Today we’d like to introduce you to Carrie Wata of Afro Mermaid.
Hi Carrie Wata, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
On vacation down at the keys, I stumbled upon this beautiful mermaid store, grabbing everything that I could get my hands on and raced to check out. These were incredibly beautiful and unique mermaid fines but I paused with the realization that none of the mermaids looks like me, not one. I kindly put everything back and decided that something had to change. Not seeing any toys or characters that look like me highly influenced the way that I thought, act and perceived myself. That goes for a countless amount of girls with a similar story, it tells us that we’re not good enough.
I started the very first black mermaid company called, Afro Mermaid, in order to aim for black representation in aquatics and advocate for some safety and ocean preservation through entertaining, teaching children and hosting monthly beach cleanups.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Owning and operating a small black woman-owned company has not at all been a smooth road. It’s nearly impossible to find sponsors and resources to help my company grow, I’ve pretty much been doing this alone for the past three years.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I have been in early childhood education for the past seven years. I started off as a teacher assistant and then worked my way up until I became a Director at a preschool all while building my company.
Afro Mermaid is an active corporation trademarked in 2018 as a way to bring representation and encourage people of color, especially black and brown people to heal from their trauma and get back connected to the water as we used to be. Since Afro Mermaid has been established, we’ve been slowly but surely building the black mermaid community and guiding new mermaids into their mersonas. In 2021, we hosted the very first Miami Mermaid Convention, ensuring that we have a safe space for Mers of all levels to learn, grow and make friends that become lifelong family. To this day, my team and I have been hosted monthly beach clean ups for the past 3 years. We are training black swimmers and growing the community as we are certified swim instructors, lifeguards, as well as cpr and first aid certificated.
I’m most proud of my constant effort to saving the children and adults in my community despite many people’s inability to see the importance of it. I am creating my own lane and safe space for people of color to thrive, grow and become water people.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
My mission is to bring love, happiness, and black representation in aquatics ultimately growing the community and culture. Every Summer, I host a mermaid convention in Miami, Florida where we have mermaid meditations, swimming workshops, vendors to shop from and photographers. It’s a great experience and a great new journey for Mermaids and Nonmermaids of all levels.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.afromermaid.co
- Instagram: @afromermaid.co is my business and @carrie_wata is my personal insta
- Facebook: @afromermaid.co
- Youtube: @afromermaident
Image Credits
Jose Lawrence
