Alumna Aida Mariam Davis has a theory about the value of learning about one’s heritage.
“When people start to learn about their heritage no matter where they’re from, the more confident they become in themselves and in their identity and their family, and they’re not threatened by other people from different ethnic backgrounds,” says Davis, author of Kindred Creation: Parables and Paradigms for Freedom, featured at this year’s Los Angeles Times Festival of Books (April 26-27). Her appearance is slated from 4:30-5:30 pm, April 26.
“I think people who know their history and care can find connections – whether they’re of African descent or not,” Davis adds.
A philosophical work
Davis, who earned a Master in Public Policy (MPP) from the USC Price School of Public Policy in 2012, was born to Ethiopian parents who immigrated to Baltimore and raised her and her younger sister in Apple Valley, the unincorporated community near Victorville, Calif.
She describes her book – her first – as having elements of philosophy and critical thinking that is about reclaiming her heritage and humanity for greater connection and community.
Davis is a descendant of anti-colonial fighters who kept Ethiopia free from colonialism (it was briefly occupied by Italy, from 1936 to 1941) when virtually all of Africa was being carved out and divided among European powers.
She says Kindred Creation, published in December by Penguin Random House, “is a call and response to dream and design better worlds rooted in African lifeways: a path to Black freedom, a love letter to Black futures, and a blueprint to intergenerational Black joy and dignity.”
Bound for higher education
Higher education runs strong in the Davis family.
Her father, Alemayehu Mariam, received a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota and a law degree from the University of Maryland. He teaches political science at Cal State San Bernardino.
Her mother, Mesrak Gessesse, is a retired health-care administrator with degrees from the University of Maryland.
Her sister, Abigail Mariam, a researcher and educator, earned her undergraduate and doctorate degrees from Harvard University.
Community activism
Davis kept busy at Granite Hills High School running track and participating in several clubs. She also was homecoming queen.
She left Apple Valley to attend UC Berkeley, where she worked for the Malcolm X Grassroots Organizing, helping civil rights leaders and young people to dialog across generations, experiences, and communities to advance social, economic, and environmental justice.
After earning a B.A. in political science and African American studies in 2016, Davis held community leadership positions before launching, in 2018, her own consulting firm, Decolonize Design.
Working with clients spanning from the nonprofit sector to Fortune 500 companies, she created the Belonging, Dignity, Justice, and Joy (BDJJ) framework as an alternative to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
It was during her time at Decolonize Design (she stopped leading the consultancy in 2023) that the roots of Kindred Creation took form.
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Find Out More“I had been journaling, keeping these stories and experiences, and making sure that I didn’t forget them,” Davis recalls. “In the introduction of my book, I talk about it being like a quilt — these discarded pieces of cloth that weren’t valued at the time but come together to create this beautiful artifact for warmth, art, and comfort.”
After considering law school, Davis opted to earn her MPP because of her work in community organizing.
“I realized that grassroots had real limitations,” she explains. “How do decision makers make decisions? If I could bring the perspective I had seen with a lot of working-class people to help create rules and the understanding that with policies comes tradeoffs, and that policies can change people’s lives, I felt I could make a difference.”
She has been putting that philosophy to work since joining the Sierra Club in 2023 as chief people (human resources) officer. One of her achievements at the environmental organization was launching an award-winning “Cultivating Community Learning Series,” which she says has transformed organizational culture, increased employee satisfaction, and became a revenue-generating initiative.
The USC Price experience
Davis says one of the reasons she decided on USC Price was the university’s culture.
“When I came here on my initial visit there was a feeling of home and comfort and abundance, and I say that coming from a public university where there was a lot of scarcity,” she says. “At UC Berkeley you made your community, but it wasn’t the same.
“There’s something about the Trojan family that definitely made me want to become a member.”
Lavonna Lewis, Vice Dean of Community Dialogue and Engagement and a Professor (teaching) of Public Policy at USC Price, hired Davis as a graduate student instructor.
“Aida was a valuable asset to the class in every way,” Lewis recalls. “She was present, thoughtful, and found ways to get the students more engaged.
“What I will always remember most about Aida was the lecture she did for me on educational equity,” Lewis adds. “She combined her community advocacy and policy analytics in a way that kept the students’ attention and amplified the power of education for all populations.
“I believe that the combination of advocacy and analytics has served her well on her professional and personal journeys.”
Joy
Davis met her husband, Reggie, at UC Berkeley, where he received an MBA. They have three children.
And although her children bring her immense joy, so did Davis’ days at USC Price.
“I think ‘joy’ might be the headline,” she says. “I really enjoyed my time at USC, and I think that one of the greatest things I learned at Price is that every public policy has tradeoffs.
“So, no matter how perfect I may think my ideas are or my way of life is, there are always tradeoffs, and this realization helps you move through the world understanding that not everything may be perfect, and not everything may be our fault, but we all need to be responsible and caring rather than selfish and frivolous.”
