With the acknowledgement that systemic racism plagues every part of our world — namely encouraged by the hyper-focused lens on police brutality and other forms of injustice that target Black people and other communities of color — it’s become even more vital to do the work necessary to combat this reality. With this in mind, we’ve seen the widespread public embrace the Black Lives Matter movement within the past few weeks, whether through social media activism, protesting, consuming Black literature and art, or donating money to local and national organizations that benefit the cause.
But, beyond that, joining into this discussion involves much more than just these bare minimum actions. For white and non-Black allies, it involves consistency in directly uplifting and supporting Black people (those we know and we don’t) in regard to their ideas and their endeavors, in our everyday lives. This is especially relevant for anyone who has a stake in the Arts, from writing, to music, to illustration — this field isn’t exempt from racism, either.
Diversity among the Arts has always been a hot topic, in multiple fields. The point of the matter, though, is that if you’re white, you’re likely going to have a much easier time finding work than any person of color (and that statement alone feels disgusting to type out). With that said, one of the most direct and sustainable ways to support the Black community is to support Black creatives and their work, now and as often as possible (especially considering the pandemic’s effect on freelance opportunities). To get you started, we’ve compiled a list of Black creatives from the New York-area who specialize in a variety of different fields, from photography, to physical arts, to music, and more. Check out each artist’s individual links and see how you can best support them, if not simply by following them!
PHOTOGRAPHERS
The New York Times recently released an article entitled “The Racial Bias Built Into Photography” that does a great job of explaining the industry’s history with racism, from issues with lighting brown and Black skin to understanding how to photograph Black subjects and stories.
There has been an unconscious bias buried into photography, namely due to the fact that, from the beginning, the industry has categorized “light” skin as the “norm.” This can be seen in the fact that, for example, white skin was literally declared the baseline for film development technology; this was based on the use of the classic Shirley Card, an image of a white woman with brown hair that developers would use as a guideline when calibrating colors during film development. Through this oldschool method, when developing darker skin tones, more complicated procedures were required in order to make sure that they were developed adequately. This problem was only addressed once furniture companies complained that Kodak film didn’t develop well when photographing the brown tones in wood-based pieces, not when it was realized that black subjects couldn’t be featured properly. See the problem? Times have changed and technology has since advanced, but this same problem hasn’t depleted. In general, not only are Black subjects misrepresented, but Black creatives are placed on the backburner, too.
Based on a 2018 article, none of the top 10 highest paid photographers of that year were Black (or even non-white for that matter), highlighting just how little exposure Black photographers seem to get on a mainstream level. Additionally, few outlets make an effort to spotlight Black photographers, especially those who focus on the Black perspective, and that’s a problem within itself. Consider the significance of films such as Get Out (2017) and Moonlight (2016), each respectively helmed by a Black director and lauded for their amazing cinematography, writing, casting, and overall execution. It’s not a coincidence that these films were so successful! Representation matters not only to audiences, but to the creatives themselves, and on an industry level, that means shedding light on not only Black creatives, but also Black stories so that they can be shared and appreciated.
Especially right now, we need to be paying attention to Black photographers as their perspective on the movement is the absolute most significant.
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However, regardless as to their specific beat and what they cover, some of the most talented, but under-appreciated Black photographers come straight from around New York City. Here are a few and the projects they’re involved in:
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- Andre L Perry
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- Dariana Portes
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- Brad Ogbonna
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- Dana Scruggs
“With the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, David McAtee, Tony McDade, and other Black people at the hands of law enforcement, See In Black formed as a collective of Black photographers to dismantle white supremacy and systematic oppression. Through the sale of highly-curated original images from Black photographers, we raise funds to support causes that align with our vision of Black prosperity. We stand in solidarity with our greater Black family to take immediate action for the improvement of Black lives. Our intention is to replenish those we’ve been nourished by.” Each print is priced at about $100 and is limited to three prints per customer.
A few New York participants include…
Andre D. Wagner (@photodre, website)
“Wagner explores and chronicles the poetic and lyrical nuances of daily life; using city streets, neighborhoods, and the youth as his visual language. His work and practice fit into the lineage of street photography that investigates the American social landscape. Wagner lives and works in Brooklyn.”
