MUST l KNOW
when called those things because those who called me these things made it seem like it was a bad thing. But now I’ve learned not to care what others think because standing up, shouting out and speaking up can save lives.”
CHANGING THE TIDE
JimmyZ
Kacy tells of the time an elementary school bully pushed too far: “I beat this kid with a wiffle ball bat.” Both parties found themselves in the principal’s office, where Kacy, a self-described “principal’s pet,” realized that bullying comes from
The Grey and Black Dress Boots by NiK Kacy. Every attention to detail is paid in all of Kacy’s designs, from the red welt stitching to the signature Equal sign on all of their products to inspire equality for all.
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Summer 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
a place of pain and chose to end the cycle, rather than repeat it. That distinct action caused the two youths to become friends. “I went from being a victim to not being a victim, but not lowering myself to reciprocating violence with violence,” they impart.
CONFIDENCE VS. ARROGANCE That specific moment may have changed the course of Kacy’s life. Confusion and victim-hood were replaced by the will to not only stand up for self, but for others. It also may have marked Kacy’s entrance into the world of entrepreneurship. Learning to speak up also meant asking for help, a trait that’s often not accessible to first-generation Americans or people of color, according to Dr. Eric Aoki, an expert in multicultural identity and professor of communication studies at Colorado State University. Confidently speaking up, however, can have negative consequences when navigating spaces of privilege. “People with inherent privilege were raised to ask for help. People of color were raised to overcome,” Kacy says. “When I started my business, I had to push myself, ‘I’m going to ask for help from my community, to change the world — ask people to help me change the world.’ People with privilege wouldn’t even think twice about asking.”