AphroChic Magazine: Issue No. 3

APHROCHIC 

a curated lifestyle magazine 

ISSUE NO. 3 \ VOLUME 1 \ SPRING 2020 

BEHIND THE LENS \ A PLACE TO CALL HOME \ THIS LAND IS OUR LAND 

APHROCHIC.COM

Welcome spring and welcome 2020! This has been a thrilling issue to put together. As the 

weather gets warmer and things start to bloom here in Brooklyn, we’ve been inspired to 

explore all that’s blooming in the worlds of music, art, fashion, design, and more. This issue 

is dedicated to the creative process, those who are elevating, glowing up and creating fresh 

new concepts in a whole new decade. 

Our third cover is a celebration of street style. Photographer Seleen Saleh gives us an exclusive 

look at her new book, Street Culture, sharing with us a selection of beautiful photographs, including the 

portrait of fashion designer Sai Sankoh that’s featured on our cover. 

In our interior design section, we’re excited to take you inside the home of actor and client Danielle 

Brooks. For her first home, we created a colorful space that reflects Brooks’ sense of personal style, with 

color, pattern, and lots of original art. This is a house tour chock full of inspiration for your next space. 

Next we travel around the country and around the world, taking you on an outdoor adventure 

to Utah with A Tribe Called Camp. In Bedford, NY, we sit down with an inspiring group of art lovers, 

designers, and actors to discuss how we can all live exceptionally. Artist Andile Dyalvane takes us inside 

his process and his studio in South Africa. And for our Sounds section, we talk music with composer and 

flutist Nathalie Joachim about her new Grammy-nominated solo album dedicated to the women of Haiti. 

With even more art, design, and culture to explore in our third issue, we also take time to look back, 

exploring the roots of the African Diaspora in the history of Pan-Africanism, the New Negro Movement, 

and Negritude. 

It’s 2020, a time to celebrate new energy, new ideas, and new vision. This issue embraces that spirit, 

highlighting the sheer depth of creativity that’s burgeoning among Black creatives. We hope you feel as 

inspired as we do when you read this issue. 

Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason 

Founders, AphroChic 

Instagram: @aphrochic 

editors’ letter 

With the amazing Danielle Brooks 

Photo: Chinasa Cooper

SPRING 2020 

DEPARTMENTS 

Read This, 10 

Visual Cues, 12 

It’s a Family Affair, 14 

Coming Up, 22 

Mood, 24 

FEATURES 

Fashion // Behind the Lens, 28 

Interior Design // A Place to Call Home, 40 

Entertaining // Play Date, 58 

Travel // This Land Is Our Land, 76 

Reference // Journey to Diaspora, 92 

Sounds // Nathalie Joachim Gives Voicc, 98 

PINPOINT 

Artists & Artisans, 104 

The Remix, 112 

Who Are You, 116

CONTRIBUTORS 

Cover photo: Sai Sankoh by Seleen Saleh 

Exclusive from Street Culture by Seleen Saleh 

Publishers/Editors: Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason 

Creative Director: Cheminne Taylor-Smith 

Contact: 

AphroChic 

Brooklyn, NY 

AphroChic.com 

info@aphrochic.com 

Contributors: 

Chinasa Cooper 

Seleen Saleh 

Patrick Cline 

issue three 9

READ THIS 

There is a profound power in inspiration and in drawing guidance from those who changed history. 

This month’s selection of books recognizes men and women who made a difference and who continue to 

inspire today. The Last Negroes at Harvard is written by one of 18 African American men who were part of 

Harvard’s class of 1963. They changed the norms at Harvard, but each of them was also changed by their 

experience. Groundbreaking women of science are the focus of Changing the Equation, a look at the Black 

women who revolutionized the worlds of science, technology, engineering, and math. And Driving While 

Black reveals the freedom found on the open road and how Black travel guides helped resist oppression. 

The Last Negroes at Harvard. 

Written by Kent Garrett. 

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. $25 

Driving While Black. 

Written by Gretchen Sorin. 

Publisher: Liveright. $35 

Changing the Equation. 

