Q&A with Imani Harris
Q: What brought you to Mosaic?
A: My mama worked at Wayne State with a student named Smiley who insisted that my twin brother & I join the summer camp in 2011 because of how much we loved music. She also thought it would be a good source of community for us as pastor/s kids with no lives outside of church/school. After that, you couldn’t get me away from Mosaic.
Q: What’s the most impactful thing you learned/gained through your participation in Mosaic?
A: The most impactful thing I learned from Mosaic is that being vocal isn’t a bad trait to have just because I’m a Black woman. I was probably one of the world’s most timid, insecure 11 year olds, but I remember the second that I met Paris in summer camp, I was obsessed with how loud she let us be, how excited she made us, how much she promoted exerting your inner emotions loudly & creatively. I found my voice in Mosaic and ain’t lost it since.
Q: Did you attend college? If so, where did you go? How did your Mosaic experience support you in college?
A: I recently graduated from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL with my bachelor’s in Journalism & African American Studies. Mosaic (DeLashea actually…) set me up with so many short-term opportunities to do community work and be compensated well for it throughout my time in college. When I say–DeLa ALWAYS had somebody emailing me saying she had referred me for something–and it was ALWAYS money involved. So yeah, on top of just motivating me, congratulating me, checking in with me….they made me some money too.
Q: What are you up to now? Is there anything about your Mosaic experience that you carry with you in your work? In life?
A: I’m currently the Communications Lead at 482Forward, an organization I had the honor of bringing together with Mosaic in partnership a few times as a high schooler. We focus on education equity in the City of Detroit, and although there are many things I carry with me from Mosaic (professionalism, patience, leadership skills, team management skills, etc.), I think that the “Only the Best, Nothing Less” sticks with me the most as the way I want to show up in every aspect of life.
Q: What, if any, difference/impact has Mosaic made in Detroit? In the world?
A: Access to the arts is fundamental in any young person’s life…providing that for young Black students who have already been deemed criminal, uneducated, and left out of society means something. It’s life changing to be told that the talent you have can take you somewhere further than where circumstances placed you and giving us the skillset to do so is even more powerful.
Q: Please finish the phrase “Mosaic is…”
A: …a home to so many young Black artists looking for one in Detroit <3
