Today we’d like to introduce you to Imani Sumter.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Imani. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My name is Imani-Kelai Sumter and I’m from Los Angeles, California. I was born and raised in Harbor City and Inglewood. I have a twin brother (everyone is always surprised by that). I went to Harbor Teacher Preparation Academy on the campus of Los Angeles Harbor College in Wilmington and I can safely say that was the beginning of the preparation of the life I live now. Going to high school on a junior college, taking college courses was already in the curriculum. I love to say that I’ve been in college for seven years now. This experience is what is allowing me to graduate from college early, I am currently a third-year graduating senior from San Diego State majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies, disciplines in Africana Studies, Child and Family Development, and Communications.
At San Diego State, I have met some of the best people. I hope to take them into the future with me and share more experiences with them. I joined my sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., one of the best decisions I’ve made, especially because I can share in it with my mother. San Diego State is where I started performing and a soloist and I have continued to hone my craft for the past three years. I am excited to graduate and see what the next chapter of life holds for me. I am a vocalist, actress, dancer, and budding model and those are opportunities I am seeking for this next chapter. Either way, I know I am following down God’s path for me, so I know I am in good hands.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I has definitely not been a smooth road. I had some demons haunting me from high school into my college career and some bad experiences my freshman year of college. It really impacted me in a greatly negative way for a long time. It wasn’t until the summer after my freshman year that my dad pointed out that the way I was talking about those experiences after all that time, it seemed like I would never let them go.
When I heard that, I went, “nuh uh. I am not going to be 70 years old still bitter about something that happened to me when I was 17.” So I sat down and I reflected on the things that were hurting me emotionally. Piece of advice number 1, figure out what hurts you inside FIRST. Get out your thoughts, write them down, keep a journal or a diary. Whatever works for you and get that negativity OUT. You will never be happy holding on to those experiences.
After that, I went back and I confronted the people who I felt gave me this negative experience. I was lucky that I figured out my problem early on and I was able to reach out to them to get clarity, not everybody has that opportunity. But I was concerned if they were going to give me the answers that I wanted to hear. That’s an important bit. Piece of advice number 2 is from my mother, “you have to be at peace with not being at peace.” For me, that meant if I didn’t get the answers I wanted, I still had to be at peace with the answer I was given. That worked wonders for me. I got the clarity I needed and was able to move on.
I had to accept that there was still some leftover trauma in me from that situation but I had to learn that you can only change something you acknowledge. So I’ll leave you with piece of advice number 3, you have to be real with yourself at all times. Just because you don’t want to feel a certain way or you made a mistake and you’re mad that you messed up, be mad about it in the moment. Let yourself feel emotions in that moment. They don’t stay forever, but the more you try to restrict them, the more intense they become. Just let yourself flow. Be mindful of others, but flow. Find your balance.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am a performer, I sing, I dance, I act occasionally, and I model occasionally. Around SDSU, I am known for my singing and performances. I am most proud of finally creating an Instagram page to showcase my talent on social media. I will be making a YouTube channel for my performances, so keep an eye out for that. I am also proud that I am catering my performances into small shows that incorporate dancing along with singing. I try to incorporate different elements in my performances. Instead of just having background dancers dancing, I learn the choreo so we can still look uniform. I try to make the crowd apart of my performances so they can feel like they’re sharing this moment with me. I want them to know that I wouldn’t be where I am without their support and interaction, so I want them to feel as included as possible.
Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well positioned for?
In music particularly, I think there are great opportunities for women. The entertainment industry moves so fast so there’s always a need for fresh faces. Women are coming up especially in rap and R&B so spaces are definitely growing. I will have to look more into that, but there will always be opportunities there. Spaces are opening up for Black women as well in entertainment. There is a push for Black stories for and by Black people, so I know that area is progressive.
Contact Info:
- Email: sumterimani@gmail.com
- Instagram: @imanisingss
Image Credit:
Raresight Photography
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