Elijah John Bowdre is on a mission to unite the world.
The 25-year-old Long Beach, Calif. native said he wants to encourage students and individuals to maintain a worldview and become active global citizens through his Global Citizens Campaign (GCC).
The 2008 Florida A&M graduate is an activist, entrepreneur and entertainer who has established an enterprise in Shanghai.
It all began at a Shanghai nightclub when Bowdre’s liveliness on stage was mistaken for a rap act.
As an undergraduate student at FAMU, Bowdre was invited to a finance program for a semester at Shanghai University. In the second week, he and his classmates decided to go out to a club.
“I would wave my arm to the right, then the crowd would wave their arms to the right. I would wave my arm to the left, and the crowd would do the same.
As we were walking out the door they stopped us and asked, ‘Hey! Are you a rapper?’ And I said yes. We formed our own band, and we blew up,” said Bowdre.
Bowdre adopted the name “MC Lambo,” and what started as a fun night at the club turned into multiple performances and tours all over China.
The fun ended when he had to return to the states. He continued receiving invites back to Shanghai to perform, but Bowdre had his heart set on an opportunity on Wall Street.
The waning economy pushed him in the other direction.
“After the war and financial crisis, I said, ‘You know what, let me go back to China,’ Bowdre said.
In his second venture to China in 2010, Double Victory Entertainment (DVE) was born.
“I’m more so a hustler disguised as a rapper,” Bowdre said.
His involvement in China’s nightlife helped set the foundation and launch marketing for DVE. The company seeks global unification and tolerance through music.
DVE is facilitating GCC, which is in line with the “100,000” White House initiative.
“Our whole goal is to help Americans get access exposure to opportunities in China and do the same for Chinese. Unification; universal unification.” Bowdre said.
Bowdre’s college sweetheart and now fiancée, Raushanah Morgan, is also a strong advocate for the GCC movement.
She works for J.P. Morgan in Hong Kong as the only black female in that sector.
“When I went over there, it was a bit daunting,” Morgan said. “But my expectations were totally wrong. I was openly welcome, and I felt more comfortable in my skin over there versus corporate America here.”
She said she also wants to see more FAMU students taking advantage of travel opportunities. Especially to China, and that the GCC could help.
“It’s about breaking down those assumptions and those stereotypes to our people,” Morgan said.
“I feel like it could help spur people to want to come over, and we want to build the platform to do that, through the GCC.”
Bowdre, along with other activists and President James Ammons’ support, are now trying to build momentum for the GCC initiative.
All he needs, he said, are students who are interested in touring, studying or job placement in China.