We’re looking forward to introducing you to Ms. La’Toni Cromes. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning La’Toni, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Reading, listening to music, and spending time with people who tell amazing stories and make me full-belly laugh are liable to send me into an orbit I won’t want to return from. What they all have in common are words. Words that resonate keep me centered, trigger my imagination, elevate my energy, and keep me yearning for more. When immersed in any of those activities, I meet versions of myself I’ve forgotten about and discover new ones I didn’t know were waiting. It’s almost like a reset button reminding me that even when life feels chaotic, I can always come back to language, laughter, and connection to find my grounding.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hey ya’ll! I’m La’Toni Cromes, the understated vibe next door. I am the Founder and Chief Operating Visionary of Stated (& nem), a social enterprise rooted in literacy, education, culture preservation, and community building.
I design programs, workshops, events, and merchandise that nurture cultural narratives while challenging audiences to think critically. My work is grounded in the layered literacies of inner-city communities: oral tradition, music, visual art, fashion, and informal education. I’m deeply influenced by the 90s and early 2000s, eras that redefined how language, music, and fashion intersected. I carry that energy into my artistry, framing myself as both a community creative director and a modern griot.
Stated exists to remind people that their words and personal knowledge matter. What makes us unique is that we don’t limit literacy to books and classrooms: we explore multiple literacies: fashion, media, and cultural storytelling as tools for preserving voice and identity.
Right now, I’m focused on expanding Stated’s reach in schools and communities while also celebrating our 4-year anniversary this fall. Our programming is creative, purposeful, and rooted in joy. People show up and see themselves reflected; while they’re enjoying the moment, they’re also learning and teaching without feeling like they’re “in school.” That’s part of the Stated experience.
Our work is transferable and transformative. One week you might find us collaborating with a juvenile justice program, the next in an art gallery. Stated is a conduit; we bring imagination into fruition. Come play with us!
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
You know, this is a good and nuanced question that doesn’t have a simple answer. What comes to mind, though, is SZA’s song Garden when she sings: “Hoping I’ll never find out that you’re anyone else ‘cause I love you just how you are / Hope you never find out who I really am ‘cause you’ll never love me.”
In short, honesty is what breaks bonds between people and it starts with self. When we’re not honest about who we truly are, we end up performing versions of ourselves. Bonds formed on shaky ground eventually crack because dishonesty creates fragility.
But honesty is also what restores bonds. The more people commit to being truthful about who they are, what they want, and what they can or cannot accept, the stronger their connections become. Leading with honesty honors yourself and makes space for authentic connection.
Back to that SZA lyric: you should never have to “find out” who I am. I’m going to lead with who I am. If that’s not being fully loved as is, then that’s not a bond I want. State my word.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
Becoming the woman I’ve always known I could be has, at times, been intimidating. The things I desire to have and accomplish are bigger than me and the version of myself capable of alchemizing all of it feels almost indescribable.
I come from a line of phenomenal women. I know remarkable women up close and personal. But I haven’t met HER–that version of Toni. Sometimes I can’t tell if I’m fan-girling over her or protecting her, but I find myself caught between bringing her into full view and keeping her safely tucked away in my mind.
I know I have to push her forward. I just have to be ready for how much my life will change right before my eyes. That means being willing to leave the comforts of the life I’ve always known behind. She and I deserve more and we shall have it.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
If I could build a physical fortress around honesty and clarity, I would. If the 90’s didn’t teach me anything else, it’s that your word is all you have until otherwise justified. Not to go all Rakim and Wu-Tang on ya’ll, but the phrase “word is bond” is truly a force.
“Stated” or “State my word” carries that same energy. It’s both a phrase and a call to affirm one’s commitment or promise, emphasizing the importance of honoring agreements and standing firm in what you say. This is a value in my personal life and the guiding principle of my business. You’ll see it in our workshops, our merch, our way of moving with the community.
Words hold weight. They have the power to build or break trust, to connect or divide, to preserve culture or let it fade. So when we say “state my word,” we’re not just talking, we’re affirming. Being honest and clear in your words, and making good on them, is a direct reflection of your value system. That’s what I protect, always.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
What I hope people will say about me is “Toni? Lil’ Ms. Stated, was about her books and her business.” They’ll talk about how I stood by my word and modeled it as one of the highest forms of self-respect, integrity, and self-discipline. They’ll say I took a chance on my imagination and built something purposeful, something bigger than myself.
They’ll remember how I drew inspiration from my upbringing, community heroes, and media to create work that elders and children alike–the critical voices of the village–could be proud to stand by. They’ll say I encouraged people to be their own energy and bring their own energy. They’ll laugh at the bold campaigns, cackling at the audacity of asking, “But do you read tho?”
People will say I refused to let the ‘99 and 2000s be reduced to an aesthetic. Instead, I pulled the creativity, education, and principles from that era into the present and used them to re-influence culture. They’ll say I used my influence for good and that I made every version of myself proud in the process.
