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@blackpowerbarbie, is a self-taught illustrator and animator, known for her stunning illustrations of Black femmes. A compassionate and driven storyteller, @blackpowerbarbie aims to produce creative representations of communities who face a great deal of misrepresentation in today’s media.

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@blackpowerbarbie partnered with Starbucks Canada to create the artwork for the Black Partner Network - Say it Loud playlist, and crafted the illustrations that accompany the “Behind the Green Apron” partner features for Black History Month.

Below, she discusses the path she took to becoming an animator, the inspiration behind her work and her partnership with Starbucks.

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Q: Can you tell us about where you’re from and what you do?

A: I am from Toronto; I grew up in Toronto around the GTA, but I was born in Brooklyn, NY. And that’s where I live now. I’ve been living here for about a year and a half. I moved because I am a freelance artist, so I had the freedom to be wherever. I am an illustrator and an animator and a director.

Q: How did you become an illustrator?

A: Growing up, I had always liked drawing, and I didn’t think I was very good at it, but I was creative, so I found other things to do. I got really into musical theatre and performance art, and that’s what my main focus and unofficial first career was. Then, in university I had gotten into a performance art school in New York, but it was very expensive. I couldn’t justify the cost, so I ended up staying in Toronto, and I went to Ryerson for radio and television broadcast. The thought was that I’d train to be an on-camera personality. It was the most pragmatic way for me to achieve my goals.&nbsp;

In my second year, I had a digital media course, and there was an animation unit. The professor for that class was a huge mentor of mine and very supportive. The class had an animation section that I really enjoyed. The project I created was the most fun I had had making anything for school in a long time. The class loved it; my teacher loved it and was like, “You need to do more of these.” So, from my second year of university until I graduated, I became a self-taught animator..&nbsp;

From there, illustration came through as a different outlet. I connected with it in a way I hadn’t connected with other ways of being creative, mostly because I was able to be independent. At the time, I was still trying to do theatre while I was in school. I was taking acting classes and doing shows and all that stuff, but it was really hard. You have to rely on other people to give you opportunities, and I found with animation and illustration, if there’s a story you want to tell or a way you want to express yourself, you can, from top to bottom, be in control of that production and create whatever you want without waiting to hear “yes” from a bunch of other people. That’s how it happened, and I eventually started charging people for my work. Four years later, it’s my full time job and I get to do cool stuff that I never imagined.&nbsp;

Q: Why was it important to you to work with Starbucks Canada on this project?

A: To get to where I am, I took a very non-traditional route, and a lot of my work has centred around representing myself and my community. Whatever success or opportunities I’ve gotten, I’ve tried not to fold on my principles or do the easy thing or just make the things that people wanted me to. My community has been really supportive in making that happen.

I don’t think many people, at least not me, someone who, over the course of my teen years, consumed a lot of Starbucks, ever thought Starbucks would be interested in my work, or that the things that I like to make would be something that they would be supportive of. I think it’s really important, as brands evolve, to be a part of initiatives that bridge communities and expand the ways we think about certain communities engaging with certain brands. I was really honoured and flattered to be asked to collaborate, and I also thought it was important to make time to do it because it symbolizes a lot of growth for myself, and I think it’s important for other people to be able to make those connections when they see the work.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Q: Can you talk through the inspiration behind the artwork you did for Starbucks playlist? Why did you choose this artistic representation?

A: I usually don’t do a lot of silhouettes. My illustrations tend to be more detailed, but with this, I knew different baristas and customers might be engaging with it, so I didn’t want the cover for the playlist to have representations of specific people. I wanted it to be more of an overarching representation of the Black community within the context of Starbucks branding, so people could project their own connections onto it.&nbsp;

I still wanted to have very strong Black signifying elements in the illustration, like the hairstyles and genders. I usually don’t draw men, but I thought I should include male identifying people as well. What I wanted to do was take the branding of Starbucks, the waves of the Siren, and repurpose that in my own special way to subvert the Starbucks branding for a Black audience with my aesthetic.

Q: Can you explain some of the recurring themes of your work? What inspires you when you start a project?

