The Traveling Soul: Samali B.It’s a tale heard many times, a daydreamer takes a one in a million chance and moves to anew town, a new city, a new home trying to make something of themselves. What makes these stories so loveable and worth reading are the outcomes and the journeys that we as readers, lovers, and fellow daydreamers experience along the way. I happened to stumble upon the magnificent soul of Samalie B. through casual conversation, after meeting the first time in a journalism class we shared at LaGuardia Community College. Automatically I knew that there was a captivating story behind those hopeful chestnut eyes.
After trying countless times to try to arrange a meeting time that was amicable for the both of us. We finally me over some breakfast and by the time I finished my bagel, I had experienced a new side to my fairly new friend. Our conversation gave me insight into the world of Samali B, the world of a traveling soul. When we were younger, we all had dreams of going off on our own and living off the experiences we had making our mark in the world. In today’s day and age the occurrences of these adventures are little to none in comparison to those of out hippy forefathers and free-spirited mothers. In a world where it’s easier to go online and vacationin Thailand virtually via Google Maps, it’s refreshing to hear stories of real adventurers who tookrisks and sought out real thrills.
Looking at this almost six foot tall, skinny, modelesque, dark skinned girl, dressed in boho chic clothes, you would never suspect an adventurist lurking inside. But behind that welcoming, soft spoken, articulate voice lays a lover of all things environmental, musical, and unifying. Her natural hairs pulled back into a neat ponytail, and crisp all black matching attire, revealed nothing of this wild heart.
Samali’s story starts off in her hometown of San Fransisco where she was born and raised along with older brothers, by her parents. Growing up in the Sunset District, her family lived a comfortable life among the middle class who inhabited the area. During her late teens she attended the University of San Francisco, aiming for a pre-med degree, influenced by her father, on scholarship. On a typical day she would drive down to the local Starbucks in West Portal and then go to school downtown. Although she had a dorm, she always stayed at home with her recently divorced mother. Her parents had separated and her mother lost her job, so Samali had to work to help out, taking care of her family and herself. Like most American teenagers, she wanted to go away to college, but she was stuck in San Francisco, doing what her family wanted.After doing some much needed soul searching, heavy partying, and battling a brief depression, she decided to do what she wanted.
After hearing about her depression episode, I looked up at my now too real subject, and she said to me with a gleam in her eye, “ I decided that this wasn’t good enough for me and I needed to figure out what I wanted for myself in life and what I want to do and my passion.” And as she promised herself, in 2011, after three years at USF, plummeting grades, and a lost scholarship, Samali dropped, took a trip to Uganda over the summer, and moved to New York City to find her way. Countless trips to other countries all over the world, endeavors in the fashion world, and different college experiences has narrowed her focus on her discovered passion for photojournalism.
Besides from Uganda Samali has been to East London, Dubai, Berlin, Germany, and Montreal, each time taking her camera and inquisitive spirits along to document her adventures. She says “These places opened my eyes to different cultures and stories,’ those she wants to share through the use of images and documentary films. Now , 25, living in Astoria Queens, she New York, Samali realizes the differences in her previous San Franciscan lifestyle and the struggles of New Yorkers. Where she once drove to school and work, she takes the crowded city trains. She lives with her to roommates, both of which she met while working in the restaurant industry. She enhanced her skills as a waitress and now bar-tends in a bar called the Keep Bar, located in Bushwick, Brooklyn. She reveals that her new home is somewhat similar to her home in San Francisco where her environment is almost as culturally diverse in the same ways. However, as much as San Francisco is diverse it is also very segregated, something she realized along time ago. Her exposure to both sides of the coin has really been a motivator for her career path in photo and written journalism. She recalls a motto learned at a Catholic School, “Enter to Learn, Learn to Serve,” one she still hold on to today. The change in scenery and her multiple excursions have opened her eyes to her ability to do better for her community and inspired her to “fix the system and do what [she] can for the oppressed.”
After hearing about all the reasons why she felt an overwhelming urge to aid those in need, I inquired into what the future held for Samali B. She told me she planned to continue her academic career and fulfill her dreams of becoming an advocate and inspirational journalist here in the city. When comparing cities, she says New York had a welcoming vibe to artists; one that San Francisco had begun to lose after it became a technology driven city. She says with all the artists in here and the acceptance of individuality, she finds in pretty east to find a niche. Some other plans include creating an online publication centers on uplifting and enlightenment of the African and African-American communities. Her love of music culture had lead Samali to follow Harlem musicians around for a summer and do a photo profile piece on an upcoming rapper Farrah Burns. Samali also has plans for later on in life to open an apothecary store, where they would provide natural and herbal products as alternative medicines.
Sticking true to her adventurous nature, she says that she would move again and had been considering certain cities. One city in particular would be New Orleans, where she would fight to make a change in the Gulf of Mexico. For Samali it’s not just about getting out and exploring foreign land, it’s about making a difference where ever she goes.
Our formal question and answer interview had transformed into a discussion of future goals, life lessons learned, and experienced gained. I asked Samali my final impromptu question,whether or not she was hopeful about her future and her career? She responded right away, answering that she was indeed. Due to the fact that she was passionate about what she does and how she does it. She told me, “I don’t know if I could live in a world and not give back to my commuity. ‘Cause [journalism’s] the best way to make a change, the best way to make a difference.”
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