Ashley Pena (@ashleyypenaa, website)
“Pena is a 19-year-old image-maker currently based in Maryland. Her work focuses on portraiture through documentation and storytelling, particularly on Blackness as it relates to vulnerability and how that looks privately and publicly.”
Myles Loftin (@mylesloftin, website)
“Loftin is a freelance photographer and director based in Brooklyn. His work uses image-making as a means to expand ideas of beauty and representation surrounding marginalized individuals.”
Nico Kartel (@nicokartel, website)
“Kartel is originally from West Palm Beach, but is currently based in New York. He is 22-year-old visual artist and creative director who uses his work as a vessel to challenge the traditional way of thinking and doing.”
Ray Spears (@rayneutron, website)
“Spears is an image-maker based in Harlem devoted to showing stories rather than telling them. Through film and still imagery, he captures authentic and ephemeral scenes.”
Andre L Perry (@perrylperry, website)
“Perry is a lifestyle photographer based in NYC. He developed his style and technical skills on the streets of New York, finding inspiration in the everyday experiences in the city. His work is driven by moments that feel organic and emotions that are honest.”
Kreshonna Keane (@visualsbyk)
“Just shy of 25 years old, Kreshonna Keane is a photographer and creative director based in New York. A Bronx native at heart, Kreshonna has Jamaican and Trinidadian roots. She strives to highlight and celebrate Black culture, beauty, community, and existence.”
Amandla Baraka (@totheppl, website)
“Baraka is a self-taught director and photographer raised in Montclair, NJ with strong roots in Newark.”
Florian Koenigsberger (@floriankoenigsberger, website)
“Koenigsberger is a still photographer and storyteller born and raised in New York City. He is fascinated by the photograph as a medium for dignity, self-determination, and aesthetic meditation. He blends his obsession with qualities and textures of light with a desire to explore themes of race, belonging, and identity that have shaped his own life.”
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- Anthony Barboza
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- Ashley Pena
From Sources of Self Regard (NY Times)
A series of black photographers, documenting their experience in America. (Note: many are also involved in the See In Black Project).
A few NY participants:
Dana Scruggs (@danascruggs, website)
From See In Black: “Scruggs is dedicated to her vision of the Black male form; her self-published SCRUGGS Magazine was the embodiment of that vision. Scruggs’ clients have included Nike, The New York Times, and Essence. In 2018, Scruggs became the first Black person to photograph the cover of Rolling Stone in its 50-year history.”
Rahim Fortune (@rahimfortune, website)
From See In Black: “Fortune is a contemporary fine art and documentary photographer from the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma. His work centers culture, geography, and self-expression. Fortune uses photography and video as a means of navigating history, identity, and politics.” (Note: many of his shoots take place in NYC!)
Jessica Pettway (@jesspettway, website)
NYC-based photographer; has worked with clients such as Apple, Toyota, Instagram, VICE, TIME, The New Yorker, People, and more.
From PDN’s 30 Photographers to Watch (2019): “Pettway’s still lifes have a surreal, often hilarious esthetic that’s influenced by the fast-paced cartoons she saw as a kid, as well as her interests in sex positivity, dating, greeting cards, and other everyday subjects.”
From See In Black: “Edeani is a photographer currently based in Brooklyn, New York. He moved to the US at 16 from Nigeria, studying and working in architecture before pursuing photography. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, TIME, and The Wall Street Journal. Clients include Nike, Google, Netflix, and Pentagram.”
Brad Ogbonna (@bradogbonna, website)
From See In Black: “Ogbonna is a photographer and director based in Brooklyn. His focus is on people and places.”
Anthony Barboza (@anthony_barboza_photographer)
From a 2020 profile in The New Yorker: “In his photographs, Barboza puts forth the idea that surfaces—the subject’s and the set’s—not only complemented one another but could clash, creating a kind of tension between the planes of a face or of his sculptural backgrounds.”
