Hi! I hope this message finds you well. For those who may not know me, I am Seckou Soumare, originally from The Bronx and currently slated to graduate from Lawrence University in just a few days. Many of you who do know me may know me for various reasons: vocalist of R&B band NOIR, former BSU President, Creative Writing and Music Major, etc. I am grateful to say that I have been able to accomplish so much over the last four years here at college, especially considering how many obstacles and hardships I've had to trudge through throughout my time here, which actually leads to why I have you reading this today.

To try and make a long story a bit less long, I need your help. I hail from an extremely low-income household and a family who unfortunately does not support me or who I stand to be as a person today, particularly within my pursuit of musical and artists endeavors. To say lack of support would be an understatement-- I've faced complete disapproval from my family ever since they found out about my music and my life a few months ago, going as far as to showing up to my Lawrence dorm unannounced and exclaiming that my only option is to quit music and the other things I plan to accomplish, and instead move back to New York and live essentially under supervision. As I've made clear the stance I took, I've received no financial support and am now left in a position where I more or less have sacrificed stability and security in order to lead the life I choose to.

I'm starting this GoFundMe because as I prep to graduate in just a mere few days, I'm entering into a new stage of life with absolutely no safety net, nowhere to turn. This here is my last resort. I am seeking support financially in order to

This is more than just wanting to pursue music or get away from my family, and my grievances with what I've had to deal with go far beyond what I am even comfortable sharing. This is about taking back what's essentially been control over my life up until this point.

I need your help to get on my feet and get things rolling. Any amount of a donation would be appreciated. And, if you are unable to donate, I completely understand (trust me, lol). Instead, you can share this around or spread the word. I would also GREATLY appreciate any resources that could be beneficial to me in the current moment, i.e. low income housing, public assistance, donation centers, etc.

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this, I appreciate more than you could know. With your aid, I hope to establish a foundation for myself and get back to living the life I want to live instead of just trying to survive, and when I'm a position to, I plan to pay it all forward ten-fold.