Written by Tonya Bolden. Publisher: 

Abrams Books for Young Readers. $20 

10 aphrochic

VISUAL CUES 

New York’s High Line is a public park built on an historic elevated rail line, and includes gardens, art, 

food vendors, and more. Offering a unique perspective of New York City, the High Line has commissioned 

and produced world-class public art that offers a view of New York and its people.The Baayfalls is a new 

High Line Commission by artist Jordan Casteel that’s hand painted on a wall overlooking the park near 

22nd Street. The largest showcase of Casteel’s work, it recreates her 2017 oil painting of the same name 

and will be on view through December. The Baayfalls is a double portrait of Fallou—a woman Casteel 

befriended during her artist residency at The Studio Museum in Harlem—and Fallou’s brother, Baaye 

Demba Sow. The mural shows the pair outside the museum at Fallou’s table, where she sold hats that 

she designed. Like her other art, Casteel works from photos to create her paintings, which gives her 

the ability to include details that others would miss. Her vibrant, larger-than-life canvases portray the 

people she encounters in life, including family, friends, her students, fellow subway riders, and people 

she meets on the sidewalk. Learn more at thehighline.org/art/. 

12 aphrochic issue three 13

IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR 

Passing It On 

A lot had changed for my family and for the house by the middle of the 1970s, specifically with regard to 

who was calling it home at that time. Aunts and uncles alike had married and moved away. And in spring 

of 1972, Mama passed away. When that happened, the house wasn’t sold, but instead was passed down to 

my grandmother, Alice Harper, beginning a line of inheritance that continues to this day. 

Inheritance is one of the most 

important building blocks of wealth in 

this country, and for African Americans, 

one of the most elusive. Currently, “inheritance 

… account[s] for more of the 

racial wealth gap than any other behavioral, 

demographic, or socioeconomic 

indicator,” according to economists, 

Darrick Hamilton and William Darity Jr. 

As a result, African American households 

lack access to many of the wealth-building 

mechanisms that make inheritance 

possible. 

Economist Janelle Jones finds that 

the result is, “white households inherit 

more money, and more often, than black 

households,” providing a wealth boost 

that, at the median, “increases wealth by 

more than $100,000 for white families and 

only $4,000 for black families”. For many 

Black families, including my own, one of 

the main ways that we have historically 

addressed this gap has been by purchasing 

and passing on homes, just like this one. 

When our renovation project began, 

these economic realities were always top 

of mind. Our goal was to to renovate the 

home so that it could last in the family 

for many more generations to come. My 

grandmother was an excellent steward of 

the home, and when the house came to my 

mother in the early 2000s, she embarked 

on a series of restoration projects herself. 

But nothing about the house had been reimagined. 

With my sister’s family taking 

residence and my nephew being the first 

child in the house for many years, it was 

time for a new vision. 

For me, the dining room has always 

felt like the center of the house. The place 

where we would come together for family 

meals and celebrations. Before I was born, 

many celebrations took place in that 

room, including my Aunt Elaine’s wedding 

reception in 1970. Bringing it into the 21st 

century meant more than just a new coat 

of paint. We had to recreate that feeling 

of togetherness. To start, plain white 

paint that had become old and worn was 

replaced with a silvery gray that catches 

and reflects the strong light that the room 

receives during the day. 

Antique wall sconces were replaced 

with modern fixtures. The dining table 

and chairs were all replaced as well, 

though we were careful to add furnishings 

that fit with the older feel of the space, 

striking a balance with the more modern 

wall color and lighting. And art was hung 

on the wall, as part of the family art collection 

that we’re starting. 

No matter how much we remodeled 

however, there had to be a way to 

THE 

DINING 

ROOM 

BEFORE 

It‘s a Family Affair is an ongoing series 

focusing on the history of the Black family 

home, stories from the Harper family, 

and the renovations and restorations of a 

house that bonds this family. 

Photos from Harper Family Archives 

Words by Bryan Mason 



THE DINING ROOM AFTER 



remember those who had lived in the 

house before. We pulled a hutch that had 

belonged to Mama from the breakfast 

room to the dining area. An antique piece, 

complete with a built-in flour-sifter for 

making bread. 

Its style perfectly fitting with the new 

furniture, while its color - that beautiful 

patina of age - grounds the space and 

keeps it connected to the past. Even more 

importantly, we restored a chandelier that 

has hung over the dining table in that room 

for generations. Another beautiful antique, 

also purchased by Mama, we found it in 

the basement and cleaned each crystal 

by hand before restoring it to its rightful 

place. I later found out that cleaning the 

chandelier had been my mother’s traditional 

chore, which she did every Saturday 

morning as a child. 

