We recently had the chance to connect with Aisha Barnes and have shared our conversation below.
Aisha, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What is a normal day like for you right now?
The fun thing about my life is that there is no “normal” day. My day depends on which hat I am being asked to wear. I work in three different career fields simultaneously, having the absolute pleasure of exploring all the things I am deeply passionate about at once.
Some days require me to show up as a company Executive—on those days I wear my Boss lady hat. I am the person tasked with solving complex issues, providing crisis support, and designing programs to better serve communities.
Some days require me to be a Creative Strategist—on those days I wear my creative/model/influencer hat. Those days I am the person tasked with bridging the gap between products and consumers, setting the tone for products, wellness habits and routines for people online each day.
Other days require me to use my Lawyer brain—on those days I wear my Zealous Advocate hat. I am the person tasked with authentically connecting with vulnerable populations and supporting them as they navigate crisis. Who is considered vulnerable? Unhoused individuals, foster youth, survivors of violence and sexual assault, single parents, seniors, undocumented persons, individuals identifying as LGBTQIA+, people with developmental disabilities and more, the list grows day by day.
While there are many other initiatives I participate in, these three careers sum up most of my daily life (in this season). Constantly switching tracks between these careers day to day does get very overwhelming, which is why I am such a HUGE proponent of self care for Black Women. And yes the spa is healthcare.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Aisha Marie (pronounced Asia, like the continent), I am a 27 year old nonprofit executive, creative, and lawyer, and I refuse to leave this world the same way I found it.
I was six years old when I first understood the concept of death. Not many other first graders were contemplating existential crisis in the way that I was. I knew from a very young age that living here is essentially a trial period, utilizing borrowed time, blissfully unaware of our collection date.
Knowing this has greatly shaped how I’ve shown up in this world— the decisions I make, the parts of society I tolerate and reject, and especially the things I create.
I’ve graduated law school, written a cookbook, built a women’s housing program, even modeled for both Rihanna and A$AP Rocky’s brands. I’ve sold lipgloss, started a photography business, made it onto a billboard, and trained Pastors in trauma informed care. I’ve worked in Congress, mentored foster youth, hosted All-Star weekend, and established mass followings on l major social platforms by being myself.
Aisha Marie the Brand is my umbrella LLC that is a testament to being a dynamic woman that cannot be boxed in. Every part of my journey has contributed to my becoming. But I’ve noticed that society has a way of shaving down the multidimensional parts of women to make us more digestible for the masses. Especially with the misogynistic red pill propaganda being pushed to young men. I pay it little mind though; all that really matters is that we use our gifts to enrich this world. And I choose to create a world for myself where respectability politics are not considered more than the plight of the people in it.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
That I had to perfect in order to be worthy.
I am grateful to my parents for the lessons about work ethic and discipline during my upbringing. I believe that when I teach my children those lessons one day I will focus more on integrity in their work than perfection.
Perfection is simply an unrealistic standard; a goal post that just keeps on moving. No matter how much time I dedicate, or how much of myself I neglect, I will never reach perfection. And I think when we teach small minds to strive for this unrealistic standard we are inherently setting them up for chronic feelings of inadequacy. I wish I could explain how much of my twenties were spent wandering in an effort to feel worthy of something.
Integrity, on the other hand, allows you to focus on a standard that you can actually control and contribute to. Instead of obsessing over excellent work you prioritize honest work. Putting a good foot forward, not cutting corners, even when no one is watching. I cannot guarantee that I will be the perfect supervisor, but I can always guarantee that I will show up with honest effort, commitment, and a can-do attitude. That way even if the result fails to yield success, I still have a positive self-image for my efforts.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Try not to focus so much on what could be different, and focus more on the sturdiness of the foundation around you.
We take solid ground for granted because we’ve never known a life where it hasn’t held us up.
Stop focusing so much on how you wish things would be and give thanks for how they are.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes, too real sometimes. People can call me whatever they like, I’m sure they do. But the one thing no person can ever say is that I am inauthentic. What you see on the timeline, on live, or in tweets is genuine. I pride myself on being me in all spaces; what a gift it is to show up in this world as God intended me to be. And the cool thing about that is there are hundreds of thousands of strangers around the world who now genuinely do know me in a way.
I dislike the statement, “It’s just social media,” because it minimizes the very real social interactions we have online. The conveyance of real issues and real emotion is not negated by the absence of a profile picture. I’ve had some tough moments in real life and have been comforted and supported by people online. Conversely, I’ve had some great days in real life that have been reduced to tears by the very real invasion of online privacy. It’s a tightrope of sorts, a balancing act amongst other things.
In this new season I am becoming more intentional about the parts of my identity that I save for myself. I think that’s important in any relationship (parasocial or otherwise), saving some of you for you.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
There is nothing cool, quirky, fun, or efficient about using AI (Artificial Intelligence).
The presence and overuse of AI is destroying our environment, and not in a “one day, long from now, it won’t affect me” kind of way.
Small, Black towns across the country are feeling the detrimental effects of AI right now. The US government is building an abhorrent amount of large scale data centers to store and maintain AI servers, doing so in impoverished cities where residents lack the capacity to resist.
These data centers generate massive levels of pollution to the surrounding areas and deplete local water supply. City residents that have never smoked a day in their lives are dying from Emphysema. People’s respiratory systems are failing, their immune systems failing, and they are simply dying in silence—why? Because you’re too lazy to open a book?
The presence and overuse of AI is destroying our education. OpenAI is not a must have technological advancement. This software should not be treated like the invention of the cordless phone. Instead, AI is a billion dollar software that replaces independent thought, inquiry, process, and labor. It handicaps users from developing essential critical thinking skills, thereby inducing further reliance on our systems. We now have a country of citizens that refuse to engage in independent thought or critical reading, while also being led by a fascist government that (owns OpenAI and) spreads misinformation.
The presence and overuse of AI is destroying our humanity. AI has become a playground for child predators, sexual deviants, and perpetrators of violence against women. As a people, we are becoming so lost in the metaverse that we forget core values like basic human decency, respect for autonomy, and the protection and reverence of women and children. We refuse to leave our homes and fellowship with our loved ones, but instead will AI generate images of us at festive parties. We refuse to book photography with local community members because AI will just generate a headshot for me. What then becomes the essence of humanity without human connection?
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aishaaamarie?igsh=MW44dTd0dzI1NTFiZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Twitter: https://x.com/aishaaamarie?s=11
- Other: https://linktr.ee/aishaaamarie
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
