WSTalk Fall Winter 2023 - Flipbook - Page 50
Envision Humanity Trough Art, Culture, Fashion & Music
“Women Of Influence Building Cultural Empires
In A New Era Of Discovery”
Gifty Boakye
Exclusive Interview
Article_by: Cassandra Tindal
G
ifty is a very gifted
multi-faceted woman. She didn’t stop
at modeling, fash-
ion, and being an
entrepreneur. She
prides herself in
working with the
Afro-Future Team
in Ghana. The team
is now seven years
old and, what began
as a festival founded
by two young Ghanaian men who also
celebrated the duality of being Ghanaian-American, now
celebrates African
music, fashion, culture, food, and art
annually - enlightening the beauty of being African.
Sharing her perspective, Gifty shares
how “Right now, we are in a time
where being African is at the forefront
of being more than a revolution; not
just being African, but from wherever
you’re from.
People are celebrating that they are
born to immigrants, 昀椀rst generation
graduates, and things like that. At Afro-Future, we pride ourselves on inviting the diaspora back home to Ghana
to learn about our history - but also inviting people to tell us about theirs. It’s
important for us to highlight and celebrate what’s going on in the continent.
For so long, our story hasn’t been told
50
by us the right way. Now we can make
sure to tell our own stories and that the
narrative is clear, honest, and transparent. The annual festival in Ghana
has grown to at least thirty thousand in
attendance. In 2017, I became the face
of the festival and all of the art work.
That’s how I actually came on board.
It was just an idea, and we grew, and I
became one of the founding members
essentially as well.”
The Afro-Future Team was featured
in Forbes in 2022, and highlighted the
women of the team as being the backbone. “Our entire team is dynamic,
but I need you to understand that the
women of our Afro-Future team are a
force,” Gifty says. “I have to give each
and every woman on the team their
昀氀owers because they excel in their respective careers, and have time to excel
as women in their personal lives, as sisters, as wives, mothers, daughters and
girlfriends.”
When it comes to family, Gifty has
this to say: “My family has mostly contributed to building my tough skin;
they have all taught me something.
My brother, Eric, taught me di昀昀erent
things like how to rap anything from
JAY Z’s Reasonable Doubt album. My
brother, Rugine, taught me how to be
very competitive - that’s what helps
drive me in a business setting. Elegance and grace was learned from my
beautiful mother. I was born regal because my father is a chief or like a king
in Ghana, which I think shows in who
I am - my dark skin, for which I am
very grateful for as well.” It is clear that
Gifty’s family has been very instrumental in who she’s become.
In terms of being an in昀氀uencer
in today’s culture,
Gifty also feels it’s
important to think
about one’s mental health. “Before
you speak on your
opinions,” she asserts, “ You have to
understand it may
upset someone if it’s
actually polarized,
which most issues
around the world
are, meaning two
di昀昀erent opinions
or di昀昀erent sides.
Cancel-culture is
a big thing these days. It means being
passionate enough to speak up on a topic that makes you feel a certain way,
whether it’s good or bad. So before you
speak, just know that it may come with
some backlash that will a昀昀ect you mentally. I think that number one thing is,
when you speak your opinion, you’ve
done yourself a great service by just
speaking up - whatever you think about
the topic. However, now you have to
throw in the greater good - humanity!
With the climate of the world today
and things that are going on speci昀椀cally with Palestine and Israel, which is
a matter that I have not taken to my
social media to speak speci昀椀cally about
what I’ve read or researched.