Rashid White is an Afro-Latino, Healer, Scholar, Actor, Motivational Speaker, Activist, Author, Poet, Educator, Artist, Dancer, Model, Photographer/Videographer/Content Director, and Visionary. Growing up in the streets of Richmond, VA.
Rashid focuses on creating art that places reflective emphasis on overcoming obstacles by shedding light on his truths. Rashid is a Graduate of PerScholas with an AS in I.T.and currently attending George Mason University for his BFA in Creative Writing, Graphic Design. Since 2008 has impacted families and lives across the world. Rashid joined the Brave New Voices (BNV) network back in 2012 as a youth slam poet, that had the honor of placing 3rd in the world making him one of the top 16 international youth slam poets that year, and has had the privilege to serve with Future Corps (Alumni of the Festival) in 2014. Returning to BNV this year as one of the Committee members of festivals and programs later in 2020. Rashid is a co-founder and also now serves on the leadership committee of Black Greek Poets as their Art Director of Content & Marketing. (www.rashidwhite.com)
Q. What experience shaped you most as a poet?
A.
Brave New Voices. It was here at this event that I was able to explore my creativity amongst other creatives around the world. This was thanks to a venue called slam Richmond VA where I started to learn what poetry meant in terms of slam poetry and writing as a modern day contemporary writer. I went during the years of 2012 through 2014, thanks to this experience I was able to become one of the top range poets internationally in the world in 2012 it was my first time there which was really cool. I was able to learn from multiple perspectives people countries and communities while sharing something that we all loved and I think that is what shapes me as a writer it's a creative high that I haven't come down from years on it drives me to my decisions that I make today in order to defeat the stereotypes of becoming a starving artist as well as my own brand as a person.
I like to say as my favorite quote that I made myself'
“I started with the poem now I'm here.”
Q. You have authored three books, which one is closest to you and why?
A. Saudade: Unlocking Agape. This book is really close to home because it allowed me to do what I find very rare and writing especially from the discourse community of being Afro indigenous and Afro Latin X. In this book the word Saudade means the longing of a person or thing that is no longer present and I feel as though in life oftentimes all of us are in search of filling a void whether it be a person or thing that is no longer present. So in this book I explore those absences through relationships religion people places epiphanies realizations and finding one's own wholeness to allow themselves to be filled through self and a journey of self love through a man's perspective.
Q. You describe yourself as a healer and advocate. How is that manifested?
A.
1. Even though often times life is difficult- you have to get comfortable with getting uncomfortable.
2. Everything is a learned experienced that can sharpen you as opposed to succumbing to the obstacle.
3. It is our imperfections that make us perfect. We have to cherish all the blemishes.
Q. You do a lot of things as most creatives do. If you had to only choose two, what would they be?
A.
1. Continuing to be a mixed media artist (so I can play around ith multiple platform as I continue to create).
2. Continuing in y IT
Q. What are your upcoming projects?
A.
Right now I'm working on a lot of projects simultaneously after this move is done into the new house. My team that I'm still building is with marketing and some other creators and marketing agents so we're going to have a new website coming up new social media accounts for the brand as a whole to revamp relaunch new chat books are going to be on the way in the future coming up new videos that are being worked on whole lot and maybe as I'm looking for to work with some people maybe even an EP album I'm still making more books but yeah stay tuned continue the journey is always you know I don't create art. I create journeys so journey with me.