Folklore, Fighting Tokenism & The First 90 Days (B+A Bulletin #311)
Greetings Bulleteers!
Jason here, once again! I hope you’re gliding smoothly through your week. I’ve been sliiiiiightly spiralling through mine, but a wise woman once said, “a downward spiral is a loaded spring.” In fact, spirals also represent evolution and growth of the spirit. They’re about change, evolution and circling back to core values and ideas. A shift in consciousness, if you will. That’s pretty on-brand here at B+A.
Anyways! That’s enough philosophising for one day - we’ve got a whole recap of B+A goodness to circle through.
This is Bulletin Three. One. One. Tap in! 🌀
B+A Babble
Our work on Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow programme has always been about making sure the next generation ventures into spaces that intimately discuss the future, spark ideas and create change. Antonio Ferreira, one of the programme’s attendees, is a great example of the social impact that ideas like this can spark.
As a youth board member for the mental health charity Beyond, Antonio has just launched a national petition calling for senior leaders in the UK’s mental health charity sector to take accountability for their anti-racist promises and to help eradicate the tokenism the sector faces. He has garnered a huge amount of support and is forming a Coalition for Racial Equality within the Mental Health space. If you would like to show support for Antonio’s cause, you can sign the petition here.
B+A Books etc.
This week’s book recommendation comes courtesy of...my Twitter feed. Because every once in a while, there’s that one non-viral tweet that speaks directly to you and the fourteen other people that liked it. For instance: Jack Appleby, Creative Strategist at Twitch, tweets a lot about NBA (hey, Elliot 😄) content analysis, and career development.
Recently, he recommended Michael D. Watkins’ The First 90 Days for anyone typing to navigate a transition period - like a new job! I nabbed my copy fresh off the Amazon truck and I am definitely looking forward to digging into something that provides a framework for forging my own path. If this also sounds like you, maybe check out a short interview with the author here
B+A Big Ups
This week, WeTransfer announced a new partnership with Black culture-focused creative agency A Vibe Called Tech to showcase Black-owned media and creativity. To celebrate this partnership, WeTransfer launched the ongoing series where the brand gives a platform to the founders and editors of Plantain Papers (co-created, co-founded and co-fried by B+A’s very own Tamika).
It’s such an expansive and editorial delight that has been put together: presented through newly commissioned portraits, illustrations and audio clips, seven Black storytellers ranging from ages 6 to 70, in Bermuda, Brooklyn, Accra, and Toronto discuss memories of folklore passed down from elders and its influence on their conceptions of morality and identity.
This piece explores Black folklore within the legacy of oral literary tradition and its influence on contemporary culture in an incredibly captivating way. Please do take the time to immerse yourself in this beautifully crafted universe, you’re in for an experience.
B+A Bye
That’s it from me for now. I hope you've enjoyed your weekly dose of inspiration, it’s been a pleasure sharing so much fresh stuff with you. Don't forget to check out bandaequals.com/blog for all archived B+A Bulletins.
I’ll leave you with the new episode of NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert that dropped just a couple hours ago. It’s a performance by 2021 Tiny Desk Contest Winner Neffy, who Dominique put us unto last month (good looking out, Dom).
Enjoy the rest of your week...and keep circling back! 🌀
Love,
Jason + Team B+A
