Today we’d like to introduce you to Lakeland Barnes.
Hi Lakeland, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am 23 years old, and I am just now coming to the reality of what I want to do and who I want to be. I grew up in a house with seven children and a single mother. As the oldest girl, I took the reins of being the second mother. So growing up, I didn’t have time for me or figuring out what I wanted to become. I dealt with many “traumas” throughout my life, like growing up without a father and dealing with sexual abuse. I thought because of the harshness of my upbringing and all I experienced growing up, my life was set to be mediocre, but God saw something different. All in all, as I’ve grown, I have come to know that it had only been God who has kept me. God has literally been my foundation and the reason I am in the place I am now. God has saved me from death on multiple occasions, and for that, I can only be grateful.
And that is the reason why I’m getting ready to launch “Here’s the Thing”—a place where we talk all things culture, but through the lense of God. Colossians 1:16 says that all things were made for God and through Him, so that means God is in everything, we just have to shift our perspective to see it. God is a God of details, and He has shown me that in every aspect of my life. My first love/s are law and politics. I decided to pursue law because young men like Trayvon Martin deserve to be alive and not tried by jury after death. Law is my way of ensuring that I protect my community. And because of my love for law, my passion for politics was ignited. I believe in order to best work within the confines of the law, you have to know where, how, and why the laws originate. Since my senior year in high school, I’ve been enamored with politics.
I’ve furthered that love by interning in the office of the late, great Congressman John Lewis, working in the Legislative and policy department of the ACLU; and interning with Angela Rye and IMPACT Strategies. I currently do political commentary on the “Elevated Radio” podcast and have recently accepted a position with a political consulting agency in Miami-Dade. I love working with children! Whether it’s through the multiple nonprofits I work with or directly through mentoring and ministry, children have my heart. I love working with children because I believe representation matters. I am pursuing law as a career and looking to get into the field of political strategy, so the children around me being able to see that is huge. I want them to see themselves in places they didn’t know existed and thrive in them. At SheWill, a nonprofit that teaches young girls financial literacy, I help facilitate panels and other events that expose the girls the greater opportunities. I am committed to making sure the next generation is equipped with every tool and weapon that I did not have at my disposal growing up.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Has this journey been a smooth? Not by far! Along my way, I have encountered some harsh challenges but I’ve persevered. I’ve had to heal, not just for myself, but for everyone else in my lineage. I have literally been placed in situations that should have killed me, but I’m still here. I’ve been homeless while attending college; I’ve been out of school for 2+ years due to financial issues, and I’m still here pursuing my degree; I’m healing from the sexual abuse I suffered as a child because I no longer choose to be a victim (And I refuse for the young people around me to label themselves as the same) My journey has been no straight road, and I’m appreciative of that because I wouldn’t have grown to be strong, confident, and loving that way that I have. All that I have been through has done the opposite of the intended effect on my heart; I love big and I want everyone to see who God is and can be when we let Him. I’m thankful I’ve grown in the ways that I have and that I’m trusting enough in God to release “Here’s the Thing.”
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I, currently work with SheWill coordinating projects and events (virtually for right now) and helping develop broader curriculum; I do political commentary for “Elevated Radio” and I also work with a political consulting agency in Miami-Dade (GOA-Tech); and I am also dropping my brand “Here’s the Thing” at the beginning of next year. All of these things reign in the three pillars of my life: working with children, politics and strategy, and God/ministry. I am known for my advocacy work, my work with various political organizations and for my work with nonprofits.
I’ve worked with the ACLU of GA, GA House Rep. Brenda Lopez, and Angela Rye and IMPACT Strategies to name a few. I work with SheWill now, but I’ve also worked with ReNew Atlanta as their volunteer coordinator and with other mentoring organizations. The thing that sets me apart from other people is my love for people and my desire to see Black and Brown people win above else. America has told people who look like me; we are inferior and born to live a life of oppression, but we deserve to live a life just as free and whole as our white counterparts. But my desire to see Black and Brown people win does not diminish that all people deserve love, grace, and mercy.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson I’ve learned along my journey is to trust God with everything I have. Every gift and talent that I’m unsure of, or when I don’t know where to go, God has reminded me that every answer I need lies in what He’s given me. And because of that, I am capable, strong enough, and gifted enough to take on everything I put my mind to. No one can enjoy or live this life for me, so why not live it to the fullest?
Contact Info:
- Email: info@heresthething.com
- Instagram: @heresthething_conversation
