Sam Boakye

At the end of the interview, Boakye explains what he wants for Kwasi Paul in the future, both in the Bronx and in the fashion industry. For the Bronx, he wants it to represent Ghanaian fashion, something Ghanaians in the Bronx can be proud of. He wants the Bronx to be seen as something better, not a “dirty” borough, as stereotypes would have it. For fashion, he wants to be another lens of living with in-between identities, for everyone who falls into these categories of multiple identities, especially for people in New York City. He encapsulates the Bronx as “The birth of hip-hop, an amazing borough, an authentic one, and if you’re authentic and you know it, you’re good” [(33:21)]. Boakye is a creative director who prioritizes his culture. He shares it with others and offers his story as a source of comfort and solidarity for those like him. LINK TO VIDEO RECORDING: http://cdm17265.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/baahp/id/126