Today we’d like to introduce you to Priscilla T. Graham.
Hi Priscilla, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
God’s Servant, Historian, Storyteller, Photovangelist, Philanthropist, Advocate, and Author #LivingLifeOutLoud
I am a proud Gulf War Veteran and Georgia native from Thomasville. The credit for my success comes from The Most High, family, and faith. After serving 6 years in the United States Army Signal Corps, I moved to Houston, Texas to attend Texas Southern University. I earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the university in 1998.
My passion for servant leadership was born in 1994 at a juvenile justice conference in Austin, Texas where Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee said, too often when people need us the most, we give them our worst. As a result, my vehicle for Servant leadership began with the YMCA of Greater Houston in 1995. The organization afforded me the opportunity to give my best to those who needed it the most. As Executive Director of the South Central YMCA, I opened and managed the first YMCA in the world to be named after a professional sports team, Houston Texans, and the first certified LEED Gold YMCA in the state of Texas in 2011.
However, my love is storytelling through the Lens of the camera capturing timeless moments of life. Photography soothes my soul and gives me a voice to express my spirit of love for God’s Beauty through a single photograph. I believe that nothing truly captures a moment in time like a photograph…Photographs tell a story and reveal truths that cannot be reproduced or duplicated in any other form. A photograph simply captures a single moment in time and makes it stand still for eternity. I believe that photography can inform, educate, inspire, and help people develop pride and a love for learning when they acquire knowledge about historical people, places, and structures in their communities.
My preferred genre of photography is documentary because I believe that History is made and lives through people, not places, buildings, structures, organizations, or things. These are merely vehicles one uses to make history. It is through one’s actions that he or she creates his or her legacy and makes places, buildings, structures, organizations, or things touched along the way historical!
In 2019, I received Congressional Recognition from Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee for my photographic work and a Proclamation from the City of Houston for my historical preservation works in 2018. June 25, 2019 was the opening of my first solo exhibit which ran from June 25, 2019 through September 6, 2019 at the Buffalo Soldiers Museum. Since, I have had the opportunity to create and exhibit three other artistic works including 35 historical photographic books which are available in other counties and 5 languages
Currently, I am the proud owner and CEO of Harriett’s History Box, LLC. I also completed my Master’s Degree in Business Administration in December 2014.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Deciding to establish your own business is a life changing experience which requires a serious commitment. It has not been an easy road, but it has been fulfilling. There is nothing more satisfying and freeing as having the freedom to carve your own path. Cash flow, developing a digital footprint, and building a line of company credit has been the most challenging.
Because the company is so unique, marketing and sales present also contribute to an additional set of challenges. However, I have been very fortunate, I was able to secure credit a business credit card and other lines of credit via 30-day net.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am best known for my historical research and documentation of African American history and culture. My documentary photography and exhibits are designed to create awareness, inform, educate, and stimulate learning through positive imaging and storytelling using mixed media, photography, and cinematography to tell the story of people fighting to preserve their cultural heritage.
My passion and strive for excellence to tell the full story of our ancestors sets me apart from others.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Other organizations can collaborate with Harriett’s History Box, LLC by joining our team to inform and educate people around the world about US African American history.
Contact Info:
- Email: harriettshistoryboxllc@gmail.com
- Website: www.priscillatgraham.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/grahampriscilla
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/throughthelensofpriscillatgraham
- Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/grahampriscilla
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxjWgdMLJ8szENnNFLPJ29Q
- Other: https://linktr.ee/priscillatgraham
Image Credits
Grady Carter
Ronald Polk
Priscilla T. Graham
