By Maya Yang — 2021
Thea-Mai Baumann had used the account for more than a decade but it suddenly vanished, taking all her work with it.
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It’s hard to be a joyful Black creative on a good day; to pour your being into beautiful work amid ongoing injustices is already taxing. And during the current unprecedented and uncertain times, reclaiming and protecting that Black joy may feel particularly difficult.
The model, artist and photographer made history when she walked the Moschino runway in her chair this season. She’s also the first creative we’re spotlighting from the BTF100, debuting today.
A few months and many deaths ago, I woke up exhausted, again. Every morning, I felt like I was rebuilding myself from the ground up. Waking up was hard. Getting to my desk to write was hard. Taking care of my body was hard. Remembering the point of it all was hard.
From songs referencing grandma’s backyard garden to lyrics ripping government for destroying the water supply, many hip hop artists seamlessly weave climate justice into their sounds. After all, being sustainably savvy is how their grandparents and great-grandparents survived.
Kerry Washington on Beyoncé, Ta-Nehisi Coates on Kendrick Lamar, Oprah Winfrey on Toni Morrison, Issa Rae on ‘Scandal,’ and 31 other prominent black artists on the work that inspires them most.
Model Jillian Mercado is using her platform to open doors for other creatives with disabilities who may otherwise get overlooked in the fashion industry.
“If you’re trying to get home and the bus keeps passing you up because you’re in a wheelchair, you have to scream out.”
When I walk into a room, most people see me as confident and ready to take on the world. As an engineer in the aerospace industry, that’s the persona I would like them to see. But in reality, I’m most likely experiencing a serious level of anxiety stimulated by my invisible disability.
Expectations surrounding Black masculinity, such as the requirement to be strong and stoic, have often prevented Black men from seeking mental health care. But it's possible to overcome this reluctance and make mental wellness a priority.
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Works of art create a picture of activism and resilience, and reenforce the strength of black culture across generations.