by Nicolas Nhalungo

It’s early into the night for me [in India] and late in the morning in Washington DC for Amarachi Nwosu. Amid a busy week, she found some time to speak to me. That’s one thing about Nwosu, she’s always on the move. 

She grew up in Washington DC but spent the earlier parts of her life in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. “I've had the opportunity to live across different spaces from London to Tokyo to spending time in Lagos and Accra. So yeah, I'm definitely a nomad in that sense,” says Nwosu.

Amarachi Nwosu is a visual artist, writer, storyteller, creative executive and founder of Melanin Unscripted, a platform with a mission to uplift underrepresented narratives by telling diverse stories that are timely and timeless.

“My journey began at a young age as a poet going through an internal exploration which then led to photography and served as a catalyst for filmmaking," says Nwosu. Today, the multi-hyphenate creative has led several projects, including her first feature film, ‘The Ones Who Keep Walking’ in partnership with Johnnie Walker. “I think storytelling is unique because everybody is going to experience a story differently based on the senses that resonate the most with them”, Nwosu reflects. Be it through an image, film or written media, Nwosu captures the essence of her subject. Through her projects, she creates imagery that authentically explores the nuances of being Black in today’s society.

One such project is "Black in Tokyo". The documentary, released in 2017, explores the experiences of Black foreigners in a homogenous country. As her debut project, it received significant global attention for its ability to tackle pertinent issues such as race, representation and the influence of Black culture on Japanese youth culture. “I remember being around such a diverse array of people in different environments and feeling like the photo was not able to encapsulate everything that I was seeing and experiencing around me.” What started as a college assignment during a semester in Tokyo became a turning point in her career.

This led Nwosu to establish Melanin Unscripted. By providing creatives of colour with a platform, resources, and prospects for success through her media studio, she has been amplifying diverse narratives within marginalised groups. Her company has partnered with Vogue, SONY Music and Nike amongst others. “What I love about film is the ability to mix every art form in one. Some people say that film is a simulation. It's like the true reflection of life in motion and movement and it's the closest thing we can get to the reality of humanity in a visual context”, says Nwosu.

Her latest project with Starbucks, titled "Capturing Kindness: Through The Lens Of Black Women Photographers", is a testament to that. Featured in the documentary is Black Women Photographers (BWP), a collective dedicated to giving Black women space, resources and recognition in the photography community. The documentary showcases photography's ability to immortalise beautiful and empathetic moments, tell moving stories, and serve as a point of inspiration through empowerment. “I remember being so nervous when I sent my proposal and wondering if I would get it, especially because I was the youngest.” This is a full-circle moment for Nwosu, whose first job at 16 was at Starbucks. This also speaks to the amount of work the Forbes Under 30 recipient has been putting in to lead up to this moment. It goes without mentioning inspiration.

"Capturing Kindness" Directed by Amarachi Nwosu in Partnership with Starbucks x VOX from Melanin Unscripted on Vimeo.

“The BWP were just so dope, just being able to see their energy, how they engage with each other. The kindness they genuinely showed behind the scenes was a humbling moment for me,” Nwosu shared. Through this project, she was reminded of the Black women in film and visual arts that broke barriers and opened the doors for her. Names like Safi Faye and Kathleen Collins came to mind. From her experiences, she advises Black women creatives to try writing their stories unapologetically without waiting for validation. They must honour their gifts and talents because there is someone out there that needs to see them so they can discover the light in themselves.

“What I think is unique, even with us speaking through this platform, is that there are many diverse experiences of black women, African women, and women of colour. Our experiences are not linear. I think the beauty of our experiences is that it's not one-dimensional. And so I think, the work that we create needs to show that diversity. And in my work what I'm trying to do every day is to expand how we see our experiences as humans, especially as black women.