The magazine of the opportunity & Inclusive Growth institute
Son of immigrants, marketing professional, Chicago-born, person of color, a dream manifested.
That’s the story of Chukwudi (Chudi) Anyaeche, who’s on our cover, and whose life and work experiences represent the challenges explored in For All.
His is one of the images in this inaugural issue that tell stories of people, workers, and scholars who are working toward an economy built for all. That’s the mission of the Opportunity & Inclusive Growth Institute at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, with its congressional mandate to achieve maximum employment.
“I am African American, and I am a first-generation Nigerian in the U.S.” says Anyaeche, 30. “I am two sides of a coin that’s not often talked about. To be African with direct cultural roots, language, and customs that are somewhat foreign to the main American culture is one thing. I understand the strife of a ‘foreigner’ because I’ve witnessed it through myself and my parents’ generation.”
He adds: “Another thing is to be African American, black, which is in many ways countercultural to the majority of the American population. I live my version of the minority experience. Minorities often share similar experiences, but we do not all share the exact same experience.”
With those experiences, as the digital marketing manager for a global agency and a marketing consultant, he helps companies best position their products and services to all consumers. He says, “To be successful, images and messages need to be inclusive of all applicable audiences.”
Anyaeche tells a story about his uncle’s friend, a Nigerian lawyer who moved to the United States. His law firm wouldn’t allow him to defend cases in court because of his thick African accent.
“This lawyer created brilliant arguments, but was never able to present them. It hurts when you think about it,” Anyaeche says. “My uncle will often tell me that my generation—the one that grew up here in the United States, but is still connected to our Nigerian culture—he’ll say we’re the ‘best of both worlds,’ that we’re his generation’s shining dream, their dream manifested.”
