From Lost Black Boy To Found Black Man
The A.M. Story
Inspiration is an understatement, when it comes to this BLACK KING! My biggest inspiration, is a 28 year old African American who goes by Yusuf Abraham Kamara. Most call him “Minds”. From living in Africa most of his life, to single handedly building a clothing brand bigger than he could have ever imagined, within the past 7 years (in California). He has impacted many artists around the world with his clothing brand “Affiliated Minds”. As a lost boy/artist, he always felt as if he was always trying to create a home for himself. Needless did he know he created a home for himself and thousands of others through his brand! He has sponsored over 3000 people throughout these past 7 years, even when his bank accounts were in the negatives. The most astonishing thing about him, is that the majority of his 60,000 followers have no idea who he is! It’s extremely rare these days, to see someone THIS PASSIONATE about what they’ve built. I’ve never seen anyone deny money as much as him. A true giver indeed. He once told me, that he sees things in people way before they see it in themselves, which is why he’s sponsored so many underrated artists, to give them something to believe in and keep going. To give them a place to always call home.
Lets dive deeper into the mystery man we call Minds!
Born March 11th 1992 in Queens NY, Yusuf Abraham Kamara grew up the middle child in between 2 brothers. Growing up in a Muslim household in America was tricky, but our parents made it work. He attended most of his childhood school years at a catholic school called “Our Lady Of The Angeles” . Our father Mohammed, who was born and raised in Liberia, migrated to New York in his 20s and built a travel agency from the ground up. Needless to say, though many days we struggled, we were blessed in many ways. Yusuf, got his business mind and kindred spirit from my father. Due to his travel agency, we saw most of the world before even hitting our teens. By the age of 12 my parents decided it was time for Yusuf to learn about his roots. He was sent to my grandmas house in Senegal West Africa, where he then attended end of middle school and all of his high school years. Loving a challenge, instead of choosing the English program they recommended to him, he decided to take all of his courses in French. He’s never been so close to failing! He told me it was the hardest thing he ever had to do in his life, but he did it. Imagine learning history in French, I definitely couldn’t! While in school, he also discovered a passion for writing poetry in the back of the class. That lead to music, which lead to him creating a group and doing shows in high schools all around Senegal. He was getting pretty well known!
While in high school our dad unfortunately passed and life took a drastic turn...
Our mother Khady Kamara, the strong women that she is, took over the family business and lord knows she had it running proficiently for a few years. Yusuf didn’t cry when we lost our father. He wanted to stay strong for us and my mother. He told me a year later that when he was alone he broke down in tears. We lost a lot of family after my fathers death. A lot of our family depended on him for money. Their true colors showed after his passing. Yusuf always says that he still feels our father with him and I can see my dads light in him daily!
After graduating high school in 2010 Yusuf moved to California and stayed with my mom as he figured out the next step to take. He pursued music and did many shows around San Diego and LA, while working as a dishwasher at a retirement home called “La Costa Glen”. He also went to community college for a couple years to strengthen his business intelligence. Since a child he’s always had an eye for business, the man could sell anything! In 2013 Affiliated Minds was born! He has been doing everything from marketing, sales, shipping etc... ALL ON HIS OWN. Talk about a one man team!
So yes! My biggest inspiration and HERO is my big brother, the sole owner of the Black Owned Business Affiliated Minds! When I win this money, I will gift it to him for everything he’s done & hopefully it helps take his brand to another level! Peace and love to the readers!
About the Creator
Keep reading
More stories from Affiliated Minds and writers in Motivation and other communities.
The Magical Bird
When Abraham was younger, his father always used to tell him a bed time story about a magical bird that lived in a forest, far from their village called “The Scarlet Macaw”. Hundreds of years ago, this bird was known for healing those who have been extremely ill, & even bringing some back to life! The story intrigue Abraham and he refused to sleep until hearing the story every night. As the years went by, Abraham grew older and eventually outgrew bedtime stories. When Abraham reached the age of 16, his father grew extremely ill. He was taking to the best of the villages doctors, but they all said the same thing, there was nothing they could do to help him. Abraham and his family were left hopeless and were ready to give up. One night Abraham had a strange dream of a magical bird, calling him to come to the forest. When he woke up he immediately told his family the news and his mom refused to let him go. “The forest is extremely dangerous she said” and no one has even heard of the magical bird for hundreds of years”. Abraham did not care. All he had in his mind was finding that bird and hoping it’s healing powers would heal his fathers sickness. That same night Abraham snuck out of his village and journeyed to the forest. He traveled for 2 days nonstop before reaching the forest. As soon as he walked in he felt the danger that awaited him. Seems as if his father failed to mention that the forest was full of black glowing birds with huge wings. At first he thought they were dragons. Though Abraham was scared he knew there was no going back. He couldn’t imagine life without his father. The forest was huge. After traveling for hours Abraham found a huge tree with a big enough hole in the bottom for him to rest for a bit.
