aimed at creating sources of funding for reparations for Black Californians.
Three bills aimed at creating sources of funding for the compensation of Black Californians passed the state’s Senate after years of groundwork. The bills, which were authored by Democratic State Sen. Steven Bradford, will create a fund for reparations, provide compensation for land taken by eminent domain for racially biased reasons, and the creation of the California American Freedmen Affairs Agency.
According to USA Today, Rep. Bradford believes that the state “bears great responsibility” in addressing the injustices it perpetrated against Black people through enslavement, segregation, discrimination, and stigmatizing Black Californians.
Bradford continued, “These are not a handout or charity by any measure. It is what was promised. It is what is owed and what is 160 years overdue. If you can inherit generational wealth, you can inherit generational debt,” Bradford said. “Reparations is a debt that’s owed to descendants of slavery.”
The fund will also establish support for future projects designed to compensate Black people or descendants of an enslaved person who lived in California during the 19th Century. A previous version of the bill stipulated that the bill was to be funded from 6% of the state budget reserve, but that has since been eliminated, which leaves the source of the bill’s funding unclear.
The same bill establishing the Freedmen Affairs Agency also would create a Genealogy Office and an Office of Legal Affairs, while the bill that establishes compensation for eminent domain also gives the Office of Legal Affairs the authority to review, investigate, and determine the status of applications for the compensation of land taken by the practice of eminent domain.
As California Divide reports, legislators in the Senate advanced the three bills and an official apology for California’s role in slavery, AB 3089. That bill, authored by Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer, was written following his term on the state’s task force that was commissioned to study the harms the state perpetrated against its Black residents.
As Jones-Sawyer told the Assembly ahead of the vote, “We were people’s properties in this state. And it was defended by the State Supreme Court and other courts.”
Assuming the three bills are passed by the members of the Assembly, they will then head to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. Two other bills, SB 1007 and SB 1013 died ahead of the vote as the California Black Caucus did not designate them as priority bills for this year’s legislative session.
Newsom, California’s Democratic Governor, has signaled his support for aims that do not involve cash payments, but he has also been cutting funding from various areas, including education, to reduce California’s ballooning budget.
Ahead of the session, Bradford was critical of some of the bills advanced by the Caucus, praising them as a great start before telling the California Divide, “…there’s much more heavy lifting that will be needed to be done in the years to come.”
Jones-Sawyer also told the outlet that he believes the bills are necessary. “All of the bills are important,” Jones-Sawyer said. “Taken in totality; it’s not just inching this or inching that. All of these bills have a significant impact on moving forward with closing the wealth gap.”
Harlem Capital Seeks To Raise $150M To Fund Diverse Founders
Founded in 2019, Harlem Capital currently manages $174 million in assets and has made over 80 investments.
Harlem Capital, a Black-led venture capital firm, is seeking to raise $150 million, which would top its previous high of $134 million, set in 2021. The firm was founded in 2019 by Henri Pierre-Jacques and Jarrid Tingle in an informal manner as both men were angel investors in start-ups, real estate, and non-technology businesses. Eventually, the two pooled their efforts in Harvard Business School and shifted into venture-style investing into underserved entrepreneurs.
As Tech Crunch reported, Harlem Capital filed documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission indicating that they intend to raise a sum of $150 million. In contrast to the two previous funding cycles, the climate and appetite for this round of investment could be hampered by the current backlash to the diversity and inclusion initiatives birthed out of the murder of George Floyd.
According to Pitchbook, Harlem Capital currently manages $174 million in assets and has made over 80 investments into companies which includes Propane.ai, Poolit, a fin-tech company, and e-Gander, an e-commerce platform.
Pierre-Jacques told Forbes in 2021 that when they started the fund, there were no other companies that focused on companies run by Black founders and other people of color. “There were no other funds that were racially focused with diverse people at the top,” Pierre-Jacques said. “So we felt like we had to start it ourselves.”
However, since that beginning, there are now several Black-owned venture capital firms operating in that space, including Fearless Fund, whose focus on Black- and women-owned companies has drawn the ire of conservatives due to that emphasis. Conservatives allege that the focus of the Fearless Fund on those groups amounts to reverse racism and have challenged the fund using much the same argument that conservatives made to get affirmative action overturned by the Supreme Court in 2023.
In a January op-ed for IHRB, Sauli Tripathy described the fundamental hypocrisy in the conservative backlash to diversity, equity and inclusion. “Whether it is the collapse of Enron, the accounting scandal at Worldcom, the recent conviction of Sam Bankman-Fried, the Ponzi scheme of Bernie Madoff, the accounting scandal at Tyco, or the disinformation campaign about the health effects of smoking by tobacco companies, Union Carbide’s Bhopal gas disaster in 1984, BP’s Deepwater oil spill, the opioid crisis and Purdue Pharma, all these cases showed unethical, negligent, or illegal conduct in well-known companies led usually by white men. None of these CEOs were beneficiaries of DEI policies or affirmative action. And yet, there has not been an outcry from anyone saying men who happen to be white, and are from elite universities, should be barred from senior positions.”
The vote, which many see as a blow to the state's Black voters, was 6-3.
On May 23, the Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 split along ideological lines that the electoral maps drawn by South Carolina Republicans were not unconstitutional, nor did they present a barrier to Black voters exercising their political power, a reversal of previous rulings from lower courts.
As ABC News reported, Justice Samuel Alito wrote the majority opinion. Alito believes that the decision from the lower court(s) was erroneous, as he wrote, “A party challenging a map’s constitutionality must disentangle race and politics if it wishes to prove that the legislature was motivated by race as opposed to partisanship. Second, in assessing a legislature’s work, we start with a presumption that the legislature acted in good faith,” Alito argued. “In this case…the three-judge District Court paid only lip service to these propositions.”
