Akuyoe Graham
By Darlene Donloe
Contributing Writer
LOS ANGELES — Akuyoe Graham’s journey is a testament to the power of creativity, resilience and dedication.
As the founder and CEO of Spirit Awakening, a nonprofit arts-based organization she established in 1995, Graham has spent three decades empowering young people to discover their spiritual identity through creative expression.
Her organization, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a gala Oct. 3, has become a beacon of hope for countless individuals, particularly those impacted by the juvenile justice system and institutional racism.
Throughout her life, Graham has consistently shown a deep concern for young people.
“What’s the alternative, not caring?” she asked. “That doesn’t feel good. Growing up and going to England for primary and secondary school was traumatizing. In England, a family friend tried to rape me. I was a child. I have a love/hate relationship with London.”
Graham said some of her time in London was dark.
“I always remembered my sense of self-loathing because the images of Africans were awful,” said Graham, a tribal Ghanaian princess and former host for the Africa Channel. “I knew that wasn’t who we are or were. Those are the images I would see in films or on television. It made me want to run and hide.”
While growing up, Graham said she began to unmask her authentic voice.
“It was then that I realized I wanted to make sure other young people didn’t have to suffer like I suffered,” she said. “They matter. That’s been the driving force. You don’t have to dumb yourself down. Rise. You have everything in you to be brilliant.”
When he was 17 and in a juvenile home, Aeron Pluto Brown heard about the Spirit Awakening program. He said it changed his life.
“It was probably one of the darkest times of my life,” Brown said. “Mama Akuyoe walked in with this light that I really needed. I was given a safe space. I trusted her and let her in.
“I’ve done a lot of work on myself,” he added. “I now have a future. I call her Mama Akuyoe because of the support system I get from her and the rest of the Spirit Awakening family.”
Graham’s accomplishments extend far beyond her work with Spirit Awakening. As an award-winning interdisciplinary artist, she has worn many hats: actress, writer, educator and philanthropist.
Graham, whose acting credits include “American Pie 1,” “Danika” and “General Hospital,” wrote a critically acclaimed one-woman play, “Spirit Awakening,” praised by the Los Angeles Times for “lifting the solo dramatic journey to heights rarely reached.”
The play chronicles Graham’s physical and emotional voyage from Ghana to Britain to New York, shedding layers of pain, shame and doubt.
Through her foundation, Graham has created a safe space for young people to explore their creativity, build confidence and develop essential life skills.
“When I came to L.A., I wanted to use my work to heal and transform,” Graham said. “That was always my intention.”
Her organization’s innovative curriculum combines arts, mindfulness and meditation to foster healing, self-awareness and personal growth.
“The arts can heal and transform,” said Graham, who began teaching at John Muir High School, briefly taught at Oakwood private school, Theater Dance Arts in the South Bronx in New York, for the Police Activities League, and in challenged communities. “Arts like writing, acting and singing. We knew writing would be cathartic. We are achieving some great things in our juvenile halls, camps and schools. Arts can make a difference to young people.”
When she was 17, Masumie McCowan was incarcerated at Camp Scott, a juvenile camp in Santa Clarita.
“The hope and faith that Miss Akuyoe and Spirit Awakening instilled in me allowed me to turn my life around,” McCowan said. “I met her during a really dark time in my life. I always knew I could change my life, but I didn’t have the hope and the faith needed to achieve it.
“The environment I was in was always bringing me down,” she added. “When I met Akuyoe, she gave me the hope and peace I was looking for. I would tell others struggling never to give up, never lose hope. The moment you give up, faith can be right around the corner.”
Spirit Awakening students tap into a wellspring of creativity to write and perform their own stories of awakening to the untarnished self behind the defensive postures and masks.
And because her presence resonates with “the better angels of their nature,” Graham said the participants in her “Writes of Passage” program are imbued with a new confidence in their abilities and a more substantial commitment to fulfill their greater potential.
At 16, Hunter Formica became aware of Spirit Awakening while incarcerated at Camp Scott. It was her fourth time being incarcerated and she was ready to change her life.
“I was near the end of my stay, and I was worried about leaving the camp and not having the resources I needed to navigate the probation system,” said Formica, who now facilitates programs for Spirit Awakening. “I came across Akuyoe’s writing class. I remember the writing really helped me.
“I had to write about going into a new year and understanding what was new within me. The biggest change is having a toolbox of resources and wellness tools to help me understand how to manage my emotions,” she added. “My biggest change is learning to control my emotions and allowing myself to love. I try to embody the same presence and love that Akuyoe showed me and so many others.”
By providing stipends, financial aid, and mentorship, Spirit Awakening supports its students in achieving their academic and personal goals.
As Spirit Awakening celebrates its 30th anniversary Legacy of Love Celebration, at the Skirball Cultural Center Oct. 3, Graham is poised to take her organization to new heights.
“We are celebrating 30 years of doing good,” Graham said. “To me, the celebration is about celebrating our legacy, which is love, love in action as an organization.”
“Voices of the Unheard” is an annual theatrical performance fundraiser that showcases the written and spoken word of child detainees in the juvenile justice system.
As part of the celebration, some formerly incarcerated Spirit Awakening participants will present their original writings.
This year’s event features spoken word, poetry, song, dance and storytelling, showcasing the unfiltered voices of vulnerable individuals.
“We were one of the first to recognize that our young ones who were and are incarcerated were traumatized,” Graham said. “We recognized that the healing arts were needed. Thirty years ago, the system didn’t offer yoga or meditation — we did.
“The arts can heal and transform,” she added. “Writing, acting, and singing all have the potential to heal. We knew writing would be cathartic. The arts can make a significant difference in the lives of young people.”
Her movie, “Spirit Awakening,” set to hit the big screen before the end of the year, will share her transformative story with a broader audience.
With her best-selling book, “The Little Book of Transformation/7 Days to a Brand New You,” and frequent TEDx appearances, Graham continues to inspire and uplift others.
Her legacy serves as a reminder that with passion, creativity and perseverance, “We can create positive change in the world,” she said.
As she looks to the future, her vision for Spirit Awakening remains clear: to empower young people, foster healing and bring people together through the transformative power of art.
Darlene Donloe is a freelance reporter for Wave Newspapers who covers South Los Angeles. She can be reached at ddonloe@gmail.com.
