#thediasporaissue

[temitop]

THE DIASPORA ISSUE #3

Many of us with immigrant parents struggle with being supported in our creative career path. It often becomes so hard that we end up pursuing something else that makes us miserable, only to please our parents. This has become such a common scenario, that people assume migrant mothers and fathers won’t support their childs creative pursuits. My mother, born and raised in Trinidad, had a hard time pursuing her passion for art. When migrating to Canada at 9 yrs old there were many opportunities for her to become a creative adult but without the support of her parents, she had to let it go. When I was born and started to gear towards the arts, my mother instantly became my personal art teacher (she still is today). She taught me how to sketch, shade, blend colours together –– and most importantly to draw eyes with passion. She has supported me with my art from the very beginning and is one of the main reasons why I felt capable to pursue art. I, a black woman born into Trinidadian and Cameroonian parents, want to bring black women to the forefront of art & design. Black women should not be treated as temporary assets in the art world. It’s time we changed the perception.

Alexis Eke 💜

#alexis eke #art #artists on tumblr #diaspora #immigrants #creative careers #creativity #thediasporaissue #thursday #blackgirlmagic #decolonisation #racism #intergration #exclusion #immigrants children #second generation immigrants #illustration

[temitop]

THE DIASPORA ISSUE #5

Slavery romanticised

A few years ago my sister and I were at an hotel in Dublin and I remember we were chatting with this (black) guy who started ranting about the fact that slavery had its advantages, about how history in a way makes it own justice. He said "If it wasn't for slavery, nowadays we black would be a minority confined in our continent. But if you look at slavery from a different perspective, it allowed us to spread and now we are everywhere". We cut the conversation short because we had clear mental resistances to believing his romanticised version of cruelty and brutality. We went back to our room puzzled, confused, a tad outraged and labelled him as crazy. End of the story. With time, when I looked back at the crazy-guy-from-an-hotel-in-dublin words, I began seeing the wisdom in them. Like it or not, through (traditional and modern) slavery, Black is now everywhere, Yoruba is everywhere. It's within me, it's around me and it has somehow touched you too. History is indeed making justice, because we are manifesting in ways we could have never imagined centuries ago and believe me when I say that this is the very beginning.

*video of Ibeyi performing at Chanel cruise fashion show

#thediasporaissue #the diaspora issue #thursday #slavery #romanticization #seeing africa differently #proudlynigerian #proudly yoruba #yoruba #cuba #santería #santeria #chanel #fashion #ibeyi #ibeyi music #historical justice #justice #nemesis

[temitop]

THE DIASPORA ISSUE #4

All beautiful pictures by the hand of Amanuel Tsegaye 💫

Seeing Africa differently

“Ethiopia was a travel back in time, where people have a hard and simple life with the benefit of being connected to nature's elements. I loved the open fires, where most dishes and coffee is made and I felt that in our normal routines we are so busy with many things, that are absolutely not essential in life. Anyways, I got really inspired to change many aspects of my daily life"

Whatsapp conversation w/ my beatiful friend Tamara on her recent trip to Ethiopia. Thank you for letting me share this 💚

#the diaspora issue #thediasporaissue #thedisporaissue #ethiopia #etiopia #seeing africa differently #africa #afrique #travel #travel photography #travel to africa #respect #simple life #simple living #photographers on tumblr #photography #photooftheday #shadows #black culture #african culture #african people #african photography #inspiration #inspiredaily #perspective #addis ababa