In addition to her work with OBS, Clottey works as a student coordinator for CCSS. As a first-generation low-income (FLI) student, she said the Chicago Academic Achievement Program played an integral role in building her confidence and helping her acclimate to the academic rigor of college before classes began. lessons. She also inspired her to support future incoming FLI students.
“CCSS helps provide resources like books, technology, tuition/housing costs, food, and more so FLI students can come to college on an equal footing,” he said. “CCSS has helped me feel like I belong here, and it has been amazing to be a part of the work they do to bridge this gap.”
Clottey further follows her passion for socially impactful media work through podcasts and fashion design.
In the summer after her sophomore year, Clottey and executive producers Lena Diasti and Hope Houston revived and renamed “Kinda Sorta Brown,” a dormant podcast that had been founded by students at the Harris School of Social Policy. Recognized last year by Spotify and NPR as one of the best college student podcasts in the country, the show offers a conversational deep dive into the intersection of identity, politics, and action by addressing issues deeply rooted in the experiences of communities of color in all the world. U.S
As the podcast’s outreach manager, Clottey is in charge of finding guest speakers and coming up with episode concepts that fit the podcast’s quarterly themes. For one of her recent episodes on black feminism, Clottey worked to link African speculative fiction with science fiction.
“Who knew you could make those things fuse together?” Clottey said. “We had to get really creative with it, adding some really cool storytelling-type vibes. I really love that ‘Kinda Sorta Brown’ was an outlet for that. And I’ve been able to learn a lot about other communities, whether it’s the Asian community or the indigenous community. So, it’s been really cool.”
She found another outlet for her creativity in the summer of 2020. As the Black Lives Matter protests peaked amid the pandemic, Clottey turned to fashion as a form of social uplift, starting a handmade clothing brand called T’Kor Couture.
Clottey had learned to crochet when she was 12 years old by watching YouTube videos, but began to improve her skills during her quarantine. Now with over 10,000 followers on Instagram, T’Kor Couture is a one-of-a-kind, ethically sourced clothing line that showcases the limitless dimensions of Black culture. Using vibrant colors, oversized silhouettes, and the symbolism of the crown, Clottey draws inspiration from notable black creators such as artist Jean-Michele Basquiat and playwright Ntozake Shange.
Her passion for black fashion inspired her senior thesis topic titled “The (R)evolution of Black Fashion: Black Dress in Predominantly White Institutions.” Her main method of research involved interviewing black college students to examine what clothing can tell us about how black students are moving through predominantly white institutions. She hopes to continue growing the business after graduation as a creative way to stay civically engaged.
T’Kor Couture was also selected to participate in the 2021 Polsky Accelerator Program, which helped Clottey get her brand off the ground and think of herself as an entrepreneur and entrepreneur.
On the campaign trail
As part of her lifelong advocacy mission, Clottey joined the Leaders of Color cohort at the Institute of Politics (IOP) during her freshman year. They took a trip to Des Moines, Iowa, in the summer of 2019 to work as communications interns on Kamala Harris’ diverse women-led team, ahead of the 2020 Iowa caucuses.
Working from 7 am to 7 pm on the campaign every day, Clottey orchestrated many of the responsibilities for the door-to-door canvassing, as well as the collaboration between the press and Harris’ communications team. This job, which also introduced him to then-future President Joe Biden, is what initially sparked his interest in communications, media, and television.
“I saw that there were other avenues for advocacy beyond the law and becoming a politician,” Clottey said. “You could still deal with civic engagement, but do it more in the media space and do it more creatively.”
The following summer, Clottey worked as a communications intern at All In Together, a nonprofit that equips American women with actionable, nonpartisan civics education. In this role, she used social media and newsletters to promote political and civic engagement among women of voting age. She was also involved in hosting virtual webinars that featured guests like Representatives Ayanna Pressley and Nancy Pelosi.
These experiences, Clottey said, not only helped her discover her passion for media, but also taught her the value of working with a close-knit, inclusive and diverse group of women.
A trip to remember
Throughout his endeavors, Clottey has continued to model himself on Michelle Obama. Late last year, her dream of meeting her lifelong role model came true.
Checking her inbox one day in October, Clottey found an email from the Center for Identity and Inclusion promoting a livestream event with the former first lady. She clicked on the flyer at the bottom of the message, which contained a request for a UChicago student to join Obama for a television special. It was for the same day.
Without thinking twice, she applied. On November 8, she traveled to Washington, DC, to participate in a televised special with Obama, moderated by actress Yara Shahidi and produced by BET in collaboration with Penguin Random House.
In the episode, Obama, Shahidi and a diverse group of college panelists from 13 other schools discussed the themes of Obama’s memoir, “Becoming.” Meanwhile, in Hyde Park, more than 1,300 members of the UChicago community tuned in to the live broadcast in support of Clottey.
Source: news.uchicago.edu