The breakfast room had always been 

one of Mama’s favorite rooms. It was 

where she started her days, and often, 

where she ended them as well. Since then 

it had remained a breakfast room, even as 

meals became more decentralized, breakfasts 

became less labor intensive, and the 

dining room became the location for every 

meal. To bring the space back into utility 

we envisioned it with a new purpose, 

transforming it into a playroom for my 

nephew, Sebastian. 

Away went the bright yellow walls. We 

replaced them with a soft lilac, with just 

enough purple in the color to stay warm 

and inviting while highlighting the architectural 

details of the room. The sofa 

was another heirloom, donated by Aunt 

Elaine. Paired with a colorful, printed 

rug, art, and pillows that we designed, the 

room is now a flowing, open space. Our 

nephew enjoys playing there, and we enjoy 

watching him engage in a space that has 

been in the family for so many generations. 

As home ownership becomes ever 

more difficult for Black people it becomes 

even more important. And renovating and 

restoring our homes so that they can stay 

in the family is also of tremendous importance. 

It’s not simply a question of what we 

can make, but of what we pass on. AC 

THE 

BREAKFAST 

ROOM 

BEFORE 

THE BREAKFAST 

ROOM AFTER 



IT’S NOT SIMPLY 

A QUESTION 

OF WHAT WE 

CAN MAKE, 

BUT OF WHAT 

WE PASS ON. 


COMING UP 

Events, exhibits, and happenings that celebrate and explore the African Diaspora. 

Celebration of Black Arts 

July 1-31 | Philadelphia 

One of the oldest African American 

literary events in the United States, the 

Celebration of Black Arts is a month-long 

celebration of African American literature 

and art. Events include author readings, 

interactive workshops, live performances, 

an awards show, art exhibitions, and an 

outdoor festival. With attendance of over 

7,500, the Celebration is sponsored by Art 

Sanctuary of Philadelphia. 

For more information or for a full schedule, 

go to celebrationofblackwriting.org. 

Congregation by Norman Lewis 

Gullah Festival 

May 22-24 | Beaufort, SC 

The Gullah are African Americans who live in the 

lowcountry region of Georgia, Florida, and South 

Carolina. who work to preserve their African cultural 

heritage, including a Creole language similar to Sierra 

Leone’s Krio. The Gullah Festival celebrates their 

history and culture, showcasing crafts such as basket 

and cast net weaving, and includes African dance and 

music, drum circles, booths, and more. Learn more at 

originalgullahfestival.org. 

North Carolina Black Film Festival 

May 14-17 | Wilmington, NC 

In its 18th year, the North Carolina Black Film Festival 

is a four-day juried and invitational festival of independent 

films by Black filmmakers including features, 

shorts, animation, documentary films, and student 

films. Previous honorees and winners include Anthony 

Hemingway, Ava DuVernay, Giancarlo Esposito, the late 

Dwayne McDuffie, Scott Sanders and more. For more 

information or for tickets, go to blackartsalliance.org. 

22 aphrochic

MOOD 

Spring Blooms with Joyful Color Palettes 

Let shades of pink, coral and yellow enliven you this spring. These 

smile-inducing shades can be mixed or matched this season. Enjoy 

the whimsy of leopard print, peachy pink glassware and clothing 

that makes a statement in bright hues and bold patterns full of 

energy and joy. 

Bouffants & Broken Hearts, Fem 

Feline Bamboo Fibre Tray $24.95 

kitchenware.com.au 

Blessed ethical nail polish $15 

rootedwoman.com 

Organic Lemon, Bottled 

Alkaline Still Spring Water 

$39.99 for 24 pack 

shopjustwater.com 

Silhouette Rug, from $1500 

aphrochic.com 

Semira Off Shoulder Jumpsuit $395 

lemlem.com 

Zen-105 sunglasses $285 

cocoandbreezy.com 

Coral Peach Pink Stemware 

$175 for set of 6 

estellecoloredglass.com 

Turmi Pillow, Cerise $205 

boleroadtextiles.com 

Leopard Junonia basket $110 

indegoafrica.org Pink Kente yoga mat $89.99 

culturefitclothing.com 


FEATURES 

Behind the Lens | A Place to Call Home | Play Date | This Land Is Our 

Land | Journey to Diaspora | Nathalie Joachim Gives Voice

Fashion 

Behind 

the Lens 

Seleen Saleh give us a sneak peek of 

her new book showcasing the beautiful 

diversity of street style. 

