Ladu
Ladu Pearson was born in Brooklyn, New York, but spent his formative years moving between seven different states throughout the U.S. Growing up in a military family profoundly shaped his childhood and provided him with a unique perspective from which to understand the world.
Ladu believes that every person is molded by their experiences which ultimately changes their viewpoint and helps define their imprint in the world.
Ladu’s journey to self discovery began after the death of his mother when he was just eleven years old. Her death forced him to look inward, into the dark and previously unexplored and unknown spaces of himself. Though it was an incredibly painful process, Ladu now celebrates the fruits of his emotional labor and has grown to love and appreciate every facet of his being.
Growing up, Ladu didn’t have any exposer to the gay community let alone the diverse community of black gay men. It wasn’t until he moved to Chicago to attend college, and had his first intimate relationship with a man that he felt the freedom to explore the possibility that he was gay. Coming out gave Ladu a sense of freedom and confidence to explore his sexuality and to become his most authentic self. Although he identifies as a black gay man, Ladu’s sexuality does not define him, nor does it represent the totality of his identity.
As co-founder of Stories In Black (SIB), Ladu understands the importance of exploring and evaluating the diverse journeys of Black gay men. He has witnessed both the beauty and the power of vulnerability in them, and believes that these stories have the power to bring healing where needed in the community. Ladu is on a quest to cultivate an unwavering stillness and inner peace for as many black gay men as he can through the Stories in Black platform. He believes that a direct path to spiritual fulfilment is through encouraging self love and acceptance. With Stories in Black, Ladu hopes to build a sense of community and brotherhood, where black gay men can feel safe to be themselves without judgment, to explore commonalities, and to support one another as they travel through their individual journeys.
Friends + Family
“The first person I told I was gay was myself.”
Love + Romance
““There was no turning back for me.””