Branding with Purpose: When Activism becomes the brand
Model of “Back To Africa” Photographed by Omar Kharem, 2021
This week on “The Creative Kaleidoscope,” we're diving into a powerful conversation from “The Four Percent Amplified Podcast,” featuring the insightful designer, Leila Kharem. Her episode, "Branding with Purpose When Activism," explores the profound connections between personal identity, creative expression, and social justice. Leila, a talented interior designer and entrepreneur, shares a deeply personal narrative, revealing how her rich and complex family history has shaped her understanding of purpose and activism, particularly through the lens of her late father's extraordinary art.
Where it all started
Auto Heard Photography by Omar Kharem
Leila Kharem’s heritage is a vibrant tapestry of Irish and African roots, with direct ties to Barbados and the American South. Her family story is one of resilience, immigration, and overcoming systemic challenges. Her mother, born in the 1940s, navigated a world of deep-seated racism and religious conservatism in Buffalo, New York, eventually seeking a life dedicated to art and culture in New York City. There, in the vibrant jazz clubs, she met Leila's father, Omar Kharem.
Omar Kharem, born in New York City in 1927, was a remarkable individual whose life profoundly influenced her. His parents, music lovers, hosted local musicians like Fats Waller in their home, one of the few in their neighborhood with a piano. His father, an immigrant from Barbados, attended Cooper Union in 1926 to study drafting, a significant achievement for a young Black Caribbean immigrant at the time. Though he didn't finish, likely due to the need to support his family, he joined the Brotherhood of the Sleeping Car Porters, the first powerful Black union, and was a Garveyite. Leila's paternal grandmother was of mixed heritage, attending Hunter and working in the theater district, assisting well-known actress Dame Judith Anderson. Her mother was born enslaved in Maryland, a testament to the enduring impact of oppression and the fragmented knowledge many Black Americans have of their ancestry.
From Segregated Youth to Civil Rights Champion
Black Panthers Photographed by Omar Kharem
Omar Kharem served in the segregated Army Air Force, experiencing racial discrimination firsthand. He recounted an incident where he and fellow Black servicemen, venturing into an all-white diner, were denied service and responded by overturning counters before a Black cabbie quickly drove them to safety. His time in Guam also saw him and many friends grapple with drug problems, finding solace and sobriety in Islam. He was a Sunni Muslim, and Leila grew up immersed in the culture of Black Islam.
Born in 1967 in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Leila was steeped in a community where art and activism were intrinsically linked. This diverse neighborhood, characterized by deep poverty, was a melting pot of Black, Puerto Rican, Chinese, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Eastern European, and LGBTQ+ individuals. It was a place where survival meant a focus on protection, support programs, schooling, and culture – core human needs.
reslience through art
Portrait of The Legendary Omar Kahrem
Omar Kharem was a gifted photographer, composer, and musician. He lived to be 97, documenting the Black experience with his camera. His darkroom was their kitchen, and he developed and printed all his work. He is renowned for his powerful photographs of jazz legends like John Coltrane, Jimmy Garrison, and Max Roach. He intended to showcase the humanity and beauty of Black people, with one of his photographs even becoming a poster for the United Negro College Fund.
This upbringing profoundly impacted Leila. The move from the Lower East Side to Yonkers when she was seven, though a culture shock, set the stage for her later journey of self-discovery. She wrestled with identity issues, particularly as she sought to connect with her father's side of the family, a "black hole" in her understanding. This led her to a passionate pursuit of genealogy, seeing it as a form of activism, a way to reclaim and understand lost histories.
Leila's journey culminated in a BA in Psychology and a career in interior design, where she has thrived for almost 30 years, owning her own firm for the past decade. The core lesson she learned from her father was the importance of nurturing and exploring one's identity. This commitment to self, especially for light-skinned individuals like herself with diverse ancestry, is crucial to prevent the loss of heritage. She advocates for staying close to one's community and fully embracing diversity, believing it fuels artistic creativity.
final thoughts
Impacts made into Legacies
Portrait of Leia Kharem, Founder + Interior Designer of KHI Design Group
For Leila, "Branding with purpose" is about knowing oneself, understanding the systemic challenges, sharing one's vision, and engaging with the community to build strength and nourish creativity. She emphasizes the excellence inherent in Black culture and the need to showcase it boldly. While acknowledging the historical appropriation of Black design contributions, Leila believes in educating and making Black design more visible, accessible, and relatable. She finds inspiration in contemporary Black artists and designers like Malene Barnett and Sheila Bridges (whose "Harlem Toile" she admires), and collects works by Harlem Renaissance artists and influential Black writers and scholars. She also finds strength and connection in the work of organizations like the Black Artists and Designers Guild (BADG).
Leila encourages the younger generation to pick up the torch of activism, believing that despite progress, challenges remain. She stresses the importance of self-knowledge, understanding the historical roots of injustice, and finding one's unique way to contribute to change, whether through street activism, writing, or art. Her goal is to integrate her activism into her design work, seeking a more diverse clientele and exploring ways to bring beauty and supportive function to all, not just the affluent.
Leila's powerful message is one of self-confidence, self-expression, and community. She urges designers to create their own space and avoid conforming to narrow "ethnic" or "tribal" categories. Her dream is to create designs that are inclusive and accessible, impacting people across all economic strata. She believes that by showcasing individual visions and experiences, we provide invaluable knowledge and contribute to a more just and beautiful world. The legacy of her father, Omar Kharem's, art, rooted in documenting the Black experience, continues to inspire her to use her creative voice for purpose and change. You can explore her work and connect with her via her website, instagram, and on linkedIn. To see the work of her legendary father, Omar Kharem, on instagram.
The Enduring Power of Design: Crafting Legacy in Unprecedented Times
As we wrap up today's incredibly profound conversation on “The Four Percent Amplified,” I'm left with a powerful resonance: the undeniable link between our history, the intentionality of design, the urgent call of activism, and the deeply personal legacies that fuel it all. Leila Kharem's story, illuminated by the echoes of her father Omar Kharem's powerful lens, serves as such a potent reminder: seeing and showing matter. Design, at its heart, is about showing, isn't it? And when that showing is rooted in purpose, in a fight for what's right, that's where true impact ignites.
Our journey through history, from the bold declarations of the Constructivists to the defiant visual language of the Civil Rights and AIDS movements, wasn't just lessons in a textbook. They were blueprints of courage, proving time and again that creative expression can be a force that truly shapes the world.
Now, as we navigate 2025 and confront what truly feels like unprecedented times, with civil rights facing new challenges and mass protests on the rise globally, these lessons are more crucial than ever. Our collective voice, amplified through intentional design and brave storytelling, is our most powerful tool. It's in these moments that the power of peaceful, deliberate action, grounded in our rights, becomes paramount. History teaches us that the most enduring and impactful movements are often those that maintain their peaceful integrity, even in the face of adversity. By standing united and committed to our rights, we not only demand change but also uphold the very principles of justice we seek to achieve.
Your Call to Action: Amplify Your Voice and Stand for Peace
I'm turning it over to you, Amplifiers. What moments from our conversation today truly sparked something within you? What connections did you draw between the historical power of design in activism and the challenges, and yes, the incredible opportunities, we face in our world right now? What seed of inspiration has been planted?
This conversation doesn't end here. If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who needs to hear it! Use your platform, big or small, to amplify voices and stories that matter. As we stand up for our rights in these critical times, remember to keep the peace, knowing that sustained, non-violent action is the most effective path to lasting change and a more just world. Stay safe!
