Helping Communities Play Bigger with Onikah Asamoa-Caesar

Shift Out Loud with Tracy Spears

When you decide to play bigger, you can create positive impact that ripples far and wide and empowers others to play bigger, too. In this episode of Shift Out Loud, I speak to someone who has built the heart of her community — and works every day to keep it beating strong.

Onikah Asamoa-Caesar is the founder and owner of Tulsa-based Fulton Street Books & Coffee, which she created as a safe space for Black and Brown folks to build community, change their city through civic discourse, and increase intergenerational literacy. Before opening this incredible space, Onikah worked on criminal justice policy initiatives under the office of Colorado state senator Mike Johnston, then helped to launch the George Kaiser Family Foundation’s Birth through Eight Strategy, which focused on creating a cycle of opportunity for Tulsa’s most vulnerable families.

During this conversation, we dig into the importance of inclusive spaces, the nuances of effective allyship, and the beauty of loving your identity.

Ready to play bigger? Listen now to discover:

• Why Onikah chose to return to the United States after falling in love with traveling
• Why she decided to open a bookstore in the middle of the pandemic — and how her space vitally serves her community
• How Onikah will continue to shift out loud and create amazing impact in Tulsa and beyond

Guest bio: Onikah Asamoa-Caesar is the founder and owner of Fulton Street Books & Coffee in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Fulton Street Books & Coffee was created to center the stories, narratives, and lived experiences of Black folks, Brown folks, and marginalized communities.

Timestamps:

01:41 Intro

03:05 Meet Onikah Asamoa-Caesar

05:28 Loving Black identity

07:04 Traveling as a Black woman

10:44 Returning to the States & Teach for America

15:59 Evolving life’s work

19:23 Why open a bookstore?

25:53 Expanding in Tulsa International Airport

27:15 The Ally Box & Book Club For a Cause

30:55 What’s next?

33:34 Family history

38:38 Little & Lit

Links:

Onikah Asamoa-Caesar

https://www.fultonstreet918.com

Instagram: @fultonstreet918

Discover your tactical leadership toolkit: https://www.exceptionalleaderslab.com

Interested in working with me or having me speak at your event? Find more information at https://tracyspears.com

Want tools and insights that will help you play bigger in your life, at work, and in your community? Visit my resource library: https://tracyspears.com/blog

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Twitter: @tracylspears

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