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Celebrating the ‘Strength, Power and Beauty in Diversity’ with Justina Blakeney

This week, we’ll be sharing the stories of African-American community members in celebration of #BlackHistoryMonth, which runs throughout February in the US.

Designer, artist, blogger and author Justina Blakeney (@justinablakeney) believes our homes should be reflections of ourselves. “In my case, that means free-spirited, multicultural, creative and a little bit wild!” says The Jungalow (@thejungalow) founder. “There is strength, power and beauty in diversity, and that translates to my work: I love to combine unexpected colors, patterns and textures and enjoy pulling things together that may not traditionally be seen together.”

Justina grew up in Berkeley, California, during the 1980s. “My parents were married when interracial marriage was still illegal in most states,” says Justina, whose father identifies as African-American and mother as Jewish-American. “They taught me that the right choices aren’t usually the easy choices. They taught me that with hard work and perseverance the sky is the limit.”

photography, BlackHistoryMonth, AfricanAmerican, diversity, interior design, art, Justina Blakeney, Jungalow, instagram,

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Exploring the Bronx with Photographer Dondre Green

This week, we’ll be sharing the stories of African-American community members in celebration of #BlackHistoryMonth, which runs throughout February in the US.

“I want people to see things differently,” says photographer and educator Dondre Green (@dondregreen). “I want to shift people’s perspectives, and I want to push boundaries.” After losing his full-time job, the 24-year-old Bronx, New York, native was eager to tackle a passion project. That was the beginning of @bronxnarratives, a short documentary highlighting the beauty of the borough and its residents that transformed into an online publication. Since launching, Bronx Narratives has partnered with local groups and businesses to host community events like photo walks to hidden neighborhood gems. “I’ve lived in the Bronx my entire life, yet I never explored it,” says Dondre. “I love learning about different cultures and people as it helps widen my perspective on how I view the world. Luckily in New York it is easy to do, since it’s such a big melting pot.

photography, Bronx, Bronx Narratives, Dondre Green, BlackHistoryMonth, instagram,

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Combating Negativity with Artist Brandon Stanciell

This week, we’ll be sharing the stories of African-American community members in celebration of #BlackHistoryMonth, which runs throughout February in the US.

“Some people have paintbrushes, and they paint. Some people have cameras, and they shoot photos. But for me, it’s flowers and hair,” says artist Brandon Stanciell (@themanwholovedflowers), whose series “The Man Who Loved Flowers” is a response to the rigid depictions of black men in the media. Taking inspiration from Shel Silverstein’s “The Thinker of Tender Thoughts,” which illustrates a man teased for the flowers growing out of his head and eventually cuts them off, Brandon’s florally endowed portraits offer an alternative response: “Don’t let anybody else tell you how to be you. Don’t let society cut off your flowers. Just keep them growing.”

photography, portrait, 35mmfilm, BlackHistoryMonth, Shel Silverstein, masculinity, Brandon Stanciell, instagram,

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Love and Foundation: The Cornerstones of Brittani Sensabaugh Work

This week, we’ll be sharing the stories of African-American community members in celebration of #BlackHistoryMonth, which runs throughout February in the US.

“Our beauty needs to be documented by somebody that can relate, by somebody that gets the mission, and sees the bigger picture,” says Brittani Sensabaugh (@brittsense), an Oakland, California-based documentary photographer. “The bigger picture with me is always unconditional love and building — building prosperous foundations.” This is the inspiration behind the 27-year-old’s “222 Forgotten Cities” movement, which aims to document and uplift misrepresented “melanated” people around the world. “It’s a reminder that no matter how much pain and struggle we go through, we will find ways to shine and rise above it.”

photography, 222 Forgotten Cities, Oakland, Brittani Sensabaugh, BlackHistoryMonth, African American, instagram,

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Printed Pattern People: Challenging Standards and Showcasing Beauty

This week, we’ll be sharing the stories of African-American community members in celebration of #BlackHistoryMonth, which runs throughout February in the US.

“I credit my Nigerian-American upbringing and extensive international travels as my main creative influences for designing,” says Shadé Akanbi, the mind behind Printed Pattern People (@printedpatternpeople). She describes her Brooklyn-based clothing line as an exploration of cultures by way of fashion. “When I meet other makers around the world, I repeatedly encounter this reverberating truth that we are more alike than we are different,” Shadé says. “Printed Pattern People is telling this story.”

Two of the most photographed Printed Pattern People models are Tulani and Angelique, Shadé’s best friends and longtime supporters. “As a woman of color, it goes without question that I use models that reflect my everyday reality and showcase the beauty of the places and people that these textiles represent. That makes sense to me,” she says. “Their effortless beauty breathes so much life into my pieces, it really blows me away. There are not nearly enough positive images of women of color in the public eye, so this is how I can contribute to making that change; this is my standard of beauty.”

photography, BlackHistoryMonth, Nigeria, printedpatternpeople, fashion, textiles, Shadé Akanbi, instagram,

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Celebrating the Social Impact and Technique of Jordan Casteel’s Art

This week, we’ll be sharing the stories of African-American community members in celebration of #BlackHistoryMonth, which runs throughout February in the US.

Vulnerability, openness, humanity — these are the qualities Jordan Casteel (@jordanmcasteel) offers in every brush stroke. Her work invites the viewer to confront the ways her community is represented. “I have a twin brother and an older brother,” says the New York-based artist. “They’re the ones who continually inspire my practice around black men in particular, because I always felt keenly observant of my surroundings and the way they were experiencing the world.”

Her family is rooted in social justice – her grandfather, Whitney Moore Young, Jr., was a central figure in the US civil rights movement – and his legacy has been ever-present in her life and in her work. “It is important to me that within my practice, people recognize me not only for the social impact of this work, but just the sheer degree of strength of material, color play and technique,” says Jordan. “I am not just a painter of people and stories. Within that, I’m also implementing myself as a black woman into a history that has for centuries negated my story, or not seen it as being as impactful or masterful.”

photography, art, painting, civil rights, Jordan Casteel, BlackHistoryMonth, instagram,

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Overcoming Fear and Coming Together: Celebrating @aniekanreloaded’s Bold Murals

To see more of his murals all over Washington, DC, follow @aniekanreloaded on Instagram. This post is part of Instagram’s #MakeYourMap, a project to capture and celebrate local culture and heritage during #BlackHistoryMonth, which runs throughout February in the United States.

It only took one man, Aniekan Udofia (@aniekanreloaded), to paint this larger-than-life mural of music legend and activist Marvin Gaye, but an entire community came together to make it a lasting image in Washington, DC’s cityscape. The wall Aniekan originally painted his commissioned mural on was torn down, so the people of the Shaw neighborhood in Northwest DC raised money to start fresh.

“I actually like the second one because there was no control in terms of the creativity, the timeline or the style,” says Aniekan, a DC illustrator who paints murals all over his city — no easy feat for a man terrified of heights. “The funny thing is, once I’m up there for a few minutes, I’ll get the swing of it — as long as I’m not looking down.”

Aniekan spent 16 years living in his parents’ native country of Nigeria before moving to the US to study fine art, but didn’t hold a can of spray paint until years after he graduated. “It’s like someone giving you a can of Cheez Wiz to create art,” he jokes. He still holds a special place in his heart for the trusty pencil, using the image as a sort of signature: “The pencil represents persistence. You can use the pencil to the last drop of lead.”

photography, blackhistorymonth, marvingaye, makeyourmap, aniekan udofia, washingtondc, mural, painting, instagram,