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ENSPIRE MAGAZINE 20 ENSPIRE MAGAZINE WS20
Young King :
Pushing Through Uncertainties as a Young Black Man
WRITTEN BY : OCTAVIA JOHNSON
Facing uncertainties while in the middle of a journey in modeling , staying safe during a global pandemic , and acknowledging the injustices within the nation can affect a young black man in America . Although these issues are current , none of them stopped Latrell Ofurhie from letting his journey as a model end and his crown to fall off his head . In hindsight , others may need to take on Latrell ’ s footsteps and continue to accomplish any goal no matter what obstacle stands in the way .
Black young men have faced so many obstacles , while issues continue to surface this year . For New York native Latrell , most of the obstacles weren ’ t new to him . Instead , they were similar to the obstacles he already faced with balancing school while dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and experiencing the injustices involving the events before and after George Floyd . Soon he was able to develop a different mindset . “ Patience was definitely something to adapt to because it was different in the beginning . So , how to definitely not let my mind play tricks on me , and make [ the obstacle ] bigger than what it actually is . It ’ s just another obstacle I gotta get through ,” Latrell says . model ( helped him with his posing and posture ). Modeling came into Latrell ’ s life when his aunt , Ono , talked to him about starting . He ’ s open to model any style , but his ideal two are street casual and 90s fashion . “ I ’ ve kind of indulged myself into fashion as well because , at this point , I have to figure out what pieces to put together and how to put them together ,” he says .
For Latrell , it was important to continue to push for the goals that he set for himself . He developed his mindset to not stop working just because there are obstacles in his way . The strength to continue on stems from his belief that “ his word is his bond .” If he says he ’ s going to accomplish his goal , then he holds himself to it because the “ show must go on ” despite what ’ s happening in the world . Latrell hopes upcoming models , who faced similar obstacles , will use his experiences as a way to encourage them to want to continue their dream of modeling . He recommends that anyone who wants to start modeling shouldn ’ t sit around and think about it , but instead , “ just start doing it ” and develop the drive and motivation in what they believe in . “ Once you really sit down to commit yourself and actually do it , that ’ s where it starts ,” Latrell says .
Latrell studies information technology while attending school in North Carolina . He had to figure out ways to learn and increase efficiency in class without having the formal in-person instruction , dealing with not being around people as much , and not having the tangibility to go to some of the
He also wanted to encourage more young black men to not feel as though they ’ re too young to make a difference or to make a change . The goal for all young adults is to defeat the narrative of the younger generation having to feel that to reach future careers they have to be “ qualified ” for the
“ Nobody can take that from you .”
stores due to the new policies set for the pandemic .
During his time in N . C ., he noticed a difference between the tar heel state versus his home state in N . Y . How the energy to fight against racial injustices isn ’ t as strong in N . C . like it is in N . Y . He said he experienced more racism in N . C .; upholding the mindset to fight against those racial injustices helped him contribute to the resistance . Instead of allowing the injustices to continue , Latrell decided to join the protests and did a modeling shoot for the Black Lives Matter movement . “ Being a young black man , it is definitely scary because you want to fight for what ’ s right , but it ’ s like at the same time , me fighting for what ’ s right could risk me losing my life . So , that was another obstacle , and I had to choose between the two . It was like , I ’ m gonna fight for what I believe in .”
The obstacles didn ’ t stop at school , and the racial injustices , Latrell moved forward with his modeling journey . Although he hasn ’ t modeled for any agencies currently , some didn ’ t have openings due to the pandemic , he would look into other models on Instagram and study the different ways they position . In Latrell ’ s eyes , young adults can become the entrepreneurs that they want to be . He even gave an example of a young girl who makes money doing hair and perfecting her craft , which led to her making more than the veterans who were in the game for 26-27 years .
Latrell ’ s advice and experiences can help others who are trying to overcome similar obstacles . He showed great strength and a courageous approach on how to handle the obstacles faced during these unprecedented times . A young mind doesn ’ t always mean naive sometimes it can mean inspirational . “ Everybody has to stay motivated because you can ’ t do anything if you don ’ t have the motivation to do it . You know , like , you got to believe in yourself and just know that you can do whatever it is you want to do . Nobody can take that from you .”