We were captivated by Mbete Dunbar the minute we saw her enter the studio. Her majestic stature was notable, she was poised and confident. Originally from Liberia, West Africa, Dunbar moved to America with her family due to civil war. Though African born, her last name is non traditional to West Africa. It is a name that can be tied to slave owners. Her great grandparents had migrated to West Africa from Philadelphia after the emancipation proclamation (why did they migrate? to avoid the tension and violence that came from slaves being freed?). Growing up in West Africa, Dunbar heard the terrible stories of slavery and racism that took place in America. “Never did I imagine that I would experience racism personally in present day.” she says sadly. “I am a survivor who has experienced both the ugly and the beautiful sides to life.”
“My goal is to open a culturally specific community reentry facility for females re-entering society.”
There is no doubt that Dunbar is a survivor. She is also a thriver and proudly shares her accomplishments. One of which is raising her much loved son. Dunbar has a strong moral code and has worked hard to teach her boy. The term ‘entitlement’ came up. She explained that she wants him to understand that he needs to work for what he wants. Dunbar speaks of how the world is about give and take. To live well, one must honor this balance.
While raising her boy single handedly, Dunbar also set goals for herself. Education being at the top. She successfully graduated from college while maintaining a full time job with minimal debt. This was no easy feat and Dunbar remembers her mother’s words. How she had told her that she had no idea that her little girl was so strong.
Presently Dunbar works in the correctional field with a passion for Restorative Justice. She describes one of her dreams for the future, “My goal is to open a culturally specific community reentry facility for females re-entering society.” Dunbar explains that people are set up to fail when they are released from prison without any further support. It is a blaring missing link in Dunbar’s mind and she would love nothing more than to realize her vision.
Presently Dunbar finds her joy volunteering as a restorative dialogue facilitator within a community justice program for victims and youth. “This program gives victims the ability to be heard and tell their stories, while also giving the youth the opportunity to repair the harm caused in a nontraditional way of the justice system. I experience joy every time the parties reach an agreement to repair the harm and the youth is not criminally prosecuted.”
Balance seems to be a recurring theme in Dunbar’s life. She shares that fashion is also where she finds joy and passion. Not only to experience the thrill of attending as a model but to push the limits that exist within the industry. To represent the underrepresented. To challenge the beauty standards. “I have heard the saying, ‘modeling is not all about pretty.’ I have to agree with this saying. I am real, flawed to some but it is all part of representation in diversity. All my features are not to be measured against another but rather to be breathtaking to behold. I want the fashion industry to understand and remember that beauty is abstract on many levels and it's time to do away with standardized and conforming ideas.”
Dunbar speaks with a mix of positivity as well as some apprehension regarding the renewed momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement and explains: “I know many people say racism was in the past or does not exist but we have clearly seen history (taking place in the present), which is supposed to be the lesson of the past (not being relived). I do appreciate all the allies, friends and supporters of BLM participating in the movement for change. However, I fear that some are merely caught up in the hype, while others exhibit negative behaviors that are not reflective of the message of injustice. My hope is to see an audit in society of political, social and economic structures especially regarding equality in treatment and accountability for all.” Believing the new momentum of BLM a necessity, Dunbar quotes Maya Angelou, “History cannot be unlived but if faced with courage need not be lived again”.
Dunbar has found herself becoming less assertive in certain situations to avoid the stereotypes that women of color are faced with regularly. She describes her experience as a Black woman. “Being a woman of color is like walking on eggshells. You have to be delicate in the way you speak not to be described as an angry black woman. You fear your father, brother, son, might not come home if they have an encounter with the police.”
Dunbar has experienced racism in job hunting and training. She chose to describe an incident from her college years that she had been very excited about at the time. “Prior to graduating college, I accepted an internship with a county department and was the first intern at the location. After a few weeks of working (and going out of her way to be accommodating to the hours and split days), unfortunately we were informed that due to layoffs and budget cuts the training would only be offered to employees. About a month later, I was informed by a staff member that the white intern who came after me had been trained. When I inquired as to why the other intern was given this training that we were told was not available to us. I could not get a clear answer.”
Something that Dunbar reflected on during our conversation was the irony of celebrating firsts for the BIPOC community. On one hand, it is incredible to witness and so important to celebrate change happening and yet on the other hand, there is a deep sadness and disappointment because the ‘firsts’ illuminate and amplify the fact that so little has actually changed in all this time.
It is a testament to Dunbar’s character that she has emerged with powerful positivity. She shares her advice to everyone, “Shake off labels from society that are not reflective of you. Instead create love for yourself and others with a passion that flames bright so everyone can be affected by the heat. To people of color, I would say amplify your education so that we can insert ourselves in positions where laws, rules and regulations are made regarding our lives and community. I will encourage young black people to also become more active in social causes so issues can be addressed in the initial stages.”
Story by Jennifer Randall
Editing: Calico Rose & Shawnalee Anderton
Photographs: Shawnalee Anderton
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