in conversation with amarachukwu ụzọ
name | amarachukwu ụzọ
your current mantra | a freaking movie
on your must-read list | things fall apart by chinua achebe and the other side of truth by beverley naidoo
song currently fueling your soul | man of your word by maverick city and jerusalema by master kg
current inspiration | all the women who are doing their thing right now
COMMUNITY CARE
what does community mean to you, and how has it shaped the way you’ve fostered the community of your foundation, Ìruka?
íruka, in my native language, means “the future is bright.” i started it because i am very passionate about impact. i used to use the word change, but now i prefer the word impact because when change is happening, we’re still evolving and can influence what’s going on. i genuinely believe that’s what God wants me to do. i think my purpose in life is to impact africa. so for me, community means hope. for example, even when your family is dysfunctional, there is the hope that things will get better. but you have to work at it. community also represents love. and when i say love, i mean God. God is love. putting him into it makes things so much easier. in africa, a lot of times, God is not present. people may claim to know him, but they don’t exhibit the fruits of his love. they aren’t patient. it will take time to create change in africa. they aren’t kind. we should do everything in love.
sometimes i get discouraged when i think about what happens in my community and what my community lacks. but i know when God calls something, he always finishes it. i may know the beginning, and i can see the ending, but the process is something i have to trust and go through.
what spiritual convictions guide you as you engage in conversations about racial and social justice?
one thing that i’m still learning is that God is the creator of everything. when it comes to issues of justice, we associate God with judgment and anger. when we speak from those places, people won’t hear us. there is a way we should speak to people so they want to understand where we’re coming from. God is not a being who hates. so we shouldn’t hate the person, we should hate the sin—there’s a difference. it’s a matter of wisdom and doing what’s right. there are so many issues in africa and around the world, and God has not called us to be silent. i get confused when i see religious people, christians in particular, who hide behind prayer. they use prayer as an excuse to remain inactive. it makes me wonder what god they’re actually serving. my God has not led me to be quiet. silence is inaction. God has not led me to be fearful. fear is not of God. when i see injustices, i must speak out. i need to speak about injustice and not be afraid. but that comes with confidence. i have to remember who’s backing me. there’s no need to be afraid.
SPIRITUAL CARE
since you are a visual activist if you could steer the conversation within your spiritual community around faith and activism, what would that discussion be about?
Jesus was an activist, and he always approached problems with righteous anger. i believe that people within our community need to speak up more. but people should first do their research. there are too many “woke” people who do not understand what they’re talking about. there are too many uncertified politicians on twitter.
you must apply wisdom when you speak. the Holy Spirit should be our guide. and honesty, we’re not using him enough. he is always ready to help us in our time of need. we should ask him what we should do and how we should personally impact our communities. and i’m sure he will never tell us to keep quiet. there shouldn’t be this sense of overspirituality. it’s too comfortable and sanitized. holiness never takes the form of ignorance or silence. it’s fear that we hide behind. but God has not given us a spirit of timidity. just look at the people in the Bible, they were bold and they asked for wisdom. they did things strategically and purposefully.
how do representation and inclusion within the church affect your faith?
i go to a pretty big church, and i wish there were more representation within the church. for example, i sometimes think pastors forget that they have such a big platform and that their voice matters. people listen to what they have to say and, most of the time, take what they say seriously. i think they must consider what they say and what they preach. it’s impactful when politicians or celebrities comment on issues, but it’s another thing when the head of your church has something to say about it. many people are confused, especially now. our faith is being tested. when they don’t address specific issues that affect their members, they’re essentially saying that those issues aren’t important.
PHYSICAL CARE
as an advocator, what has been one of the biggest health challenges you’ve worked to overcome or are in the process of addressing?
the biggest thing for me, that’s ongoing, is having a lack of support. it’s discouraging. you feel unsupported. everyone is passionate about seeing change in africa, but not everyone wants to do the work. connections drive my community. if you don’t know people, you don’t get very far—that gets exhausting. there are days when i feel so drained. that’s when i have to remember God. when i feel tired, that’s when i know that i’m relying on my strength and not his. i have to put my trust back in God. there are days when i have to remind God (not that he forgets) that he is the one who gave me the idea. he is the one who implanted the desires in my heart. so i need him to complete it; i need him to fulfill them. and God doesn’t work on confusion, which means i can’t be fickle-minded. i can’t be confident one day and unsure the next. i’m working on a few projects right now, and i am wondering how i will complete them. the work is so much, but the laborers are few. so i get tired. but that’s when i have to trust God. he has put angels on assignment to follow me. the bible says, “goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.” i have nothing to worry about. God will do it. i just have to trust him.
SELF-CARE
what do you know about self-love and self-acceptance today that you weren't so sure of a few years ago?
well, right now, i am on a self-love journey. i am enjoying my singleness. i am loving this stage of my life. i am learning to trust God. he can be trusted, and a lot of times we forget that. i'm learning to place all of my insecurities into his hands. right now, i am doing a 21-day “trusting God challenge.” and today, the challenge is trusting God with your looks. as a black woman, it can be difficult to love yourself because you're always on an ever-changing radar. the black body is viewed as a trend. one day it's terrible to have a big butt, but the next day is cool. one day is cool to be a dark-skinned girl, but the next day it's cool to be light-skinned. so that's where i have to put my hope in God. he never changes. he is always constant. doing that makes me feel whole. and don't get me wrong, i have my bad days, but i try to remind myself that i am beautiful and made in God's image. when i look at myself, i'm seeing Jesus—that's crazy. that helps me to love myself more.
how are you reclaiming the parts of yourself that have been ignored or misunderstood?
when i am feeling ignored or misunderstood, i speak up about it. i think it's necessary to find different outlets that allow you to feel seen and understood. i'm proactive about making sure that i get the support that i need. happiness is a choice, and so is sadness. you can't just sit around wallowing in self-pity. find a solution.
share a message from your future self to your present self.
girl, you did it. you really did it. it was hard, you thought you didn't have the money, but God made everything available. you thought you wouldn't make it, but girl, you're on billboards. you have books. are you kidding me? and your man is fine, and he's nigerian. won't he do it. but next time, have a little more faith in yourself and in the God that is within you. things may look crazy, but he put your name in rooms you haven't even entered. you have nothing to worry about. you worked hard and you accomplished so much. good job, that's all i can tell you, good job.
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