Famous partially for his “Black Borders” series, in which he shot portraits of Black stars that “bordered the cultural world they should have been dominating,” from Amiri Baraka, James Baldwin, Bobbi Humphrey, Owen Dodson, and others
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- Kreshonna Keane
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- Tamara Chapman
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- Rahim Fortune
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- Nico Kartel
Black Lives Matter Print Fundraiser
For a limited time between June and July, you could buy $5 8×12 prints from a variety of young, up-and-coming photographers (from New York and otherwise). 100% of proceeds were donated directly to Black-owned food distribution centers and supporting Black wellness.
Though the fundraiser has since ended, you can check out some of the participants below:
Tamara Chapman (@btwtamara)
Ian Clark (@2amclark)
Angelo Capacyachi (@angelocfilm)
Kaya Nieves (@ruinedfilm)
Dariana Portes (@darianaportes)
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Additionally, here are some stylists you should check out, both from the New York area:
Al (@aldotg) – owner of Styling Stingy
Mel’Renee Leamon (@melreneestyles)
From website: “Fashion Stylist based in New York. Background in Advertising, Brand Consulting, Creative Direction, Visual Storytelling, and Production.”
ILLUSTRATORS, PAINTERS, AND GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
Largely, art education, from primary school onward, declares the Arts as “white property,” largely due to the curriculum’s focus on the white perspective. Think about it: how many significant Black artists, or non-white artists in general, do you remember being taught about throughout your entire art education experience? You can probably count them on one hand.
This whitewashed view on the history of the Arts is massively damaging, as it creates a sense of otherness in artistic perspectives other than those coming from the ”white gaze,” whether that be through students learning about solely white artists, or simply viewing art that primarily depicts white subjects and stories. To learn more about how damaging this is, especially to young people being exposed to it via their art education, I would recommend reading this text from F. Greame Chlamers called “The Origins of Racism in Public School Art Cirriculum” or Ruben Gaztambide-Fernandez’s “The Arts as White Property: An Introduction to Race, Racism, and the Arts in Education.”
With racism’s roots in art education considered, it’s massively important to pay attention to and to support Black illustrators, painters, graphic designers, and artists in general so as to make sure that they get the recognition they deserve. The Black perspective isn’t appreciated in mainstream Art education, but that doesn’t mean you can’t appreciate it yourself.
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- Aamba C
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- Logan Sylve
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- Obi Agwam
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- Brittany Williams
Annika Hansteen-Izora (@annika.izora)
From website: “I’m an art director, Ui & brand designer, and poet, based in Brooklyn, NY. I’m currently making magic as creative Director of Design and UI at Somewhere Good, a family of brands centering people of color through community arts and culture […] My passion is creating work that centers joy, art, and culture.”
Annika has made a HANDFUL of very useful, well-done infographics over the past few weeks that you should take a look at. This one in particular examines how to support Black artists outside of social media—take a read!
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Khari Raheem (@khari.rahim) – painter, multi-media artist
From website: “My work right now is a diary of struggle and overcoming struggle. I’m exploring the history of black defeat, black revolutions, and black accomplishments coalescing through mark-making, realism, and expressionism.”
Obi Emmauel Agwam (@obi.agwam, website) – painter (acrylic, oil)
Logan Sylve (@lilblackgoat)
From an interview with Vapor 95: “My style was developed by searching for the best way to represent how I’m feeling, and to keep records of dreams and memories. I grow and change, so do my concepts and techniques. I like to mix my current ideas with nostalgic symbols and icons, so I can show the viewer something that doesn’t initially make sense but is relatable.”
Aamba C. (@aamba.c) – illustrator (surrealist, cartoon-like style)
Jessica Pence (@jessmyart) – painter, illustrator (portraiture)
From website: “She is a Jamaican-American artist whose work is inspired by her life, and topics relating to black female identity.”
Brittany Williams (@bwilliamsart, shop) – painter (portraiture; large-scale murals)
vii SEviiN (@viseviin, depop) – graphic designer, sculptor, multi-media artist
Vii Seviin
Sinclair Chase Korte (@sinclair.chasekorte) – painter, illustrator (realism; specializes in hands)
Sophia Yeshi (@yeshidesigns) – graphic designer, illustrator
From website: “She works with beauty, fashion, lifestyle, tech, and media brands like Instagram and Refinery29 to create culturally-relevant work centered around topics she’s passionate about like climate change, mental health, body positivity, and self-confidence.”
