Have you ever been around a new crowd, whether in a social setting or even at work, and didn’t know how to start a conversation or introduce yourself? Well, Kazique Prince, creator of the Djembe deck, has come up with the perfect icebreaker solution.
Djembe – To gather together in peace
Djembe is a deck of 102 cards that includes seven categories: race, gender, accessibility, family relationships, ability, faith, and social equity. These cards skip past the small talk, like asking a favorite color and intends to cultivate closer and more inclusive connections across cultures, genders, races, time and space. We spoke with Kazique recently to learn more about him and his motivation to create this game.
Kazique Prince was born in Houston, Texas but has lived in Austin over 20 years and is a fifth generation Texan. “It’s kind of like a white Atlanta,” he said, referring to Austin. He mentioned that it took some time to adjust at first. “It was a challenge building connections with other Black professionals, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stay when I first moved here, but after a while, it’s become a place I was able to start a home, establish a family and start a business.”
It’s to our detriment that we’re not cutting edge, and it’s become our desire to be as average as they get.
When asked about recent laws passed against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, Kazique replied that the government’s efforts are going to be problematic for future leaders coming out of public schools because they’re not going to be as prepared in the professional world when dealing with sexism and racism in the community. “It’s to our detriment that we’re not cutting edge, and it’s become our desire to be as average as they get.”
The idea of Djembe was birthed during the pandemic, based off of an experience Kazique had with the game Cards against Humanity. He said he was playing with mostly white people, and the game seemed to be giving them a pass to say some pretty horrible things at his expense and others. So he wanted to create something more positive and basically completely opposite of that.
Whether you’re a professional getting to know someone more personally, a boss working with your team, or just wanting yo get to know your friends better, this game helps. Examples of questions in this game include:
- Speaking my truth might look like . . .
- I feel connected to you the most when . . .
- Some advice I’ve received but didn’t deserve was . . .
Kazique’s end goal with Djembe is to make sure there’s a card deck in the hands of every leader across the country to make their relationships deeper and have a better understanding of the people they lead and work with. He believes if leaders could do that, their ability to problem solve and be innovative with their interactions would greatly help them in making this country a better place.
Get a Djembe deck for your home and one for a friend. You can also follow them on Instagram.