A: My projects, especially my personal projects, usually start from an emotional impulse - a need to tell a story, a need to condense a certain feeling or experience into a singular image or animation. I try as hard as I can to keep my ego out of work and focus on what’s true, how I actually feel and what I’m trying to communicate to other people.&nbsp;

As someone who goes by the name of “Black Power Barbie”, what I want is for Black women, specifically, to feel a sense of resonance with my work and to have an emotional connection to the pieces. So, being honest and being true is really important. The reason I focus on the community that I do in my work is because there are many misrepresentations of us that we’re not in control of. I think it’s important that people have control over their own stories and are participating in their cultural narratives. That way, for all the misrepresentations, at least we’re contributing things we can meaningfully see ourselves in. That’s always the place that I’m coming from, “Is this helpful? Is this honest? Is this true? How do I feel about this existing outside of my body? Is this a piece of work that is representing other Black fem-identifying people or queer people?” Those are the common themes that I start with.&nbsp;

Q: As an artist, what have you learned about the power of representation in media?

A: The way that we engage with media is so instantaneous. So, when you don’t see things, you forget that they exist. Your world really gets siloed into whatever you’re watching on Netflix or whatever the algorithm feeds you, and everything that falls outside of that fades away into the background. When you’re part of a community where you feel you’re not seeing yourself often, and when you do, you’re not seeing yourself accurately, it has a negative toll on the way you perceive yourself and your social positioning as a human being.&nbsp;

I think it’s really important that people are not only seeing reflections of themselves, but other communities as well. It’s important to engage in content that’s not just an echo chamber of what I am and what I see. The purpose of art, beyond just looking at it, is to share stories and information so people can foster connections with those communities.&nbsp;

Q: What sparked your interest in the arts in the first place? Who are your creative influences and inspirations?

A: I feel like I’m influenced by a lot of different things. I would say, Basquiat of course, Kerry James Marshall, people like Solange and Janelle Monáe, folks who are unapologetically Black and creative and take opportunities to tell really honest and creative stories that centre around Blackness. Those are my main criteria, and there’s so many different people who fall into that category, who have that type of influence.&nbsp;

Beyond that, I’m inspired by my own life, by music, by film, by dance. I think when I see other people having fun and being free and just creating for the sake of creating, that’s inspirational to me. No matter what the artistic medium is. I find the world around me inspiring. There’s always a story or something deeper to discover just from everyday life.

Q: What do you hope people will learn from your work?

A: It honestly depends on the person who’s engaging with it. If you find yourself represented in my work, or you think that you’re within the fold of the community that my work represents, whether that’s through your womanhood or femininity or your queerness, your Blackness, I don’t necessarily&nbsp; hope that you learn anything, I hope that you feel something. I hope that you feel seen, and that your existence is affirmed and recognized in a loving and vulnerable way.&nbsp;

If you don’t see yourself reflected in my work, I hope the thing you learn is that these types of people exist in these contexts. This is a representation of who they are and how they feel, and that’s valid. If you look at it and you appreciate it, what you’re learning is that you can appreciate things in people and forge connections with people who you have differences with. I didn’t assume that a lot of non-Black people would appreciate my work, but my Instagram following says the contrary, and I love that. If you can sit there and listen to me talk about the things that I talk about and appreciate the art that I make, even though you’re not the target audience, I feel like there’s some value in that because the work is the entry point into you having a connection to these folks and deepening your understanding of their humanity.&nbsp;

I try to be as vulnerable as possible, and by putting myself out there, I’m trying to let people know that it’s okay to do that, and I encourage them to do that as well. You don’t have to put on a brave face or hide behind stereotypes people think apply to you when you know you’re so much more. It’s okay to be soft and open because the more we do it, the more normal it feels, and we can all feel a little less lonely.&nbsp;

Amika partnered with Starbucks Canada to create the artwork for the Black Partner Network - Say it Loud playlist, and crafted the illustrations that accompany the “Behind the Green Apron” partner features for Black History Month.

Meet @blackpowerbarbie - the artist behind the artwork of the Black Partner Network Playlist. - Starbucks Canada

Starbucks Canada

Meet @blackpowerbarbie &#8211; the artist behind the artwork of the Black Partner Network Playlist.

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https://stories.starbucks.ca/en-ca/stories/2021/amika-cooper-bpn-playlist-artist/

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Meet @blackpowerbarbie – the artist behind the artwork of the Black Partner Network Playlist.

