“The only way that you become aware of the enemy is you have to have your eyes wide open, you know. And having your eyes wide open also requires you to have a certain amount of self awareness to where you can see things that are not of your likeness, that are not of God, that are evil and I feel like once you get that type of awareness, I feel like those things start to surface themselves because you will always be able to address things that are not of the likeness of you or of the likeness of good if you have become aware of what good is and what that brings about in your life. Once we become aware of those evils and those things that are against us and those oppressions, I feel like you’re able to strategize, and strategize against those things that are against you.” La Speaks Volumes |Poet|Author|Educator.

“I went to prison in 2012. Got out in 13 ish and when I went there, it was a transformation period because I was priviledged. Imma be straight up with you; like the experience wasn’t the best. Some people die, some people getting killed, raped, all that shit in front of you, whatever. That’s the life in there, but in that life in there, you gotta find out the life in there, in yourself. And I’m like yo, when you get snatched from society of regular things that you think that matters and you’re only stuck with yourself, your mind, man you figure some stuff out. Straight up, you figure like a whole bunch of shit out. You’re like okay,  how do I write; that matters. Remembering the time when you were taught how to write; that shit matters. Some people go in there and sober up and some people go in there and get fucked up. So the transformation between who I thought I was and who I really am.” - Errol.Space |Singer/Songwriter|Producer|Activist for Human Rights & Homelessness

“As much as we should be of service to each other, we also need to take a step back and also realize that a person’s emotional experiences are not our responsiblity, and I realized that in working with the population that I did, and also working with the youth is that we tend to take on their experiences and feel responsible for their healing and feel responsible for their next phase, which we are not responsible for. And it’s even harder when you see someone who has so much potential, and you’re like dang! you could be doing this or I got this for you. But the validation is not needed. If you’re coming from a pure place of helping them, let it be just that.” - MJ |Artist|Philanthropist| Founder of P.U.S.H. Experience LA|

“So as far as gender roles go, I definitely think the world has changed a lot to where there are some roles that kind of mesh together, where you know, its not like the wife is just at home, and the husband goes out and does everything, and then she has to cook and take care of the kids. There are still people who live like that, but there’s also women who go out and work and come home and take care of the kids, as well as men who go out and work, come home, and take care of the kids. I still have some thoughts that are old school in a way just because I was brought up in an old school upbringing. So with that being said, sometimes I definitely feel like when you go on a date, and if the man has asked me out on a date, I think he should pay on the first date. I mean, just because you invited me out specifically. You should have a goal in mind and a plan in mind and like want to pay.” - Amber Doss|Singer/Songwriter|Performer|Producer|

“Life is a perfect balance of nature and nurture. I believe that there’s a resiliency in all of us. I just think that some people, whether it was because they weren’t nurtured the right way, or because they just  simply aren’t strong enough within themselves, can’t tap into that all the time, because life is hard. But I believe that when we see certain success stories, there are success stories that happen. I believe i’m a success story because of nurturing. I believe if I came up in a different family and a different society, I would’ve fallen victim to some of the evils of this world. Whereas, I have other friends where them having to come up in the evils of the world is actually what inspired them to be better, be a better version of themselves. So I don’t think that there’s just one answer. Some people come up in privilege and they expound on that privelidge. Some people come up from the dirt and because of that, it’s actually the inspiration that helps them to get to a place of privilege.” - Josh Patterson / Goldie | Artist|Ghostwriter|Advocate of Outreach|Inspirer

Eleaze: “Ooh wee, I wasn’t ready for this. Okay, how do you know when you’re in love. I can’t even tell you. It’s a feeling. It’s not really a check sheet. I’ve tried to put one together. I’ve tried to, you know but I think it’s just a feeling. When somebody leaves the room and you feel apart of them has gone with you. I don’t think that there’s any checklist though. But it’s just a feeling of emptiness when the person that, you know, you love isn’t there or you feel like somethings taken away from you. Almost like a parent does with her infant when you know the baby comes out and somebody takes it, like your, like a piece of that has gone with you though. I wasn’t ready for that question but that’s a good one though.” - Eleaze |Singer|Songwriter|Producer