By Affiliated Minds4 years ago in Fiction
“He Kept Going When No One Was Watching — And That Changed Everything”
No one ever noticed the days he almost gave up. There were no messages asking if he was okay. No one wondered why he became quieter. No one asked how much effort it took just to keep going. To the world, he was just another ordinary man. His name was Ayaan. Ayaan’s life didn’t collapse in one dramatic moment. It slowly faded. Missed opportunities. Rejected ideas. Silent disappointments. Every failure was small, but together they became heavy. He had dreams once. Big ones. Dreams that kept him awake at night, imagining a future where his hard work would finally matter. But over time, those dreams began to feel unrealistic—almost embarrassing. People around him seemed to move forward effortlessly. They celebrated promotions, achievements, and milestones. Ayaan watched from the side, smiling politely while feeling invisible. At work, his efforts were ignored. Among friends, his voice faded. At home, expectations weighed heavily on him. Slowly, a dangerous thought settled into his mind: “Maybe I’m not good enough.” That thought followed him everywhere. It followed him on crowded buses. It followed him into sleepless nights. It followed him every time he tried again and failed. One night, after scrolling through endless success stories online, Ayaan closed his phone and stared at the dark ceiling. His chest felt tight, not because of pain—but because of exhaustion. He whispered quietly, “How long do I keep trying?” There was no answer. But that night, Ayaan made a decision—not a loud one, not a confident one. A tired decision. He decided to keep going, even if nothing changed. The next morning felt the same. The same routine. The same doubts. The same fear of wasting his life. But Ayaan showed up anyway. He worked when no one praised him. He studied when no one guided him. He practiced when no one believed in him. Some days, motivation disappeared completely. On those days, discipline took over. He reminded himself: “I don’t need applause. I need progress.” Weeks passed. Nothing dramatic happened. No sudden success. No recognition. No miracle. But something subtle began to shift. Ayaan became calmer under pressure. He learned to sit with discomfort instead of running from it. He stopped comparing his journey to others. The silence that once scared him now became his training ground. Months later, a serious problem appeared at his workplace. It was complicated, risky, and easy to blame on someone else. Most people avoided it. Some pretended it wasn’t their responsibility. Ayaan didn’t announce himself. He didn’t seek attention. He simply started working. Late nights. Mistakes. Corrections. Learning. There were moments he wanted to quit. Moments when fear whispered, “You’re not ready.” But he answered back, “I’ll learn.” Slowly, the problem began to disappear. Not perfectly—but steadily. People noticed, quietly. One afternoon, his manager called him into the office. Ayaan expected criticism. Instead, he heard a question that stunned him: “Where did you learn all this?” Ayaan paused. How could he explain years of silent effort? How could he explain working when no one cared? He simply replied, “I kept going.” That moment didn’t change his life overnight. He didn’t become famous. He didn’t suddenly become successful. But it changed something far more important. His belief in himself. For the first time, Ayaan understood that life doesn’t always reward effort immediately. Sometimes, it watches. It watches who continues without praise. Who improves without recognition. Who grows in silence. Years later, Ayaan looked back at the version of himself who almost quit. The man who felt invisible. The man who thought no one was watching. And he smiled. Because he finally understood the truth: Life was always watching. Not to judge. Not to rush. But to see if he would keep going when it was hardest. The world doesn’t reward those who only work when they’re seen. It rewards those who build strength in silence. And sometimes, the moment that changes everything doesn’t come with applause. It comes quietly. After patience. After effort. After consistency. That is when everything finally begins to change. Final Message Keep going—even when no one is watching. Especially then.
By Inayat khan4 days ago in Motivation
Comments
There are no comments for this story
Be the first to respond and start the conversation.