Throughout February, Starbucks Canada is celebrating Black History Month by sharing the unique stories and experiences of its Black partners (employees) each week on Starbucks Stories.

This week, Toronto store manager Chelsea Gayle discusses how a lack of awareness and acknowledgment of Black contributions in Canadian history left her feeling aliented in her youth and why founding Starbucks Black Partner Network in Canada helped her reclaim her identity.

Roots are an important foundation for cultural life. Strong roots ground us, nurture us, support and sustain us. They guide us and give us awareness of cultural connections. Imagine what life would be like without having any understanding or exposure to the depth of your roots. Welcome to the life of this Afro-Canadian.

As a Black woman of Caribbean descent, it is very hard for me to trace my roots. My great-grandparents, grandparents and parents were all born on the island of Jamaica. Besides this, there isn’t much else I am aware of. This ignorance to the extent of our roots is the reality of many people of afro Caribbean and Afro-Canadian descent.

I remember sitting in history class learning about the accomplishments of Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Harriet Tubman and her contributions to the Underground Railroad that made its way into Canada. But growing up in the Canadian school system, I didn’t learn about the contributions of Canadian visible minorities or the contributions of people from African descent. &nbsp;There was nothing about Viola Desmond, Josiah Henson, or Mary Ann Shadd. &nbsp;I relied on my mother’s teachings and my own curiosity to uncover Black contributions to Canadian history and to the Black experience in Canada.

You can only imagine the look on my face when I learned for the first time that my ancestors not only came from Africa, but that the African continent was a place of royalty. Imagine the pride and self-esteem young girls like me would have felt in knowing that we are among the descendants of people like Amina, the Queen of Zaria; Kandake, the Empress of Ethiopia; Makeda, the Queen of Sheba; or the more well-known Nefertiti, Queen of Egypt and wife of well-known pharaoh Akhenaten.

Not only was I missing cultural awareness, but as a young, dark-skinned girl, I faced a lot of discrimination. My experience ranges from being bullied because of the pigment in my skin to being ridiculed for my tight curls and texture of my hair. Growing up Black in Canada was not easy and it didn’t help that media rarely portrayed Black girls who looked like me. It also didn’t help that the majority of my elementary school educators were white and could not understand the hurt they caused when they recommended I straighten my hair for picture days to illustrate the “best version of myself.” Why does mutilating my hair and damaging my natural locks represent the best version of me?

Last year, I founded the first Canadian chapter of the Starbucks Black Partner Network not only as a way for me to build a community to celebrate our cultures and the accomplishments of historically significant Black Canadians, but to create a space to embrace other Black partners (employees) and celebrate the contributions we make every day, in our stores, in our offices, in our communities. 

This year, as founder of the Black Partner Network, I am so proud to celebrate Black History Month on a national stage at Starbucks. This spotlight to educate and celebrate Black culture is the first of many to come. Launching the Starbucks Canada Black Partner Network has made me a pioneer in this process, which is an honour that I am grateful to share with my co-chair Kimberly Robin. Together with our fellow members, the Black Partner Network has high aspirations: to support the acknowledgement and sharing of the heritage of the African diaspora with other Starbucks partners who, like me, want to continue to build our understanding of our history amplify the many successes and contributions of the Black community; and to help advise Starbucks Canada on how together, we can create a more safe and diverse space for Black partners.

This Black History Month is a time for celebration – a time to adjust and recreate the narrative; a time for Black people to be rooted in both culture and an unbiased history; a time to make our contributions &nbsp;to Canadian society known. &nbsp;We will celebrate Black excellence and that Black is beautiful in all forms. We will highlight the accomplishments and unapologetically brag about the beauty we’ve been told was unacceptable and unprofessional for years. &nbsp;

Amanda Gorman's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ055ilIiN4">2021 presidential inaugural poem</a> leaves us with hope when she says, “For there is always light, if only we're brave enough to see it. If only we're brave enough to be it.”

I want every young Black person to know we are capable of so many things. Our colonial oppressors may have tried in vain to break our spirit and dim our light but we are resilient. And we remain capable of doing so many great things.

Chelsea Gayle discusses why co-founding Starbucks Black Partner Network in Canada helped her reclaim her identity.

