Camille Viviana is a Black Woman on a Mission

Camille Viviana is a viral content creator having amassed over 100,000 followers on TikTok which she leveraged to scale her e-commerce brand Black Woman on a Mission. She continues to grow her brand and others through influencer marketing and consulting. In addition, she is the Assistant Director of the Incubator at Southern Methodist University. A published author, her book, "The Power of Infinite Potential," is aimed at helping people reach their potential in ways that promote a more purposeful and fulfilling life.

In 2020, Viviana founded “Black Women on a Mission” the streetwear brand focused on the strength, resilience and perseverance of Black Women.  Birthed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Viviana says, “One night during the pandemic, I dreamt of a powerful woman pointing toward the sky wearing the Black Woman on a Mission design you see today. I woke up and got to work, afraid I might lose the fleeting dream image. And thank God I did because it’s changed everything.”

Black Woman on a Mission describes women who are focused, determined, and driven to reach their goals and live their purpose. The mantra is an expression of admiration for the resilience, strength, and perseverance of Black Women who often face challenges in their pursuit of success. Black Women on a Mission are role models, change makers, and shining examples for those striving to overcome adversity and reach their goals.

Her clothing line features one special word that she says describes how she identifies as a black woman, resilient.  She said as she spoke with other black women, she noticed how the word resilience kept showing up and decided that would be the moniker for the brand. Viviana says in her quest to find purpose and identity she wanted to add value to black women everywhere while creating a community. “In a world where I felt aimless, the mantra Black Woman on a Mission became my north star, always guiding me to a higher purpose. I decided to share the mantra through clothes, and in the process gained an amazing community.

With so many black women struggling and carrying the “strong black woman” cape on their shoulders, Viviana cautions women to know the difference between strength and resilience.  “I think with strength, people expect you to never be fazed by anything, or never to be going through anything, or even if you are they expect us to just kind of pick it up and keep it moving. Resilience doesn't necessarily identify with that. I think that resilience, in many ways says, yes, life may be coming at me hard, but I'm not going to let it keep me down.”

Viviana knows the pressures black women face daily. She previously worked as a lobbyist in DC and says there are systemic issues that attempt to impact black women’s growth and hinder their resilience. “Historically the way legislation and laws were crafted to stump our growth not just as black people but also as women. That’s a double whammy. When we look at legislation like the CROWN Act, it sounds so simple right?  To be able to exist and work without having our hair policed in the workplace so we can work in an environment that is productive and conducive. We shouldn’t have to change who we are to fit in. We’ve come a long way but still have so much work to do for decision makers to acknowledge there is an issue. We have to continue to educate our legislature on what our experiences are.”

Viviana says using her brand and platform is important to amplify and encourage black women.  She says having positive spaces for black women is vital. “For so long, black women have been grossly under looked and our work is so powerful, so vital, and so important. If you look back at major movements, we've been at the forefront, albeit in the shadows of so many of them. By putting black women in the forefront and highlighting them, we put them in a position to be our leaders, our activists and to make a difference and create change in ways that are going to be lasting and systemic. That’s why I representation is so important. This is why we need to lift black women to the heights they deserve to be.  think awareness plays such a key role, because a lot of people can’t amplify what they don't know about. Awareness is key because the work you know, it's deserving.”

Find Camille Viviana on TikTok @camilleviviana_.