Jade Purple Brown (@jadepurplebrown) – graphic designer
From website: “Her work uses strong figures, vibrant colors, and messages of optimism to create new, dynamic worlds of individuality and empowerment. Her artistic practice spans across Illustration, Design, and Creative Direction, and has attracted a wide range of global clients.”
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- Khari Raheem
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- Jade Purple Brown
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- Sophia Yeshi
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- Sinclair Chase Korte
JOURNALISTS
As Wesley Lowry writes in an opinion piece for The New York Times, “the failure of the mainstream press to accurately cover black communities is intrinsically linked with its failure to employ, retain and listen to black people.” In no way is he wrong: this has been an issue for YEARS.
For Black writers, there are very few options, and even when options are given, they are doled out in small doses and oftentimes, grant very little pay or exposure. With this in mind, there’s a racial hierarchy that grants white journalists, like me, an automatic one-up simply because of their race, which is a horrific trend seen in almost any creative field. So, at the same time that mainstream media is fraught with a variety of issues concerning its treatment of BIPOC, the way it covers issues of diversity (as in, how non-Black writers cover them) is also massively flawed for this reason. When Black writers aren’t given the platform to talk about Black issues, said topics are mishandled when they are covered, or they just don’t get covered at all.
“It’s been more than 50 years since the first black journalists appeared in mainstream American newsrooms,” Lowry continues in his piece. “For all of that time, black journalists have made meager demands: Please hire some more of us. Please pay us the way you do our colleagues. Please allow us to ascend to leadership roles. Please consider our opinions about how accurate and fair coverage of all communities, especially our own, can be achieved.”
As he notes, still, the journalism industry—which is truly one of the most important outlets there is—fails Black writers time and time again.
The following infographic highlights the importance of being critical when viewing news coverage in general and the type of written media you invest your time in, but primarily, how you need to pay attention to how publications cover protests and other movement-related issues right now. Now and always, we need to be paying attention to Black outlets and writers in the journalism field and otherwise.
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Here are a few contemporary Black writers from New York that you should check out:
Nikole Hannah Jones (@nhannahjones, website)
Roles: Reporter for NYT Magazine (mostly covering race), Co-founder of The Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting
From her website: “I see my work as forcing us to confront our hypocrisy, forcing us to confront the truth that we would rather ignore.”
View her work here.
Antonia Hylton (@ahylton26)
Roles: Correspondent for NBC and Quibi; host of “Uncommitted” on Spotify
Bio from VICE New Tonight: “Antonia Hylton is an award-winning correspondent and producer covering politics and civil rights for VICE Media and HBO’s Emmy-winning nightly newscast, VICE News Tonight. Working for VICE News, Hylton has focused on immigration and the Trump administration.”
View her articles with VICE here.
Lauretta Charlton (@laurettaland)
Roles: Editor (on the National Desk, and on the Race/Related newsletter) at The NY Times (previously new editor at The New Yorker and a music columnist at New York Magazine)
Read some of her work for the Times here.
Simi Muhumuza (@simimoonlight, website)
The “About the Author” blurb that accompanies her book of poetry, for when you decide to be honest: “Barbara ‘Simi’ Muhumuza is a first generation African-American writer based in Atlanta, GA. She is currently attending university to eventually become a Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology and Criminology. Everything she creates is, in her words, in thought of black women, first.”