The case concerned South Carolina’s Congressional First district, which stretches from Savannah and Hilton Head all the way to Charleston. Upon the district’s realignment after the 2020 election, several majority-Black neighborhoods were moved into the surrounding Congressional Sixth district. This elicited a challenge from the South Carolina NAACP and a resident, Taiwan Scott.
Scott, who was the only individual plaintiff in the lawsuit, told ABC News that he believed the redrawn district was “taking our opportunity to elect a representative away from us.” Alito, however, disagreed, writing in his opinion that he believed the evidence of racial gerrymandering was circumstantial. “Challengers provided no direct evidence of a racial gerrymander and their circumstantial evidence is very weak,” Alito wrote.
Justice Elena Kagan, who authored the liberal justices dissent, argued that the Supreme Court’s decision was disrespectful to the work done by the lower courts and their judgment that the purge of 30,000 Black voters from the district was essentially “bleaching” the district.
Kagan used her dissenting opinion to sound the alarm for what the conservative-led court’s judgment would allow to happen in the future. “What a message to send to state legislators and mapmakers about racial gerrymandering,” Kagan wrote. “Those actors will often have an incentive to use race as a proxy to achieve partisan ends. And occasionally they might want to straight-up suppress the electoral influence of minority voters.”
Kagan continued her strongly worded opinion, “This odious practice of sorting citizens, built on racial generalizations and exploiting racial divisions, will continue. In the electoral sphere especially, where ugly patterns of pervasive racial discrimination have so long governed, we should demand better — of ourselves, of our political representatives, and most of all of this Court. Respectfully, I dissent.”
Kagan’s opinion reflected that of her liberal compatriots, Justices Sonia Sotomayer and Ketnaji Brown-Jackson as she wrote, “The proper response to this case is not to throw up novel roadblocks enabling South Carolina to continue dividing citizens along racial lines.”
Kagan argued, “It is to respect the plausible – no, the more than plausible – findings of the District Court that the State engaged in race-based districting. And to tell the State that it must redraw District 1, this time without targeting African Americans.”
“The highest court in our land greenlit racial discrimination in South Carolina’s redistricting process, denied Black voters the right to be free from the race-based sorting and sent a message that facts, process, and precedent will not protect the Black vote,” Nelson wrote.
Nelson added, “Today the voices of Black South Carolinians were muted, and if we are not careful the next set of votes denied could be those in your state. Make no mistake, LDF will not yield in the fight to build Black political power that represents the people who contribute mightily to this country and strengthen this democracy. The voting rights of Black communities remain under attack and the LDF will continue to meet moments like these with the resolve and determination necessary to protect voting rights and enforce key protections of the 14th and 15th Amendments.”
Nigerian-Born Engineer Changed His Name To Secure A Job After Months Of No Offers But Felt Like A ‘Fake’
One survey found one-fifth of job seekers changed their names on applications to protect themselves against workplace discrimination.
In a Business Insider story, Nigerian-born Mukhtar Kadiri detailed changing his name to something more English-sounding in 2007 in the hopes of landing a job. What was done in the hopes of fitting exacted a heavy emotional toll.
After graduating from Texas Tech University, where he studied petroleum engineering, Kadiri attended career workshops, worked on his résumé, and went on interviews.
But Kadiri noticed how fast his American classmates were getting offers while he struggled.
“I was an international student, and my employer would have to sponsor my H-1B visa,” he said. “That also made it harder for me to be hired than my American peers.”
Kadiri noticed that some of his Nigerian friends adopted English names and moved through the corporate world a lot easier. “I felt they might be perceived as less strange and more familiar at social events and have conversations that flowed more easily than mine,” Kadiri said.
He decided to put the name “Mark” next to his first name in quotation marks since it had some of the same letters as Mukhtar—feeling he wouldn’t have to move through more barriers between him and the interviewer. Shortly after, Kadiri landed an interview with an oil and gas service company.
“The interviewer called me ‘Mark’, and eventually, the company offered me a petroleum engineering job,” he said. “It’s possible that I would have gotten called for the interview even if I didn’t use Mark, but I think the timing was interesting.”
Mukhtar never legally changed his name, but his boss referred to him as “Mark” and he even introduced himself with that name.
But “I’d cringe when people used it. I felt like I was denying my roots or being a bit fake,” Kadiri said. “No one forced me to change my name, but I felt compelled to do it to avoid being a failure. I really wanted a job.”
In 2023, hiring software company Greenhouse released a survey that revealed one-fifth of job seekers went to drastic measures to protect themselves against workplace discrimination by changing their names on applications, according to CNBC. Of the respondents who did change their names, 45% did it to sound “less ethnic,” 42% wanted to sound younger, and 22% made the decision to sound like the opposite sex.
For Kadiri, his days as “Mark” didn’t last too long after a Nigerian colleague started calling him by his real name. Then after moving to UAE, with a predominately Arabic presence, he started to introduce himself as Mukhtar.
After becoming a Canadian permanent citizen in 2015, Kadiri struggled to find a job. A friend suggested another name change, but Kadiri refused.
“I didn’t want to relive the same experience again,” he said. “I wouldn’t erase a core part of me just to get a job.” He landed at a tech company and stayed there four years.
“I feel like I’m being authentic now that I use my real name at work. I’m proud of the journey I’ve taken to arrive at this place,” Kadiri said. “It took me a while to get to a place where I love who I am and where I’m from, but I now embrace my identity.”
