Akilah
Cadet
June 16, 2023INTERVIEWS
Wo(Man)'s Best Friend: Akilah Cadet
The Pagerie Pet is not only your son or daughter, but closest confidant. Introducing Wo(man) ’s Best Friend, a series that reveals our favourite Pagerie companions and the personality traits that make them one of a kind.
Akilah Cadet is a superhero of sorts. With her company, Change Cadet, Akilah and her team provide individuals and companies with services that support embedding anti-racism, diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging into overall organizational identity and strategy.
“My role as creative director is to look at that continuous thread of storytelling content.”
And Akilah has a lot on her plate with the new creative arm she’s implemented at Change Cadet. She is the creative director of intersectional content at a record label called Rosedale Collective, where she’s working with BIPOC people to reclaim country music. “My role as creative director is to look at that continuous thread of storytelling content,” she said. “Storytelling is one way for people to continue to learn and unlearn. But also to dismantle white supremacy.”
Akilah
Cadet
The Pagerie Pet is not only your son or daughter, but closest confidant. Introducing Wo(man) ’s Best Friend, a series that reveals our favourite Pagerie companions and the personality traits that make them one of a kind.
Akilah Cadet is a superhero of sorts. With her company, Change Cadet, Akilah and her team provide individuals and companies with services that support embedding anti-racism, diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging into overall organizational identity and strategy.
“My role as creative director is to look at that continuous thread of storytelling content.”
And Akilah has a lot on her plate with the new creative arm she’s implemented at Change Cadet. She is the creative director of intersectional content at a record label called Rosedale Collective, where she’s working with BIPOC people to reclaim country music. “My role as creative director is to look at that continuous thread of storytelling content,” she said. “Storytelling is one way for people to continue to learn and unlearn. But also to dismantle white supremacy.”
Meanwhile, Akilah is a producer on her first feature documentary called The Highest Standard, which follows Black students and looks at the systemic structures and issues when going from a public school to a boarding school environment in Massachusetts. Plus she also has a soon-to-be-launched podcast.
And if that wasn’t enough, her book comes out in February, in which she noted that her canine companion, Marley, helped her write it. “He’s been by my side as I’ve written my book for the past year,” she said. “Because I live with disability, chronic pain, and major depressive disorder, he knows when I’m not feeling well or sad. So he has licked tears. He has held my hand with his little paw. He’ll lay on my chest if I have chest pain. He’s a little caretaker.”
When Akilah first met Marley, he was so tiny that the grass was taller than him. “My twin and I adopted him together and we’ve been co-parenting Marley for years,” she added. “But when we were told he couldn’t fly anymore, I became his sole provider.”
“Because I live with disability, chronic pain, and major depressive disorder, he knows when I’m not feeling well or sad. So he has licked tears. He has held my hand with his little paw. He’ll lay on my chest if I have chest pain. He’s a little caretaker.”
Marley passed away a few weeks ago at 14 years old and Akilah’s love for him was endless. “He was my man,” she added. “My best friend, my little confidant. He was also my stylist. Marley was my first and the only dog that I will have. Just two months ago, he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and I was told he had six months to a year together. So I cherished all of it.”
“He was my man,” she added. “My best friend, my little confidant. He was also my stylist. This was my first and only dog that I will have.”
Breed: Marley is half chihuahua and half Jack Russell terrier.
Cutest quirk: When he paws me, it’s really cute. He wants something and then it’s figuring out the want. He paws when he wants a treat or food or for me to move my legs. Also, I love when his eyes get really big when he wants food. When he sees me eating, he does that whole cartoon thing and his eyes get bigger and it’s literally the cutest thing.
Go-to cuddle spot: He’s a specific cuddler. He likes to cuddle in a crevice. So if my legs are flat, and I’m leaning back and watching TV, he’s not happy about that. He’ll put his butt next to me. But his preferred position is if one knee is bent, so there’s a little pocket that he can go in and he’ll specifically wait until that happens.
Favourite human food: Cheese. He does love white rice. As soon as it goes in the rice cooker, he’s like, why are you sitting down?
Pagerie must-have: Marley said he's happy to finally have a luxury item like his mama! The Petite harness in walnut compliments his spots and with the light yet luxurious look, it's great for our long hikes on warm days.
Daily uniform: Mommy’s fashionable, so obviously, he has many things to wear. He loves his clothes. He sees a shirt or sweater and he gets excited and can’t wait to get into it, which is why he’s my child. I’ll say I went shopping and got you this and he’s thinking, put it on me immediately. But he’s a hoodie guy and he also wears a bedtime shirt.
Go-to outdoor activity: I live in the woods, so we are amongst a whole bunch of trails. He loves to find a trail and sniff all the things.
Preferred luxury item: My furry-weighted blanket. It’s really for me, but it’s his. It’s a shearling, fancy-ass weighted blanket that he loves.
MARLEY'S PAGERIE PIECES