Then vs. Now

When trying to think up what I was going to do for this first Think & Create, I found my mind cluttered with random thoughts and ideas. These ideas though, they weren’t tangible, they weren’t an honest representation of what I was connecting to in this project. Thats when I decided to take a step back, literally. I stepped back from my desk and took a look around my room, only to realize just how much I am influenced by black people and culture. I thought how this, this is what I can speak most genuinely about, and how can help answer some of the questions I find myself asking. So with that being said, for this first Think & Create, I’m going to take you around my room, highlighting all of the many things I am impacted by every single day, and how they link to African-American culture.

In this room of mine, just this small box, I am surrounded by connections to black culture both subtle and loud, from the moment I wake up til the time my light turns off.

If I were to ask all my friends how they are most connected to black culture, I bet most of them would say through music. I would agree in saying that music is the biggest vehicle in which people are exposed to culture. The influence of the artists behind the music we love stretches further than just our Spotify playlists however. Take this pillow for example, it’s from a brand called OVO. This brand however, was started by none other than Drake. Drake has the world of pop culture in the palm of his hand, and is arguably the most successful musician ever. Drake is half-black, and has faced scrutiny for “not being black enough”. Though in one of his songs, he raps about how he gets both ends of the stick, as he used to get teased for being black.

This poster is from an art exhibition by a man of many talents: Virgil Abloh. Abloh is a fashion designer, entrepreneur, artist and DJ, and currently finds himself as mens artistic director at Louis Vuitton. For a few years now, he has been at the forefront of fashion around the world. With his wildly successful brand Off-White, he has risen to the top of his field, birthing the insanely popular  Off-White x Nike collaboration that swept the world over. With his name rooted amongst the culture next to those such as Kanye West, Abloh’s contribution to design and fashion is undoubted. Shortly after becoming the first American of African descent to be artistic director at a French luxury fashion house, he was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

The world of sports is one that certainly in North America at least, is dominated by people of African decent. I myself am a basketball fan, it’s my sport. The NBA has almost always included black people, with the first African-American being drafted in the leagues fifth season. Nowadays, the league is comprised of 75% African-American players, and fans of young and old watch in awe of their athletic prowess. In my experiences, not a single negative thing has been said about the black athletes of the NBA. In fact, me and my friends are simply inspired by the talents and work ethics of these players, and see right through their skin colour.

Last but not least for today is about music, more specifically my favourite artist: Travis Scott. A constant theme here is that race does not play a role in any of these passions and influences. My appreciation for Travis Scott is no different. The way I got in to listening to his music is probably similar to many peoples stories of finding their favourite artists; I heard a song and got hooked. It was never about the race of the person behind the artistry, it was about the music. After the music comes a passion for the culture surrounding that music, thus why I now find myself walking around in Astroworld hoodies and such. Listening to Travis’ music opened my eyes to other genres and artists, and led me down a path to learning about the origins of certain music.

 

 

 

Above all, the thing I find myself thinking about most when reading and learning about the topic of civil rights, is that although we still have a long way to go, we really have come so far. From little boys of the 19th century dreaming of being part of a minstrel show, to boys like me who find themselves surrounded by inspiration from black artists, athletes, etc. The contrast between then and now is so bold that I struggle to imagine almost all white people looking down on black people in every way possible.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, this idea was about as authentic as possible. I decided to run with it, and I hope it has expressed my thoughts in a meaningful and impactful way. Having been focused primarily on the negatives throughout this project so far – of which there are plenty – I wanted to start of these Think & Creates with something that highlights a positive change.