Category: Writing
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Black Designers are for Everyone
Originally published in Vis Major Zine, December 2020. In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd this past May, and the global Black Lives Matter demonstrations that followed, the lack of support for Black creatives and designers and conversations surrounding the topic have risen in the greater context of systemic racism and the Black […]
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Sounds of my Birthday
I’m 22 now. I’ve done things that I could only dream of as a restless teenager waiting for the day she could escape her suburban hellscape. I made it to New York. Instead of suffering through hours of calculus and ecology, I’m studying the subjects I love the most. I’ve learned so much in these […]
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Where are all the Black People in Fashion?
Where are all the Black people in fashion? I ask myself that a lot. I sit in my fashion classes, surrounded by white people, constantly overlooked. Within weeks, they all become incredibly close. I sit lonely, waiting for class to end. I question my belonging. Is this the right industry for me? Of course it […]
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Contemplating Blackness in White America
The first time I contemplated my blackness, I was filling out the personal information section on a standardized test, one of those yearly exams every elementary school student is forced to take. I came across the race and ethnicity section and perused my limited options. The only viable option was to fill in the bubble […]
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Homecoming: A Look at Black Culture and Fashion Through Beyoncé’s 2018 Coachella Performance
Beyoncé’s Homecoming follows the singer on her journey to prepare for her iconic 2018 Coachella festival performance as the first Black woman to headline for the festival. In a voiceover for the film, regarding her plans for the highly anticipated performance, Beyoncé said, “When I decided to do Coachella, instead of me pulling out my […]
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For Colored Girls
I became fully aware of my blackness in second grade. I had just started at a new school, a private school in Howard County, MD, and I was one of six black kids in my entire grade. It was not the first time I’d been the minority at school. Looking back, the Montessori school I […]
Bits By Simi 