brontë velez
Co-founder & Creative Director
Lead to Life
Oakland, CA USA
“We need Black artists to help us imagine otherwise.”
Videos
By Roadtrip Nationbrontë velez
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
I’m from Atlanta, Georgia.
Growing up, I went to schools that were focused on the arts.
After realizing that I didn’t want equal economic status in a system that perpetuates harm, I decided to become a public servant and find alternative ways to live without standard wealth.
The commemorative justice work I do now started with holding ceremonies in Atlanta to hold space for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other Black people who have been assassinated.
I was moved and inspired by Mexican artist Pedro Reyes’ projects in which he transformed weapons into shovels and instruments—I wanted to share this ritual in the United States.
I collaborated with a friend to create Lead to Life, a collective devoted to Black wellness and racial justice—we also turn guns into shovels and other ritual items.
In addition to my work with Lead to Life, I also teach for Weaving Earth, a school for nature connection and ancestral art skills.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Bachelor
Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Career
Co-founder & Creative Director
I lead a collective devoted to promoting Black wellness and racial justice through ceremony and art.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Art
Non-Profit Organizations
Upholding a Cause and Belief
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for everyone
If you have a dream, be soft and tender on it. We need the dreamers. Write your dreams down and tell them to other people. Give them the attention they need and deserve so that you can bring them to fruition.
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Society in General:
"Your life is predetermined."
Interviewed By
Do It Differently
Paths to fulfilling work for all learning styles
