WSTalk Fall Winter 2023 - Flipbook - Page 51
Personally, I believe I speak on a vast
scale, I don’t get speci昀椀c on the details
that I’m very familiar with because I
study social justice, globalization, war,
and mediation - media strategy down
to what we see on TV and what we’re
being told from di昀昀erent media outlets.
Gifty believes that it doesn’t matter how many degrees one has or if
someone has never been to school before. Humanity and the greater good
is humanity and the greater good! If
someone is being unalive, if someone is
being intimidated, tortured, or harmed
for no reason as a human being since
the day you were born, your birthright
is to be a part of the greater good, and
a collective of humanity - so you are
now abolished to be an asset to educate
yourself and other people on how to be
a good person.
I have these conversations, but a lot
of people who have brands are afraid
to speak up for fear of losing endorsements, friends or followers. They care
more about the now rather than the future. That’s 昀椀ne! “But understand that
it circles back. If you are donating your
own money quietly to an organization
that is helping to fund communities,
you don’t have to tell everybody. You
don’t need to prove to anybody that you
support, or you are against, a speci昀椀c
side. When you go to sleep by yourself
at night, you close your eyes with your
own thoughts - what you’re doing is
serving the greater good! I don’t have
a problem with that. For some people
who are mentally prepared to voice
their controversial opinions and battle
back and forth, I tip my hat to them
as well.
There is a part of my story that people don’t know until they do the research and learn who I am. There is
a certain grit that I have, that you will
see if need be. My brother and I are
empaths. We want to make sure that
you are heard because a lot of people
at the bottom don’t really feel like they
have a voice.
My impact is to let them know that the
counselor that told me I couldn’t go to
college, because I couldn’t a昀昀ord it, was
wrong! It’s people like us, African kids
that were born here, brought by immigrants who had to work multiple jobs,
with a language barrier in the United
States, then grew up and changed the
narrative for ourselves, and became
successful. There is so much power in
that truth. People need to hear it. You
don’t need a million followers to tell
your story. You can tell one person your
story and inspire that one person; whatever they do with it is their decision.”
On social media, Gifty says that there
is a misconception that she was born
with a silver spoon in her mouth because her father is a royal.
“I would be doing a disservice to myself if I didn’t open my mouth and talk
about who I am, and how I became
who I am authentically. I am not just
a beauty queen, model, student, or entrepreneur. I’m all those things combined in one. I’m a gift created by God
that has the privilege and the honor
to have platforms like this one to talk
to people and teach them things they
need to hear. Someone may read this
interview and feel like they’re scared to
share their voice about what’s going on
around the world, but may think about
what Gifty suggested and how it’s going
to a昀昀ect their mental health. If you’re
ready to take that on, let’s do it!”
After all, as Gifty aptly noted, the
greatest of the greatest have had to
forego fear. For example: Guanda, Malcom X, Martin Luther King, Markus
Garvey, Rosa Parks, Yaa Asantewaa. In
1900, Yaa Asantewaa led the Ashanti war, also known as the War of the
Golden Stool or the Yaa Asantewaa
War of Independence, against the British Empire.
The eternal growth for me has been
monumental to say the least, with this
year having a mural painted
of myself in Newark, New
Jersey, and being able to
represent my country with
70 other beautiful women
from around the world in
Poland. I was also featured
at the top of the year by
Forbes Magazine.
Including putting together
another year of greatness for
Afro-Future. All while doing my shoots
and being an engine in my career - so
just getting up and building my brand
in such an impactful way, and doing
this interview, photo shoots, and being
on the cover of Womenz Straight Talk
Magazine, that celebrates women who
are forces in industries, is a big deal.
For those few things alone I am grateful. This year, Gifty received her Masters in Globalization, Social Justice,
and International Relations.
So what is next for Gifty?
She is studying to take a foreign service
exam which will make her an o昀케cial
diplomat of the United States! She will
get to tell important stories around the
world and teach people about the duality of being Ghanian-American.
In 2024, NVTIVE is expanding its
reach with four di昀昀erent campaigns
around the world. Gifty’s nonprofit, Sister Slay, will go back to Gifty’s
high school (TC Willliams) for its next
con昀椀dence camp in June. In process is
a YouTube series Gifty is working on
called, Big Gift.
As this extraordinary interview came to
a close, Gifty’s 昀椀nal thoughts centered
on pressing forward. In her words,
“Don’t give up on your dream. No matter how discouraging or defeated you
might feel based on what is going on in
your own personal life, or what you’re
observing happening around the world,
don’t stop doing your part because you
never know who it may impact in a
positive way.
You may even impact and in昀氀uence
yourself further. Choose to 昀椀nd anything that feels like a light, and then
pass that on.”
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