NaaAmerley Badger, Educator, & Fashion Stylist, Designer, and Photographer
Hi, NaaAmerely! Starting from where I always do, can you share what you do?
I do a lot! (laughs) I’m an educator. I support teachers through coaching and development at a grade 6-12 school. That’s my day job. I’m trying to switch to the mindset of having two jobs. Lagniappe By Badge LLC has come out of things I’m excited about, particularly within fashion and style. It’s a way for me to be creative through styling, designing upcycled pieces and avocado dyed clothes, modeling when people ask me to. I love photography, and I’m getting more into video editing and multimedia.
That is a lot! Let’s focus on education for a moment. What attracted you to that space?
In college I did some internships in public policy & with an elected official. I wanted to gain clarity around how public policy could impact change in black & brown communities and then go back to DC to help make those policies. I applied to Teach for America and was placed in Philadelphia teaching second grade. During my first year teaching I realized how absent the impact of public policy was for the children and families I served. The need was where I was in the classroom and I chose to stay, going on to teach third grade then middle school English—my favorite—for three years. So I think ultimately what attracted me to remain in that space was being able to see the fruit of building relationships and working hard to ensure my students were learning in a safe environment. Five years ago, I transitioned to school leadership after, frankly, experiencing school leadership that was ineffective, personality-driven, and didn’t proactively influence adult culture or embrace change in ways that allowed students to thrive. I’ll never forget the time I created a system to address the problem of teachers sending students out of class frequently. I presented it to my school leader and they told me, “We’re not looking to make any changes.” That’s when I knew it was time for a change.
I did a program called Philly PLUS through The New Teacher Project, earning my administrative certification and was placed as an assistant principal at Mastery Charter Pickett Campus in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. President Obama actually shouted it out in 2010. Serving as a school leader reinvigorated my focus because I saw and continue to see a lack of cultural competence among teachers and school staff, especially for Black children who are disproportionately impacted by trauma and poverty. The most soul-irking thing to me is a mindset of doubt or skepticism as it relates to what our children can achieve. Sometimes I think it’s because there’s a sense of not really having any skin in the game. When I walk down the hall, I’m thinking that kid could be my son -- he’s chocolate as hell! And so I’m in a position to lead these conversations, about mindset, about checking our implicit bias, about what is and is not okay in our school community. I’ve had some wild experiences, especially with white women. And their tears—so many tears—that shift the focus from our children and from feedback that can help move the needle. Despite that, I keep coming back for the children because the way they navigate this human experience called life is resilient and inspirational.
And how did you begin to lean into your creative side?
I recall an Oprah Super Soul podcast episode with Elizabeth Gilbert called “The Curiosity-Driven Life.” She makes the case to follow your curiosity and remain open to various outcomes that come as a result. I’ve always leaned into my creative side, and, when I’m doing it consistently, is a major key to balance. But as of late I have been more curious which has spurred me to try my hand at a variety of things. In college, my side hustle was photography, I’ve always expressed myself through style, having done so for friends, and having done some interior design. During my time in the classroom, I remember the kids would see what I was wearing and say, “Did you make that? Why don’t you make clothes? Why don’t you model?”
The “lean” toward my creative side became more of a push, or a calling, that I couldn’t ignore around May of 2019. Having set the intention to transition to work in a creative environment, I became more intentional about putting my work out there by building a portfolio. Then again came the recurring theme: the affirmation of young people, an unexpected outpouring of support and collaboration.
Black kids are inspirational, and I do feel like they need to see an example of an adult who can follow more than one path at a time, be more than one type of person, if that’s what is needed to express the breadth of their humanity. So often in schools we don’t make space for childrens’ creative curiosities and I know so many students I have taught or been in community with who are now designers, models and amazing creatives. It’s funny because adults are confused, like how do you have the time to work full time and pursue this other thing, and on very little sleep? But the kids, they get it and they are so supportive. They’re like “I saw your IG, Ms. Badge! It’s poppin’, You different! You need to do that. Period, pooh. You cute!” They crack me up.
I’ve been doing styling and photography, doing shoots. But I’m most excited about designing and to create in a way that aligns with my sense of beauty, to say something without saying it, to serve a needed function. I’m almost finished with a 30-piece upcycled collection called first born, which is the meaning of my name, that I plan to sell and loan pieces from and that’s been truly liberating. I was only able to make this collection because I followed my curiosity which led me from one opportunity to the next, so now I’m able to see the fruits of focusing on progress versus perfection.
What are you ultimately seeking to do with your creative endeavors?
