Carlton Dossou of Mid City on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Carlton Dossou. Check out our conversation below.

Hi Carlton, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
Two of the most recent moments that made me feel proud were finishing the short film for my first poetry book, which I wrote, directed, and acted in, and completing my second poetry book, which holds over 100 poems.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Carlton Dossou (Dough-Sue). I’m a Mid City native. I dabble in many things, but the common thread that ties them together is creating something for good. Whether it’s my 501(c)3 organization We Got Next LA, which serves inner-city and at-risk youth, my poetry books and short film that explore themes meant to connect people, including love, but also topics like mental health and therapy that are too often ignored, or coaching AAU basketball, I truly enjoy building community and creating what I wish had been there for my younger self.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I boxed myself in and believed there were limits to what I could achieve—not the heights I could reach, but the range of worlds and mediums I could thrive in. I gave myself only a few options, allowing myself to be ultra-confident in school or sports. But whenever something new was presented, I shut it down and told myself I could never do it. Now, I’ve moved past that mindset, proving myself wrong time and time again. Without pushing beyond that belief, the man I’ve become and everything I’ve accomplished would not have been possible.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Being Carlton is amazing and always do things that are authentic to who you are. Find people who see you for who you are and who will never allow you to be anything other than your authentic self.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I’m dedicated to reshaping the restrictive, systematically enforced narrative about inner-city and at-risk youth—who they are and what they are capable of achieving. For the rest of my life, I will fight to give young champions in the inner city the chance to grow up without their potential being predetermined by where they were raised.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I do feel like I’m living my purpose now. It wasn’t something I always knew I was going to do or even dreamt about as a child. But these past few years since college have been transformative. I accomplished the things I was told my whole life I had to do to meet someone else’s standard of success: excel in school and graduate from a well-known university. I did that. Once I did, I was stripped of a burden that had weighed me down for years, and I felt light as a feather. Since then, I’ve been able to do things that truly fill my cup. Everything I am doing now, day in and day out, finally feels like it was destined for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/carltondossou

Image Credits
Photos by: Ray Dobson, Joshua Francis, and Sergio Gonzalez