Advocate. Entrepreneur. Thought leader. These are just a few of the tiles HBCU Buzz Founder, Luke Lawal Jr. already possesses.
After 12 years (and counting!) of advocating for HBCUs and the Black community as a whole, Luke will now be adding “Author” to his list of accolades. Rich Black Poor Black is a wealth-building guide based on the pillars of mental, physical, social and spiritual health, aimed towards Gen Z . In this interview, Luke provides a firsthand account of the book writing process along with wise advice for young Black people everywhere.
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The Knockturnal: What was the timeline for writing Rich Black Poor Black?
Luke Lawal Jr.: It took me over three years to complete the book. I started with the cover after a few months of writing. Then the title came after I knew what the cover would need to look like. My first challenge was deciding whether I was going to do fiction or nonfiction.. When I landed at doing both I knew I wanted the cover to display a good compare and contrast. In true Gemini fashion, Rich Black Poor Black was the best fit after a few hundred names.
The Knockturnal: What has it been like writing a book while balancing your other commitments?
Luke Lawal Jr.: It honestly was fun. It was like my little happy place. I love to create so working on the story and the characters made me feel at peace. The challenge was making sure I made time to do just that, picking a full day out of the week or two for the past three years.
The Knockturnal: Describe the feeling when you finished your book and what it was like holding a physical copy for the first time.
Luke Lawal Jr.: It was overwhelming. There’s no better feeling than seeing all your hard work put into a physical tangible item. BUT the best feeling was seeing my mother’s reaction to seeing [the book] for the first time…just that alone made everything worth it.
The Knockturnal: Your book is unique and important in that it’s framed as a wealth-building guide for Black Gen Zers. Do you have any words for young Black people who are facing pressure to consume via ads on Tik Tok, Instagram and/or engage in flex culture? What is your relationship with social media like?
Luke Lawal Jr.: Although social media isn’t real life, it is an awesome tool to diversify your revenue and at times can be the best resume. As long as we understand that it’s only a tool for that purpose alone, as well as being social, I think we can replace the day-to-day pressure of keeping up. I am happy with more and more leaders and influencers starting to transparently show the pitfalls. That has been super helpful in understanding that it’s not all glitz and glamour. My words for young Black people facing the pressure…know your worth, enjoy the journey and don’t quantify your worth against anyone else’s.
The Knockturnal: Do you think you’ll write another book in the future? What are other topics you’re interested in exploring? If not a book, what other projects can we look forward to seeing from you this year?
Luke Lawal Jr.: Like always, the plan is to LIFT as I climb. Absolutely, my book is the beginning foundation of how our community can generate wealth. I think as I grow in my career my perspective will grow. I’m going to share that knowledge.
Rich Black Poor Black will be available at bookstores everywhere June 15th. Order your copy here.