Frida Khalo said, “I’m my own muse.” I used to think a lot about others perception of me but now if I make something and I like it, that’s what matters most. I’m getting to know myself better and really engaging in that process. I’m ultimately seeking to use my creative endeavors to be with myself and my family as much as possible through financial independence, to collaborate with other creatives, and to tell my own story.
I’m also seeking to keep things close to the earth and focus on sustainability. That is important to me. I’m mostly plant based and the place I get organic avocado pits and peels from to dye clothes is one of my favorite restaurants. The people who run it are great humans. I use what I need to dye clothes and compost the rest. I also go to the farmer’s market where there’s a guacamole stand. I ask them if they’re willing to part with their avocado parts and go into the garbage where they’ve disposed of them to retrieve the avocado peels that create a deeper pink dye. It also makes the process more community-centered because most people I talk to haven’t heard of avocado dyeing and are surprised to hear it turns clothes an earthy pink, hence why I named the line New Earth. I want to remain aware of my environmental impact by recycling, thrifting, and using donations as much as possible.
Beginning in February, the first born collection will be stocked at the flagship store of a sustainable brand called Lobo Mau Clothing in Philadelphia, and I’ll be running the flagship social media while simultaneously learning the technical aspects of fashion from the brand’s designer, Nicole. Definitely a “god wink” and a brick in what I’m working to build.
What recommendations would you make to people who are interested in exploring other parts of themselves?
Just start. Experiment. What held me back is the ideal of perfectionism — I’m a Virgo with an Aquarius moon. I thought that in order to work on my creative projects, I needed a certain amount of time or that once I could get past this one hurdle then I could focus on creating. I put so many limitations on myself and I just got sick of my own shit. So now, if I have five minutes, I’ll try to do something. Creativity has no limits. It’s how you express yourself.
Take time for yourself and be intentional about it. If you have a packed schedule, you can’t do what you need to do. This weekend I’m not leaving the house. I schedule ”blackout weekends” to immerse myself in what I’m exploring.
Also, lean into being in community with new people. I’ve been exposed to an entirely different and supportive community that’s so different from those I interact with in schools, which I’ve been in for 10 years. It keeps life interesting. You have to find the right people that are going to nurture the best in you, inspire you, and expose you to new realms.
There are so many trends and phases in fashion. It can be a tough space for maintaining or asserting your sense of self. As you think about placing yourself more squarely in the fashion industry, how do you think about preserving your unique style and perspective?
Beyoncé inspired this notion for me that ownership matters. You hear about people who get their intellectual property stolen on the internet all the time, so in this day and age, that’s one way I’m going to preserve my perspective. I prefer to present things that are at a finished stage as opposed to telling people “I’m about to do this thing” which can feel very performative and “for others”. I’m working on getting some things trademarked, considering my branding strategy and how I can put my stamp on the things that mean the most.
This isn’t a question I’ve ever considered before, mainly because I’m always striving to be more me and I think placing myself more squarely in creative environments will spur new evolutions of my style and perspective. Visual expression is a big part of who I am and I’m additionally mindful of the brief time we as spirits get to have this human experience, so I’m trying to spend every moment developing my style and perspective in the most authentic way I can. This can all go away tomorrow, plus if I die that’s my ghost outfit forever. (laughs) To me, being creative is about being fully engaged in life and in the present.
Your career has encompassed very different professional spheres. In retrospect, can you identify any continuous threads in how you’ve approached your work throughout?
Doing my best, resisting boxes, and labels, continuously improving, and being present are definitely continuous threads in how I’ve approached the work.
You know I’m a huge fan of yours because you just show up in such a bold way wherever you go. Can you think of a moment when you started to leaning away from convention?
Whew, I can’t think of a moment in particular. More like an era. Definitely after I was completely independent from my parents, I think around my fourth year of teaching. I’d previously worked at a school where we as staff had to wear uniforms. I was definitely a habitual line stepper when it came to those constraints. I transitioned to working at an African-centered school where, thankfully, I could wear what I wanted and that’s definitely when I started leaning away from convention. I was surrounded by beautiful Black educators on a daily basis in amazing prints, the children wore brightly colored dashikis as uniform shirts, unlike that drab eurocentric navy blue one at the previous school. I’m Ghanaian on my dad’s side and had a lot of pieces from my last visit in 2011 that I never really got to wear because of the oppressive uniform requirements, so at this new job I began to really let loose and experiment with style. I never really looked back since then.
And finally, what do you think makes you uniquely suited to do what you do?
This question is a banger, fyi. Reminds me of the question Oprah ends all of her podcasts with: ”What do you know for sure?” What makes me uniquely suited to do what I do is one, God has a purpose for my life. Two, the way I see the world is unlike anyone else. And three, attention to detail.
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