Adaeze Clarke At the helm of De Legacy

She is a young real estate entrepreneur with sights set on paving a way all her own, while still upholding the legacy of her father. She describes herself as having a frank character, backed by her strong familial bonds and steadfast parental support.

“I always wanted to be independent, I knew I wanted to own my own business,” she says of her earliest memories of wanting to make a name for herself. But spending her formative years in the shadow of her father’s immense legacy was not simple, Adaeze admits. She describes growing up with such a passionate father as “consuming”.

“It swallows you whole, it brings out every possible emotion you could possibly feel. I learned from a young age that although my dad was mine, he was not really mine. He belonged to his students, to his African community, to the African people of Trinidad and Tobago. He belonged to anybody who would listen.” From early on, she knew her family dynamic was different and recognised that “Daddy LeRoy” was meant for higher greatness, “as though he were possessed by his artwork and writings.” Things did not get easier in her adolescence, considering the vast attention placed on her. “No room for error!” she says of these years, adding that her father’s gaze especially was what she had to keep up with. “Dad would explain, ‘to whom much is given, much is expected’ but for an adolescent becoming a young adult, I just wanted to be normal, whatever that meant.” In her adult years, she has always had his support in her business, Property Hub Ltd, although she shares lightly that he complains she doesn’t follow his advice as she should. Her business in real estate is one of her passions and since she entered the arena eight years ago, the familiar feeling of euphoria when she has a satisfied client has not abated. She doesn’t see her role as providing houses or lands, but a place to call home, “a safe place where [clients] can raise a family, find their happiness, and make memories.” Her clients inspire her with their diverse stories and have taught her to be attuned to the needs of others, as well as a good listener.

This passion started in 2008 working at a well-known real estate agency. In 2011, she took the leap of starting her own business in the same field. “Let me tell you, it has not been easy. I entered one of the best industries in what seemed to be the worst time,” she says of her foray into entrepreneurship.

Her first business, Property Quest Trinidad Limited, which she shared with then-business partner Nikkelle Ali, was insightful and what she terms a beautiful learning experience. After 2 years, the team decided to part and without missing a step, Adaeze swiftly steamed ahead to create Property Hub Ltd. She believes the personal choice of starting your own business should be backed up by education, awareness and a resilient and committed spirit to conquer any hurdles that may arise.

Her own hurdles have not been insurmountable but do exist. She shares a story of a client voicing his concern of Property Hub Ltd not being “on the same level” as other highprofile real estate businesses in TT. “While I do not have three agents working for me (as yet), or have the traditional brick and mortar commercial office space, does that mean I cannot do the same job?” she says of her thought process upon having such words thrown at her.

“Being an African woman in Real Estate, I find that some clients associate getting the job done right by size of the company and status.” She elaborates that given the start-up size of Property Hub, there are clients who expect lower standards as compared to larger agencies, which is an unfair assumption given the set standards that are true across the board for large and small agencies alike.

These challenges she meets head-on, and is further driven by her pride in her heritage.

“Being an African woman in the world drives me. I grew up in extremely strong households with the teachings of my [parents] and have learned about the continuous struggle of people who look like me!” She says these teachings have made her determined to make something of herself and to “never be a tenant in my own shoes” – something her father constantly repeats to her. “I believe that it is my right, just as much as anyone else, to create opportunities for myself in this life that can be so beautiful.” One of her newfound passions is directly linked to such ancestral pride and homage. “I am the daughter of grand master artist LeRoy Clarke, Chief Ifa Oje Won Yomi Abiodun, a pioneer of the arts and poetry in his own rite and indefatigably one of TT’s brightest stars and living legends,” she says proudly. She has recently registered “De Legacy … House of El Tucuche Foundation” as a non-profit organisation, in hopes to bring the idea of “De Legacy” (her father’s legacy) to the fore while encouraging her peers to create their own legacies or continue those created by their ancestors.

“I am really delighted in the idea of making something so virtuous manifest itself in my future,” she gushes about this new phase of her life. She adds, “[LeRoy] has always positioned me to be at the helm of his Legacy, I guess I am only now really understanding the gravity of such a position.” The goal of De Legacy … House of El Tucuche Foundation is to archive and protect LeRoy Clarke’s legacy in one place – his current residence in Cascade, Port-of-Spain.

“The real work has not started yet,” she admits of the task ahead, pointing out that the initial work requires archiving his paintings, personal art collection of works by other artists, books as well as his personal library, and his musical collection and artifacts. She says the hope is, after all the work is completed, Clarke’s home will become a place of research, and one of the pioneering efforts to establish a Live-In Museum, akin to the home of the late Lord Kitchener, Rain-o-Rama.

“I would like to keep my father’s legacy alive for years to come [and] it would be best to accomplish this while he is still alive so he can give his input into the creativity of its efforts,” Adaeze says of the reasons why this work is so pertinent and timely. She adds that many do not know that Clarke has been a teacher for approximately 60 years, thus, “I want this to become a reality mostly for his students, to whom he has tirelessly given his life.” Her passion for such a legacy bleeds into the legacies of others. She shares, “I believe that all men and women, of all races and cultures, be it in the field of arts and culture, politics and sports, are giants on the backs of which our nation stands and should be immortalised through detailed archiving.” She notes that some of our greatest legends are celebrated more enthusiastically abroad than here at home. She hopes that through the work of De Legacy, she can show that such archiving can be done and the ways in which this documentation of our legacies can be enhanced.

“These men and women are the risk-takers, the innovators, the pioneers for social justice, the cultural ambassadors, the voices of our nation – without them what would TT be?” One of her final passions, she divulges to WMN, is about us finding our “higher selves” that will bring us to a true state of happiness and peace. “Finding that peace is extremely difficult living in Trinidad – a so-called ‘jam and wine’ society. However, I continue to search for it as I grow and mature into this woman that is Adaeze Clarke.” She still considers herself a “serious work in progress” and is still learning and discovering new ideas about herself every day.

“I am far from perfect; I am impulsive and impatient at times, I make mistakes. I simply hope to impart that it is okay to be and feel all of these things. Society teaches us … that we have to be almost superhuman by reaching specific goals in a particular timeframe. How exhausting!” she says of the continued efforts that we must all partake in every day for personal peace, with a focus on the women in our society.

“I think that honouring and embracing the aspects of ourselves that make us women is the very thing that empowers us, our essence. We are women and should be glorified as such … Education is really the key to this code, [as well as] strong will, self-determination, selfrespect, love and support will always take you further.

“At most, I try to be my very best self at any given moment. If that inspires others to do the same – that’s magical!” Adaeze can be contacted at propertyhub.ac@gmail.

com. For inquiries concerning De Legacy, contact leroyclarke@hotmail.com