Read some more of her pieces:
“J Cole’s ‘Snow On Tha Bluff” Is a Missed Opportunity to Uplift Black Women” (for OkayPlayer)
“Black Women in Music Deserve Better” (for DJ Booth)
“What Dating After My Sexual Assault Taught Me About Myself” (for Elite Daily)
“How do we maintain abolitionist principles in cases of sexual assault?” (for RaceBaitr)
Court Kim (@TheCourtKim) – freelance writer (staff-writer for MEFeater Magazine)
Read her first piece for MEFeater: “Andre Leon Talley: No Weapon Formed Against Him Shall Prosper”
Aliana Walsh (@Iesbianangel) – poet; boosted by Halsey’s Black Creator’s Funding Initiative
MUSICIANS
We have already posted a little bit about the importance of supporting Black artists and have highlighted a few to support (on Bandcamp specifically), which you can find below:
Artists to support on Bandcamp: Juneteenth Edition
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Despite this past coverage, here is a list of a few New York-specific Black musicians that you should be paying attention to. (Additionally, you can find a handy archive of Black artists on Bandcamp here).
Ho99o9 (Instagram, Spotify, website)
From Spotify: “Known for their abrasive and confrontational performance style akin to that of Death Grips combined with the punk-infused raucousness of outfits such as Black Flag, Ho9909 are an alternative hip-hop group based in Los Angeles, California. Hailing from Newark, New Jersey, the project was started by the group’s frontrunner, theOGM, and Eaddy, in 2012.”
The duo recently came out with two new tracks, “Christopher Dorner” and “Pray or Prey.”
From Spotify: “Inspired by Rob Crow, Deftones, Jimi Hendrix, former bandmates (Sadie Dupuis, Two Inch Astronaut) and tour mates (Alex G, Ovlov), [Devin] McKnight has found his own voice, creating unique melodies and blistering guitar lines that represent both experimental punk, syrupy harmonies, and a sense of McKnight’s own independence.”
Pom Pom Squad
From PASTE: “Brooklyn foursome Pom Pom Squad are fine purveyors of rough-edged indie rock. On their 2019 sophomore EP, Ow, lead singer Mia Berrin takes listeners along on a journey to find her best self, and that means untangling past hardships. Her often painfully vulnerable songwriting meets gnarled guitars, and this collision is demonstrated most powerfully by the EP’s slow-building climax ‘Again’ and anthemic indie-punk highlight ‘Heavy Heavy.’”
Recently, Pom Pom Squad released a cover of “Crimson + Clover” in honor of pride month and Juneteenth.
Le1f (Instagram, Spotify, website)
From Spotify: “Le1f became a key figure in a subset of openly gay NYC rappers, gaining exposure for their refreshing contributions to hip-hop that grew out of the early-’90s drag and ball culture.”
Le1f recently featured on the track “Lurkin’” from The Garden’s new album, Kiss My Superbowl Ring.
Dreamcrusher (Instagram, Spotify)
From Spotify: “Referring to their work as ‘Nihilist Queer Revolt Musik,’ Dreamcrusher is a gender non-binary, straight-edge vegan from Wichita, Kansas named Kuwayne Glass. Their impossibly hash, distorted music owes as much to power electronics as to industrial, rave, goth, and shoegaze.”
Their latest mixtape, Another Country, was released exclusively on Bandcamp on June 5th.
Dog Shepherd (Instagram, Spotify)
Their Spotify bio simply reads, “We’re loud. We’re upset. Aren’t You?”
You can watch the music video for a recent single of theirs, “Wander,” below.
Lee Bannon (Spotify)
From label, Ninja Tune: “Lee Bannon is an experimental artist from Northern California. His work spans a range of sonic realms and includes influences from hip-hop, D&B/jungle, ambient and drone.”
Bannon, unfortunately, has not released anything new since 2015, but what he does have out is wonderful!
Rodney Chrome (Spotify, Twitter)
From Spotify: “Rodney Chrome knows no boundaries—his genre-defying work seamlessly crosses between R&B, rap, and electronic inspirations, providing an ode to the past while also showing you the sound of the future.”
His album, QUEER PRESSURE, came out on June 25th.
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Disproportionately, the Arts has done a massive disservice to the Black perspective in not shedding an adequate amount of light on Black creatives, their stories, and their efforts.
Us, non-Black consumers of the Arts, need to inspect just what we’re consuming and notice where we consume it from. For example, ask yourself: Does my Spotify playlist solely consist of white artists? Have I made an effort to include Black writers on my publication’s roster? Have I purchased any prints from a Black photographer recently?
Keep this energy not only now, but moving forward.
