Meet Alexsandra Mitchell | Manager of Education and Public Programs

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alexsandra Mitchell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alexsandra, what is the most important factor behind your success?
I would say the most important factors behind my success are resilience and fortitude. I’m a huge planner both professionally and personally. I’m always thinking ahead about my next steps, goals, plans, and ideas. But what happens when these plans don’t work out? What happens when there’s a challenge that’s out of control or a major loss? In those character-building moments, I lean into both my resilience and sense of fortitude to keep going. Success for me hasn’t been built around what happens when everything goes right. It’s been built around what happens when I am able to believe in myself and forge a new path.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My professional life and career really started while I was an undergraduate student at Howard University. Like most Bison, I am extremely proud of my time there, the rich legacy and commitment to leadership for America and the global community that Howard instills in every student during the short four years on campus. My grandfather, Charles T. Mitchell Jr., was the first in our family to attend Howard, so it feels great to have continued that legacy. My professors there really introduced me to the world of studying black life and culture professionally, and to being a practitioner. Convincing my family that this was something I could do as a career took a little more work! There were of course challenges after graduating from Howard. The hurdle of moving to Senegal two months after graduation, the intellectual hurdles of wrestling with theory during my master’s program at NYU, endless challenges of navigating ivy league education at the Ph.D. level as a black woman. Prayer, family and friend support, resilience, fortitude, and courage are how I made it through those challenges. Never allowing external factors to impact the way in which I believe in myself were and are critical components. Now that I am in a position to support the next generation of students and soon-to-be practitioners in my field, I do everything I can to support them just as I was supported. I’m really proud of being able to partner with the Atlanta University Center’s program for Curatorial Studies by hosting an intern at my museum every summer. Some are now working in the field and or starting graduate school. It feels like an honor and privlage to contribute to supporting fellow HBCU students and alum.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Malibu! Malibu, though it technically isn’t Los Angeles, is truly my happy place. I love to hike by myself or with my dog, Ziggy. We both also really love the beach so we spend a lot of time at Zuma or Carbon Beach. I try to visit a new restaurant every week. I love supporting black businesses so Alta is a big favorite for anyone who wants soul food and Berbere Vegan in Santa Monica for anyone who is interested in incredible vegan Ethiopian cuisine. I also really love Elephante, Ysabel, and the view at Castaway. For drinks, I love a good rooftop! Harriets, The DTLA or Santa Monica Proper, Perch, The Ace. My dear friend and fellow HU Alum, Foreignerrrrrr has really created a really incredible and rich nightlife community centered around the celebration of Caribbean culture, and freedom. I’m usually asleep pretty early, but I stay up late when he’s doing something!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people who deserve a shout-out when it comes to my success! I would start with my family. My family set the creative and educational foundation for me, which has in turn impacted my career and life goals. My Nana, the Reverend Dr. Sadie S. Mitchell, took me to my first museums as a child. She was a retired teacher and principal who also worked for The School Board of Philadelphia.

I grew up with my family’s art collection: my Nana’s original Henry Ossawa Tanner, my dad’s Ernie Barnes, my mother’s collection, and my godmother’s best friend owned a black women-owned art gallery in Philadelphia. They started my art collection at a very early age. Growing up in my mom’s salon and day spa impacted the way I approach and revere black beauty, entrepreneurship, hustle, and perseverance.

My mom-mom, Mary Jane Payne, made all of my Halloween costumes by hand and taught me how to spell my first word, h-o-m-e. My older brother is an avid reader and exposed me to works by black writers when he was in high school. My Uncle Mike and Aunt Charisse forced me to do my homework haha. I was enrolled as a student at Philadanco (The Philadelphia School of Arts) and danced there until I graduated high school. Some of my closest friends, including one here in LA, are from my time at Philadanco.

My scholarly community has shaped the way I approach my personal work and commitment to black life, art, and culture. I’d have to name Dr. Greg Carr and Dr. Deb Willis, specifically as part of that community.

My chosen family — my friends are really incredible. They inspire me, support me, keep me laughing, and hold me accountable when I’m flat-out wrong haha. My move across the country was really made possible by the support of my friends who supported me and the community that I have built here in Los Angeles. Out of fear of mistakenly leaving anyone’s name out, I won’t list them here :).

Website: alexsandrammitchell.com

Instagram: alexsandra.m.mitchell

Linkedin: alexsandramitchell