There’s no feeling like walking into a room of powerful, talented, stunning, move-making black women, and that indescribable happiness was exactly what I felt walking into Spotify’s #BlackGirlMagic event earlier this month. Spotify has created a Black Girl Magic playlist which features poetry, film and original artwork created by three black creatives, and some bomb music by some truly magical black women.
Black History Is Happening Now celebrates the voices of black creators throughout the year — not just during Black History Month — and the latest installment of Black History Is Happening Now included the work of poet, author and educator Mahogany L. Browne, multimedia artist Theresa Chromati and film-maker, singer-songwriter and photographer Sadé Clacken.
PHOTO: @theresachromati
The three creatives worked together to pick the songs featured on the playlist and created original work that fit into the “reimagining armor” theme. Browne wrote an original audio poem, “Rainbow of Armor,” Chromati has created two paintings, “Ins and Outs of Armor I” and “Ins and Outs of Armor II,” that are used as the playlist header and cover to Black Girl Magic and Joseph created a short film, “Knight.”
VIDEO: @sadecjoseph
“Thinking about what it means to be a black woman, to be the protector of so many and nothing for yourself. Myself and the other contributors thought about how armor could be beautiful too. How it served as a tool of self-care; how it shines in war; how it carries our stories, resiliently. How it didn’t have to be a thing of war but of love. How it didn’t have to be a shredded and heavy thing but a beaming bright light. How it becomes an heirloom, from one black woman to her children,” shared Browne with Spotify.
Joseph also shared what inspired the women to create their work and the playlist, “The inspiration behind re-imagining armor came from the concept of how we, as black women, have to battle through so many obstacles throughout our day to day lives. Theresa, Mahogany and I wanted depict the resilience of black women, and how we use armor in different ways to protect and defend our minds, body, souls and family. Black women are natural bred warriors and armor symbolizes that strength that is built and woven so deeply into the pores of our melanated skin.”
VIDEO: @ebonyjanice
The Spotify event was held in Santa Monica, CA. — in a restaurant owned by Chef Nyesha J Arrington — and many artists, influencers, musicians and women in tech were in attendance. The beauty in seeing a restaurant filled with black women, being their truly free selves over delicious food, great music and in the company of one another made it a night to remember.
With efforts like Spotify’s Black History Is Happening Now and 21Ninety’s Summit21 — there’s proof that a space for successful, empowered, talented and winning black women does exist.
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