Celebrating Black creators

More often than not, we hear stories surrounding Black trauma, and while education is a great first step- it’s not the end of white allies’ journey. Through Hollywood, Black trauma has become commodified and extorted. It has come to a point where these experiences are the only ones that come to mind when we think of the Black experience, but this is not all that the community has to offer. The intent of this article is not to ignore the very real reality of the Black community in 2021 but rather to appreciate Black creators outside of their intergenerational trauma. 

Fashion

Black Designers of Canada 

Black Designers of Canada is the first-ever index of Black designers in Canada with the sole purpose of celebrating Black talent. The index includes business owners, retailers, buyers, stylists, and more to provide on-going resources, as stated by their founder George Sully.

TorontoShay

Shannae Smith, also known as TorontoShay, is an accomplished Torontonian who has co-founded three businesses and runs a thriving fashion lifestyle blog. Her blog includes entries such as “The last 7 things that I bought on Etsy and why I love them so much”, “How to keep your kids entertained during a quarantine” and so much more. 

@miriannjoh

Mirian Njoh graduated from Ryerson University School of Fashion with a Bachelor of Design in Fashion.  Their work focuses on storytelling, empowerment, individuality, and digital media. They currently host a fashion and beauty podcast dedicated to WOC called “we love to see it”. 

Film 

Black Screen Office 

Black Screen Office was born out of the COVID-19 pandemic with the goal of breaking down racial barriers for participation in the Canadian media scene. From the Canadian media industry, it is hard to prove a great enough demand for content created by and for racialized people. Therefore, the Black Screen Office demonstrates the demand is there, and the content needs to be made. 

Black Women Film

Black Women Film is an initiative with the focus of forwarding the careers of Black female-identifying filmmakers and media artists. The program is able to do this by providing networking opportunities, workshops, mentorship, and insight into the world of media. 

Toronto Black Film Festival 

Toronto Black Film Festival (TBFF) is an annual celebration of Black filmmakers during the month of February. According to their website, their mission is “connecting black films with viewers of all colours and ethnic origins we recognize the differences that make us unique and celebrate the shared values that bring us together”.

Visual Art

Anique Jordan

Anique Jordan engages audiences in new and unexpected ways as she explores space and power through art. With over a decade of experience, Anique has been the guest speaker at institutions all over American including UCLA, MIT, Harvard University, and so forth. Her latest installation was entitled “We have done enough” which speaks of her community's experience navigating the world. 

Arts.Black

Arts.Black is a digital journal of art criticism through essays, interviews, and reviews focused on the Black perspective. 

The Brand Gallery and Cultural Centre

The Band Gallery and Cultural Centre is a space for Black artists and cultural workers to work collaboratively and showcase their abilities. Currently, there are three different series: Canadian Culture, Performing Arts, and emerging artists. 

Writers

Amanda Carvery-Taylor 

Carvery-Taylor wrote “A Love Letter to Africville”, a collection of interviews and photos from the former community’s residents. The book aims to show the other side of history, which focuses on the beauty and celebrates the community for the positive aspects that tend to be ignored in traditional history books. 

Oyinkan Braithwaite

Braithwaite is the author of “My Sister, the Serial Killer” which follows the story of a young Nigerian woman who *spoiler alert* kills her boyfriends! Braithwaite herself is known not only for her writing but also for her spoken-word and work as a freelancer. 

Dionne Brand

Brand penned the book entitled “What We All Long For”, a story that takes place in downtown Toronto and follows multiple overlapping perspectives. In addition to publishing books on poetry, Brand is currently a Professor of English at the University of Guelph.