Ever since Mpulubusi was a child, he was incredibly gifted in the arts. He always won awards in school for his work. He later gained the attention of local artist Byron Peck and later became an apprentice at the Corcoran School of Art. Peck, an artist who has created more than 80 murals in the United States and abroad, was in high demand, so he began passing work to Mpulubusi.
Even though Mpulubusi found himself homeless at one point in his life, living with friends in college dormitories from North Carolina to College Park, MD, he did not let it stop him from seeing a bright future ahead of him.
After discovering his passion for filmmaking through volunteer work with the Earth Conservation Corps, he completed his certification in audio/video production and took an internship with the National Geographic Society headquarters.
Next on Mpulubusi’s list was to tackle filmmaking projects of his own. He recently a film called “Barry Farm: Past and Present." He debuted Part I of the film for a small audience on June 5, 2010 at the Historical Society of Washington.
The film gives historical insight on the Barry Farm community, including its prominent former residents such as Frederick Douglass and Solomon G. Brown, the first African American to work at the Smithsonian Institute.
Barry Farm is a community named for James Barry, a farmer who owned the land prior to a purchase made by the Freedmen’s Bureau in 1867.
One story in the film told of a young man who used to walk over 10 miles everyday from Barry Farm to Howard University to get his education.
When Mpulubusi interviewed young people living in Barry Farm, he discovered that, for them, attending Howard University is a distant dream, nearly impossible. When he asked if any of these young people knew anyone who currently attends or had attended Howard, none of them did.
“If kids know that influential writers, artists, and legends are from Barry Farm, then they know that they don’t have to be a drug dealer,” he said. “They can be the next Frederick Patterson Douglass.”
Mpulubusi wants young people to see this film so that they know and appreciate being raised in Barry Farm. He wants people all across the world to know of the vibrant history of Barry Farm. Like much of the District, redevelopment is planned for this area in the near future, which will displace hundreds of families in this community.
Mpulubusi, the youngest DC commissioner in history says his film preserves the history of his community, of his people, the people of Barry Farm.
“If you aren’t telling your story, then someone else will be,” he said. “And if you don’t know your history, you can’t provide for your present or future.”