Today we’d like to introduce you to Erika Hardaway.
Hi Erika, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
If I were able to give myself a job title that accurately captures what I hope to contribute to the world, it would be Dream Cultivator. My professional and spiritual goal is to create liberatory spaces that allow people to bring their wildest game-changing dreams to fruition.
I grew up in Brooklyn, NY with two parents, Cheryl and James Hardaway, who loved me deeply. Although we did not have much to speak of materially, they always made it clear that my dreams mattered and that I had everything I needed to make them manifest. The love they poured into me constantly competed with my anxiety, but prayer, therapy, and a strong community have been the best medicine.
My dedication to dream cultivation began when education chose me. I graduated from New York University with a master’s in international education in 2014. My goal was to work for the International Rescue Committee as a Refugee Resettlement Specialist, but God had other plans. Shortly after graduating, I was hired at a non-profit organization where I ran an after-school program with children in the South Bronx. They were talented, brilliant, and hilarious children who had huge dreams. In many ways, they felt limited by their circumstances, but they were determined. Many of them became first-generation college graduates and business owners.
They inspired me, the shy kid, to go into the classroom. Becoming an educator is the most terrifying and rewarding experience I’ve ever had. Unfortunately, I discovered that for many students from historically marginalized classrooms, school is where dreams die. I knew I wanted to change this. Thanks to mentorship from phenomenal educators, my classroom became one of my first dream cultivation stations. Even though that was almost 10 years ago, my heart still swells with pride when one of my students shares a manifested dream with me. They are the inspiration for my work today.
A few years ago, I founded an affinity group for Black teenage girls called Black Sister Circle in Brooklyn. The purpose of the group is to provide space for young Black girls to build a community that empowers them, uplifts the histories and contributions of Black girls and women, explores the sociopolitical issues that impact them, and celebrates every aspect of who they are.
Today, we are heading to Accra, Ghana for a trip grounded in healing, growth, and identity affirmation. This was a dream that I had when I was a teenager. I am grateful that God sent me a community to make it happen!
I am committed to supporting my community and telling our stories whenever I can. I was fortunate enough to publish an essay in Black Powerful: Black Voices Reimagine Revolution, a convening of Black voices cultivated by Natasha Marin. One of my dreams is to publish a collection of short essays. I moved to Washington, DC last year, and I can’t wait to launch the DMV branch of our group. I am also preparing to recruit a founding board for a non-profit organization I am dreaming of. I look forward to sharing the details of that soon. For now, I will say that the organization will be focusing on the cultivation of dreams and intergenerational learning and healing.
My story is in progress, and I hope to let others know that it’s okay to not have every step figured out. Whatever you do though, don’t let your dreams die. You can do it. Your liberation will inspire someone else to be free!
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
None of this has been a smooth road. My father passed away in September 2022, just four months after I moved to the DMV area. Grief is clarifying and confounding, and more than anything, it’s proof that we can love.
I have always been motivated by the capacity to love. I intend to channel this grief into the development of my organization. Furthermore, if I were to make a list of the financial implications of my current dreams, I’d be tempted to quit. Instead of doing that, I am leaning into my community to support this work because it’s intergenerational heart work. I trust that the finances will catch up.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an essayist, educational consultant, and mentor. I specialize in centering the histories and stories of communities that have been historically marginalized. I am most proud of co-creating a powerful experience in Ghana for Black Sister Circle teens and their families and rewriting Girls Inc.’s G3 Social Justice and Data Analysis curriculum.
When children look at the curriculum and their learning environments, they need to see their reflection. How else will they know that everything they dream of is possible? I love that a huge part of my work as a consultant is making people feel seen. That is an integral part of dream cultivation.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Education is shifting in unimaginable ways. Some lawmakers are criminalizing educators who want to tell the truth and removing critical thinking from schools.
This will have dire consequences for our democracy. Communities have always played a strong role in shifting cultures and combating legal harmful policies. Now more than ever, we have to invest in the strength and unity of our communities.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachingthehardaway/
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/ehardaway
Image Credits
@billleephotography
