Fantasia Barrino Inspires at ForbesBLK Summit: Choosing Purpose Over Success

Grammy-winning singer Fantasia Barrino captivates at ForbesBLK Summit, discussing her journey from humble beginnings to stardom. She emphasizes choosing purpose over success and shares personal perspectives on failure and personal challenges.

Written By Danielle Westin // EEW Magazine

Fantasia Barrino attends 81st Golden Globe Awards Jan. 7, 2024 in Beverly Hills. (Photo: Gilbert Flores/Golden Globes 2024 via Getty)

Grammy-winning singer and Golden Globe-nominated actress Fantasia Barrino recently captivated audiences at the ForbesBLK Summit, inspiring many with her powerful testimony about choosing purpose over mere success.

For many Black Christian women, Barrino's journey from humble beginnings to stardom exemplifies the strength and faith needed to overcome adversity.

The 40-year-old The Color Purple star, who participated in the three-day event focused on Black entrepreneurship, investment, and cultural impact, shared her profound insights on the difference between purpose and success.

Fantasia Barrino attends the 2024 ForbesBLK Summit at The Eastern on June 24, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo: Carol Lee Rose/Getty Images)

“I’m on Purpose Street,” Barrino declared, with her husband of nearly nine years, Kendall Taylor, present in the audience. “You can be successful, or you can choose purpose,” she emphasized, noting that she has chosen purpose and believes she is finally aligned with her true path.

In a light-hearted recount of a conversation with a friend, the “Free Yourself” singer shared how a girlfriend was teasing her, saying, “You’re a star,” to which she responded, “Ah-ah, I’m a King’s kid,” keeping her focus on God.

“I thank Him for what He’s adding to my list, for the things that He’s doing, but I’ve still got to stay in a certain posture for purpose or else I’m going to get in the way.” With a smile, she added, “Man, don’t let me start preaching.”

Barrino, who rose to fame at 19 as the winner of “American Idol,” has undergone significant personal growth since her early days. Despite her past struggles with financial challenges, mental health issues, and relationship woes being highly publicized, she embraces her past with no shame.

Fantasia Barrino attends the Los Angeles Premiere of Warner Bros.' "The Color Purple" at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on December 6, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo: Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Warner Bros.)

“Without failure, I wouldn’t be here. Without failure, I wouldn’t have learned all the things that I’ve learned,” said Barrino, now a business student at Central State University, a historically Black college in Ohio.

While she values her formal education, Barrino credits real-life experiences as her greatest teacher. “The business has taught me all I need to know—if I don’t go no further,” she said, laughing.

Reflecting on a period marked by widely publicized blunders and intense public scrutiny, including nearly losing her home due to owing $1 million in back taxes, she views these challenges as essential for her growth and maturity.

“We run from failure, especially as strong Black people; we don’t want failure under our name,” she said. “I made it my little friend. I don’t run from it. I don’t hide from it. Everything that I went through was necessary and was setting me up for where I am now.”

Before her transformation, Barrino admitted, “I didn’t know anything about contracts. I didn’t know anything about checking your money and making sure every day your stuff was where it was supposed to be. I just trusted and believed everybody that came into my life.”

Today, with a wealth of experience and newfound wisdom, Barrino looks back with gratitude. She is now dedicated to sharing her insights with others, aiming to help them grow and improve their lives as well.

Watch the full ForbesBLK segment featuring Fantasia Barrino below.