Behind the Green Apron: Store Manager Reveals How Launching Starbucks Black Partner Network Helped her Reconnect to her Afro-Canadian Roots - Starbucks Canada

Behind the Green Apron: Store Manager Reveals How Launching Starbucks Black Partner Network Helped her Reconnect to her Afro-Canadian Roots

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To kick off the month are two Brampton, Ont. store partners, Zoe Clarke-Singh and Cristyn Gilpin-Payne. As members of Starbucks Canada’s Black Partner Network, they helped Starbucks curate a <a href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2021/celebrating-black-history-month/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2021/celebrating-black-history-month/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">special playlist</a> in partnership with the Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA) and SAY IT LOUD to celebrate Black culture and Black excellence.

Here, the two partners share what this playlist means to them, their personal connection to music and how songs about Black hair help them feel empowered.

Music had the biggest influence on us while growing up. Music connected us to our Black brothers and sisters. It changed our mood and uplifted us. It told us stories through calypso and taught us to dance through soca.

That’s why working on a dedicated playlist for Black History Month on behalf of Starbucks Canada’s Black Partner Network meant more to us than just having good music to work to. For us, it meant that we could showcase our diversity within the Black community through soca, afrobeat, reggae, mainstream hip-hop, and R&amp;B.

What stuck most with us while curating this playlist were the songs dedicated to empowering Black women. Growing up in Caribbean-Canadian households was challenging for both of us in our youth. We faced many societal challenges, like being forced to choose between embracing our Caribbean roots and being our authentic selves or adjusting our lingo and nuances to please our peers or fit certain environments. This shift in personality (often considered code-switching) caused quite the contention amongst our Black peers, resulting in us being called “whitewashed” for not being culturally connected to our heritage.

But despite this, music always helped us feel rooted in our Afro-Canadian culture, especially empowering songs about Black hair. One of the many things we love about being Black women is our ability to manipulate our hairstyles constantly, as it is an expression of our personalities. We are trend setters, we are artistic, and we are creative. Our drive to constantly break down the barriers placed around us is endless.

Below are two of our favourite songs from the playlist meant to empower Black girls and why they mean so much to us.

Peng Black Girls Remix by ENNY ft. Jorja Smith

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This song celebrates what makes Black girls so beautiful. It emphasizes that our physical traits are beautiful no matter what shade of black we are. This is significant because colourism — although a learned behaviour stemming from racism — is very prevalent within the Black community. Many young dark-skinned Black girls are often made to feel less than or inadequate compared to their lighter-skinned peers. The song says, “Never wanna put us in the media,” which references the lack of heavy melanated skin represented in the media.

On the contrary, colourism works both ways within the community. Those with lighter skin often feel like they are not Black enough. These thoughts in a young unnurtured mind could be greatly detrimental and often leads to being ostracized. We’ve personally felt neglected or singled out for having fair skin, but with the help of our family and close friends, we’ve learned to love ourselves.

I Am Not My Hair by India. Arie

“Does the way I wear my hair determine my integrity?” This is one of the questions the song asks. The style of our hair should not be the reason why Black women are ineligible for employment. Our skills and education for the position is what matters. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for us to be overlooked because of our hair and we know many people who have experienced this, both women and men.

“I couldn’t get no job / Cause corporate wouldn't hire no dreadlocks,” the song says. I (Cristyn) rarely see individuals in corporate-level positions with their hair like mine (loc style) due to the negative imagery associated with them. The misconception that our hair is dirty and unkept is untrue. Our creativity flows through our hair. It is our crown and how we style our crown should not determine our worth.

After listening to Starbucks playlist for Black History Month, we hope partners feel connected and deeply rooted to various Black cultures. As well, we hope it makes people feel good and want to dance! Black culture is about celebration and the various musical ways our story is told.

As members of Starbucks Canada’s Black Partner Network, Zoe Clarke-Singh and Cristyn Gilpin-Payne helped Starbucks curate a special playlist in partnership with the Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA) and SAY IT LOUD to celebrate Black culture and Black excellence.

Behind the Green Apron: Two Starbucks Partners Reveal How They Found Empowerment through Songs About Black Hair

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https://stories.starbucks.ca/en-ca/stories/2021/starbucks-partners-reveal-how-they-found-empowerment-through-songs-about-black-hair/