Meet rico blackman | BPI director

We had the good fortune of connecting with rico blackman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi rico, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The thought process was filled with emotions, as every process is usually filled with them. Mine ranged from excitement to anxiousness to grief to gratitude to anger. 2020 is a year we (i) will never forget, and Black Power Initiative was the result of what i experienced in that year. I felt compelled to fight, benefit, and work with my community. I love my Black community and love starts with being intentional about your presence and effect. I needed to be there. I had to be there. We were all grieving and I needed to find like-minded people with the same passion as I— that team led me through the process, i’m nothing without my team and BPI is nothing without its people.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am currently the director of Black Power Initiative, Director of Community Organizing at the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition, a Queen Mother’s Market co-op Member, and Director of my tutoring business. I wear many titles, but each title hold equal weight and I’m fortunate and grateful for the opportunity to be involved in many different ways. From increasing food equity to advancing housing justice, my work revolves around the needs of the community of Cincinnati and that is what we keeps me running 100 miles and more. I am a community member first and foremost, and I will always look after those folks within my spaces. Has it always been easy? Hell no, but the challenges allowed me to grow into the person I am today. Cheers to growth. I’ve learned how to build strong relationships yet establish important boundaries, i’ve learned how to listen when listening was critical and that — that to me is the most impactful and important skill to have. Learn by listening. Listen by Learning. I will always be here to listen and validate the needs of the people I care for.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We going to skyline!!! We also going into the communities my organization and I serve, those people are our extended family and we will treat them as such. Walnut Hills, West End, Avondale, Lincoln Heights— all of them. Shout out to Black spaces like Cream and Sugar Coffeehouse, Esoteric, Black Coffee, Just Q’in, and more.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shout out to my family. Mom, Dad, aunties, grandparents, cousins, all you who inspired me to grow and mature in my upbringing.

My team— all of you who have been with me in the last three teams. My current team — Nico, Nour, Jayy, Carolina, Ray, Cece, Karim, Gary, Mona, Anna, Q, Koree, MJ, John, Nikki, Amanda, and everyone else who works with me.

Website: bpicincy.org

Instagram: instagram.com/blackpowerinitiative

Youtube: black power initiative cincy

Image Credits
Isaiah Armstrong