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Yewande Austin in her Poplar Lawn home
Antique Desk: Once owned by Alexander Graham Bell, then passed down by her interior designer mother, this cherished piece inspires Austin’s social entrepreneurship.
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African Mask Collection: A vibrant array of shapes and colors, this collection represents the different countries in Africa where Austin has worked or visited.
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Baby Grand Piano: Austin is classically trained in voice and piano. Her mother bought and refurbished the instrument for her when she was 7 years old.
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Branch Sculpture: This organic piece from Scott Antique Markets in Atlanta is one of the many treasures Austin has found in her travels.
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Trafficking Survivor Artwork: Created by a 7-year-old trafficking survivor from Richmond, this beloved cheerful artwork was a Christmas gift to Austin.
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Bookcase: Reading played a big part in Austin’s childhood and her discovery of the world. She loved reading books about Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Marian Anderson and Paul Robeson.
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Twentieth-Century Photograph: A 1902 photo taken by William Bullard depicts a 5-year-old boy named Ralph Mendis. Austin admires the child’s expression of boldness and youthful pride.
She’s an artist, an activist and an ambassador. She’s Yewande Austin, a world-renowned musician who has worked with the likes of Maroon 5 and The Black Eyed Peas and is now leading the fight for human trafficking survivors and positive socioeconomic change.
In 2014, Austin was invited by VCU to become a lecturer-in-residence for the Office of the Vice President for Health Sciences through her consultancy, The Global Institute for Diversity and Change. Yewande accepted the position, moved to the Museum District and fell in love with the area. While looking for a grand Richmond residence, she discovered the historic homes of Petersburg — rich in character and ornate architecture but with a lower price tag. In 2016, she jumped at the chance to buy and renovate a 4,000-square-foot 1857 Italianate home.
Located in Petersburg’s historic Poplar Lawn district, Austin’s home reflects her love of art, music and people. Built by wealthy businessman Reuben Ragland, the home counts among its previous residents a tobacco inspector, a salesman and a machinist. Austin also learned that three black servants worked in the house from 1857-1904; she says she pays honor and respect to these servants both through her decorating choices and her life of service.
Reading was the door that opened the world of social activism to Austin. “Since I was a little girl, I always knew I wanted to change the world,” she says. She pulls a cherished collection of Langston Hughes poetry from her bookcase, recalling a time when she recited part of Hughes’ poem “I, Too” as a sixth-grader auditioning for a school play. Such profound words recited by this young girl set the tone for how bold she would later become in the music world and as a global advocate.
In 2017, Austin was recognized with a President’s Lifetime Achievement Award by President Barack Obama for her dedication to restoring the voices of people silenced by poverty and oppression. One of her upcoming projects — through her humanitarian organization, the Change Rocks Foundation — focuses on developing a sustainable resettlement community for survivors of conflict with the militant group Boko Haram in Nigeria. While her work opens doors for people all around the world, it starts at home, where, she says, “I’ve created niches all around my house that remind me of why I love doing this work.”