“Sometimes you can be in the wrong career and just because you’re in the wrong career, doing the wrong thing, you can’t reach the people you need to reach because you’re not where you’re supposed to be. There’s various reasons but I believe for the most part that, we’re everywhere. Leaders are everywhere. It’s just a matter of what to do to reach the people that you’re supposed to reach. You can’t reach everybody. That’s why everybody has to be a leader within themselves and whatever their gifted with, that’s what they use to achieve that influence, because I can reach maybe these 10000 people and those 30000 I can’t reach because they don’t see where I’m coming from and we can’t relate, even though I might be right about a lot of things. So you need somebody else who they see as a leader because that person understands where they’re coming from and that way they can reach those type of people. In the end, we all are going to win. It’s just a matter of who can I influence, who can you influence, who can we collectively influence.” -Kenneth Martinez |Videographer|Photographer|Screenwriter

 “Nigga, Nigga” by La Speaks Volumes.

“I always said that I would want to be more professional in certain settings but I also know that my personality will always come out, and not to say that that’s less professional. It’s just I’m not a robot and I can’t be that way. Whether that’s like my voice being very strong, it’s carrying, whether if my laugh is so loud, whether I get along with everybody or I get along with a select few, it’s a choice and I’m not going to be the person who’s always deciding to code switch. So it just depends on you and if you think that’s going to take you far and if that is what matters to you. Not to say that you can’t get far being yourself because that’s what everyone promotes, but then people also promote switching things up and kind of stripping yourself. So it just depends on you. I just would rather go with being myself.” Arion Edwards |Rotten Tomatoes Editor|Painter|Emerging Creative

“What I have to offer to the world is really just prolific vision and storytelling. One thing that I love to do with my work is, you know, give the people a message. Rather it be political, something, you know, about mental health. Anything that can just help others see themselves in my work. I have a song that’s called “All Bad.” It’s not anything political but it does touch on mental health and not feeling like yourself but overall, tapping into that energy, and utilizing it to where you’re comfortable with who you are 100 percent.” - Adrian Javon |Cinematographer|Photographer|Prolific Storyteller|Creative

“Me being an artist, I have to be at work sometimes at 8 in the morning and I’ll be up till 5 in the morning recording or 5 in the morning mixing or go to the studio all night and my sessions over at 8 and I’m calling the job like yo I’mma be 30 minutes late, and going straight to the job in the morning. So that to me is passion. Purpose is understanding what you’re here for. Like this job, this ain’t where I want to be of course, you know what I’m saying. We all got dreams but you do have to go through your little vehicles to get to your destination, you know what i’m saying, and that’s how I look at this job. But it has a purpose because the job has to stay open, people gotta be happy, customers have to be happy. So my purpose is just making sure the stores clean, making sure the food is always fresh, making sure your just doing the small things that’ll make people smile when they come in there, you know what I mean.” -Kuntry Kali |Artist|Producer|Model|Restaurant Manager

“Complacency and comfortability I feel are the two things that hinder people from being successful. Like I said, I’m 28 years old, I’m a Professor, I also edit for a journal on campus. You know I’m constantly looking for things to do which is why I have a part-time job at a yoga studio as well. You know, I’ve even asked myself okay like what am I doing, why do I have these degrees but I’m still finding comfort with placing myself in a you know, 10 hour a week job at a yoga studio but that’s because I am not a complacent person and If I find myself being comfortable in anything that I do, whether it’s a relationship, friendship, a work related anything, I kind of have to reevaluate myself and recenter myself and reflect on the things that I actually have to be pushing myself towards.” - Melanie Shaw |Africana Studies and EOP Professor|Yoga Studio Staff|Ambitious Soul|Creative MFA’er