Nathan Fisher: “If you don’t know your history, they will take it away from you!” 

Nathan Fisher, an Umoja scholar and student at Seattle Central, is a lively presence on campus. He works with organizations like Umoja, TRIO, and Project Baldwin. He also has an internship at Erickson Theatre, which got him jobs outside of school, designing wardrobes, sets, and props for theatres.

Fisher learned about Umoja while in the Bay Area in California, where he got the opportunity to attend Umoja Fest. There, Fisher met with Umoja members and liked the community they were building. He also mentioned that the “Afrocentric vibe” intrigued him and inspired him to contribute to the community. Ever since “it has been an amazing experience getting to meet all the people and helping them to figure stuff out.” Fisher adds, “there have been some crazy moments too, but even those were amazing. You get to see people at their best, and sometimes you see them at their worst. Then, I’ve also seen the people who have gone through a turn-around. All in all, it’s pretty awesome!”

Through Umoja, Fisher has had the chance to network with diverse people by traveling and participating in cultural workshops. For him, it is very important to work with people “who are building the same world as me and are passionate about uplifting the communities that need to be uplifted.” He says that being a part of Umoja has been impactful because the space is “an outlet for expressing the disdain for the world today and building something better, and “that is inspirational!” 

Fisher shares that his best Umoja moment was the second time he met Eliane Brown, whose book he read and discussed with her. “She gave me a lot of insight into history, and she was very candid about it; more so, she confirmed to me that I was on my path. She loved the fact that the Umoja community was so tight-knit,” says Fisher.

Fisher is also a designer and particularly a lover of Afro-centric fabrics. They hold a special place in his heart since his mom used to make designs with them when he was younger. Fisher says he’s harnessing what he learned from her and bringing it to Umoja. Seeing people embrace his designs brings Fisher a lot of joy. Afro-centric fabrics also have a personal meaning to him; he believes that “we need to live in a society where we embrace the Africans because if you don’t know your history, they will take it away from you!” 

According to Fisher, “[Africans] are the pioneers, the creators, the original people, so why is there no daily acknowledgment of the style that we created? I decided to be what I wanted to see and incorporate that everywhere I went.”

Fisher unwinds by engaging in his hobbies, which include karaoke and creating designs. “You’ve got to find what you want to see, do that, and it will become second nature, and it will be fun. Money comes after that.”

Fisher shares that he wants to see “accountability mechanisms in the world.” He believes that a lack of accountability mechanisms is making certain communities fund their own oppression,  adding that he wishes to see “everyone taking on the concept of Umoja” and teaching everyone how to be a leader. 

In the future, Fisher hopes that people will be able to access his designs by participating in community building. The value of Fisher’s designs will not be measured by the amount they can be bought for but rather by the valuable contribution to the community that the recipients will make. With this, Fisher hopes to create the right incentive structure, aligning with his passion for community building and uplifting his people.