Shedding Light on "Black Art"

 Bonsoir,

As Black History Month draws to a close, I'd like to take this opportunity to tell you about an exciting documentary released this year: "Black Art: In the Absence of Light" (2021).

Although relatively short, as movies go, at only an hour and 25 minutes, this documentary is ambitious and dense.  It provides not only an overview of many living Black American artists and their breathtaking work, but also the history of major exhibitions of Black art, the importance of Black art collectors, the role of institutions such as museums and historically Black colleges and universities in the support and survival of Black art and artists, and the lineage of Black artists over centuries of an American history that often fails to acknowledge their accomplishments and contributions.

As I watched "Black Art", I found myself frequently pausing the film to study the featured pieces and hunt around on social media for opportunities to follow living, working Black artists with whom I wasn't previously familiar.  It was such a pleasure to be introduced to artists whose work is stunning and inspiring.  The film is also an impactful reminder of how much work major artistic institutions have to do to enhance the visibility of artists of color and broaden society's assumptions about who creates great works of art.

Some artists who have received considerable public attention in recent years who are featured in "Black Art" include Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald, who famously painted the official portraits of former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama.  Another artist I was happy to see mentioned, albeit briefly, was photographer Gordon Parks.  I had previously learned about Parks's work because his foundation funded a fellowship for a local photographer, Devin Allen, whose work I love.

This movie is truly a delight for the senses.  For anyone wanting a crash course in exceptionally good art, I highly recommend watching "Black Art: In the Absence of Light".  I gave the film a 4.

You can find it on HBO.

{Heart}

Antiracist Accountability Post: Supporting Black-Owned Bookstores

 Hi everybody,

So you know how I like literally just made the resolution to write monthly antiracist accountability posts this year, and now we're most of the way through February and I haven't written one yet?

Yeah that's not okay.

No excuses: I've obviously got to do better than that.  I set up a reasonable expectation to write just one brief post per month focused on antiracist action or engagement because I knew this was an fulfillable expectation.  This is a great reminder for me to be more intentional about consistently dedicating time to helping create a more inclusive, just world.

So to get in the saddle in the first place, rather than getting back in the saddle, let's get rolling with our first Antiracist Accountability Post and talk about supporting Black-owned businesses, and in this case, specifically Black-owned bookstores.

I fervently, ardently, and urgently love bookstores.  They are some of my favorite places.  Once I've entered one, I am incapable of leaving without buying something--both because I absolutely love having physical copies of books, but also because I am terrified that brick-and-mortar bookstores will cease to exist.  

This is not an exaggeration: I am so worried about the longevity of bookstores that, years ago, I tearfully made Husband (then Boyfriend) return a Kindle he got me as a gift because I was so distraught about possibly contributing, even in a small way, to the downfall of bookstores.  Also the whole premise of books with batteries is an abomination, and yes I will die on this hill.

In addition to my concern about book-centered businesses in general, the catastrophic economic impact of the pandemic has disproportionately harmed Black-owned small businesses.  The financial threat posed by the pandemic has created an opportunity to take action on two important fronts: antiracist action, including undoing the centuries-long devastating theft and erosion of wealth in Black communities by spending money at Black-owned businesses, and supporting bookstores.

Before offering some recommendations, I'd love to offer one further bit of rationale for making this change in shopping, for books and anything else.  It is no secret that Amazon does not need any more of our freaking money.  Intentionally shopping elsewhere is an act of protest against their shameless wealth hoarding in the midst of worker maltreatment.  Yes, Amazon seemingly makes it easy to buy exactly what you're looking for (does it?), but that ease comes at immense ethical and real cost to ourselves and others.  

Alternatively, when hunting around for Christmas, engagement, birthday, or Mother's Day gifts for people, I've found it so pleasurable to search for Black-owned businesses in the gift recipient's community and using those businesses's offerings to guide my gift-shopping process.  I've ended up finding gifts that were much more interesting and beautifully crafted than anything I could have found in Bezos's monolith of misery while also investing, even just a tiny amount, in a Black-owned business.  It is an all around much more positive experience.

So with that as preamble, let's get to the stores!

One Black-owned bookstore I love is DC and Maryland's Loyalty Bookstore.  Loyalty was established by Hannah Oliver Depp, a Black and Queer bookseller committed to diversifying the book industry so that it better serves the powerful communities of color and queerness.  Loyalty is creating a team of local vendors and community partners in DC and Maryland that center Black, PoC, and Queer voices.  I love Loyalty's selection and the wonderful personal touch of their emails as they process online orders.

Grassrootz Bookstore is possibly the only Black-owned bookstore in Arizona.  You can check out a photographic introduction to the store and its founder, Ali Nervis, here, and learn about the store's transition to online book sales during the pandemic here.

Kizzy's Books and More was founded by Trenessa L. Williams, MBA, DBA, who aimed to open Orlando, Florida's first black-owned bookstore.  Kizzy's goal is to embrace the African-American culture as well as the joy of reading.

Brave + Kind Bookshop sells children's books.  Owner Bunnie Hillard opened the store after becoming a parent, creating a space that offers a unique selection of diverse, classic, and artful stories.  One awesome gift option is a book bundle that is hand-picked by Brave + Kind's staff.

If you'd like to peruse a larger selection of Black-owned bookstores or find one in your community, check out the following directories and lists:

From the African American Literature Book Club: A State-by-State Directory of Bookstores that Specialize in Black Literature

From Oprah Magazine: 125 Black-Owned Bookstores in America That Amplify the Best in Literature

From Condé Nast Traveler: Black-Owned Bookstores You Can Shop Online

From Book Riot: 50 Black-Owned Independent Bookstores You Can Support Today

Happy book shopping!

{Heart}