REFINE Alum Profile: Hafeezat Bishi and The Art of Being Unapologetic

By: Hadiyah Muhammad

Hafeezat Bishi is truly unforgettable. She once graced the campus of Temple University until graduating this past summer with a bachelor’s degree in communication and social influence. From the looks of her Instagram page and personal website, which is bordered in a perfect shade of yellow, it’s evident that Bishi’s personality and compassion for change shines undeniably.

“Growing up as a Black woman, I was already kind of aware of my positioning in this world,” Bishi shares— a testimony to how she was inspired to get involved in media before becoming an advocate for numerous social justice issues. 

While in attendance at a predominantly white and Asian high school, Bishi would voice her opinions about various topics regarding social justice. Her outspoken personality and projected voice made other students "weary of her,"  Bishi says, but that didn’t put an end to her speaking out.

In fact, it only made Bishi fight harder to speak up about the things other students didn’t want to.

Like so many Black women growing up, Bishi’s parents made sure to encourage a strong work ethic “because they know this world is stacked up against [her].” She didn’t know the full extent of their words until 2012, when a young, Black teenager was murdered in his own neighborhood and justice was not served fairly to his killer. His name was Trayvon Martin.

Bishi shares, “That was a pinnacle point in my life.''

She also made it clear that she doesn’t consider herself to be an activist, saying, “I am a strong advocate for social justice and equity, and I do my best to help in many different ways.” 

Social justice and being an advocate is embedded in Bishi. It’s not performative. It’s not a mask she applies during the day and meticulously removes at night. It’s apart of who she is as Black woman, a Nigerian woman, and a Muslim woman. She stands tall and firm in her convictions as someone who tirelessly stands for those who can’t always stand for themselves. Lending a helping hand is just one of her many talents. 

She advises students who want to get into media and social justice to start their own projects without waiting for them to be assigned. In starting their own projects, students will be able to accumulate work that can then be used for a larger purpose. When students do that, they’ll be able to explain “This is who I am, this is what I stand for, and these are the values I’m trying to portray in my media work.” 

Though she has already graduated from Temple, Bishi’s academic journey has continued to graduate school, where she’s currently honing in on more skills to add to her already illustrious repertoire. Her talent is limitless in the social media and communication field, though she wouldn’t mind adding production into her future career plans. 

She remembers her first semester at Temple and how she mishandled her own reinvention. Fitting in hadn’t always been easy throughout her life because of how outspoken she was, so she finally decided to be her unapologetic self. 

As for her younger self, Bishi shares, “I would have to tell her that your personality is what’s going to make you successful.”