Photos courtesy of Seleen Saleh 

Words by Jeanine Hays 

28 aphrochic

Fashion

Fashion 

Seleen Saleh was just a teenager the first time she picked up a camera, and she hasn’t 

put it down since. “I used my first camera at 16 years old. I really loved photographs, 

especially black-and-whites. I wanted to see how far I could take it.” She’s taken it far, and 

it’s returned the favor. Seleen’s camera has taken her around the world, leading the way 

as she captures the spirit of fashion on the streets of New York, Paris, London, and Milan. 

Searching out those who organically embody its ethos, Seleen creates a visual study of 

culture through clothing, crafting the image one moment at a time. 

And her work has had an impact. Behind 

the lens, Seleen Saleh may be one of the most 

influential people in the world of street style, 

and you might not know her name - yet. 

Saleh has just published her first book, 

Street Culture. The work was a long time 

coming, but for Seleen, the moment felt right. 

“I really wanted to see a funky street style 

book,” she begins. “Something fun, colorful 

and exciting! My friends have been telling me 

for years to do one, then my coworker nudged 

me to do one and I obliged.” 

The 300-page fashion photography 

book is an absolute treasure trove of vibrant 

imagery, as well as a who’s who of the creative 

world. “The people I have featured in my book 

are amazing creatives with great style.” Saleh 

remarks. “I want them to be celebrated and 

acknowledged and embraced.” There is writer 

and critic Antwaun Sargent biking in a pastel 

sweater, model Amy Sall looking classic in a 

camel blazer, designer Aurora James laced 

up in her very own Brother Vellies, fashion 

and travel editor Alexander-Julian Gibbson 

walking down the street in a leather trench, 

and there are even colorful appearances by 

Corinne Bailey Rae and Solange. 

The visual world that Seleen creates has 

taken shape over years of work for publications 

such as Essence and events like AfroPunk. 

The images are a vital cultural record, highlighting 

the style and contribution of a 

community that is often left out of an industry 

that routinely looks to them for inspiration 

and sales. 

“Trends start on the street where people 

who don’t have access to expensive clothes get 

really creative in how they dress,” says Saleh. 

“The people on the street and some of the 

youth culture have always been groundbreakers 

with fashion and trends.” 

There are several photographic traditions 

at work in pages of Street Culture, 

putting Seleen’s experience as a commercial 

and fashion photographer on full display. 

Alongside these is an elevation of the unique 

type of environmental portraiture that’s 

become such an important part of the social 

media era. Beneath it all is a thread of photojournalism 

that pulls every image together. 

Saleh is capturing a moment in fashion, art, 

and style by capturing the people who are 

living it. Equally the work is a portrait of New 

York City, whose streets provide the backdrop 

for the portraits in this book. The journalistic 

element is vital to the intent of the work, Saleh 

maintains. Encountering people as they are 

rather than as a contrived ideal is the essence 

of street style. “Street Culture is to me a lifestyle 

of authenticity,” she says. “Its about your 

attitude, your essence and your vibe.” 

As a book, Street Culture is colorful, 

eclectic, funky, exciting, and most importantly, 

inclusive. “We have always been here 

whether you choose to acknowledge us or not. 

Our people have always led in style, trends and 

elegance. I would love my work to remind us 

how stunning and timeless we are. Nothing 

can mimic the real thing.” AC 

Order Street Culture at bit.ly/2HQFcqU. 


Fashion

Fashion 

36 aphrochic

Fashion 

issue three 39

Interior Design 

A Place to 

Call Home 

Danielle Brooks collaborates 

with AphroChic to design the 

celebrated actor’s first home 

Photos by Chinasa Cooper 

Words by AphroChic: Jeanine Hays & Bryan Mason 

Interior Design by AphroChic 

Styling Assistance by Heavenly Gaines


Home is meant to be a haven - a space away from everything, reserved for family and 

friends and the things one values most. For actor and singer Danielle Brooks, home is 

a place to enjoy what she has accomplished and a place to plan for what comes next. It’s 

a place to rest between moments of giving it all, whether it’s on set, on stage, or in a 

recording booth. Most of all, it’s a place where she and her fiancé Dennis can grow from 

a couple into a family. 

issue three 43


Danielle Brooks is a renaissance 

woman. An award-winning actor, Tony 

nominee, recording artist, and star of two 

Netflix series - Orange is the New Black and A 

Little Bit Pregnant - Brooks is known for doing 

it all. So when it came time to buy her first 

home, it was clear that the perfect place would 

need to have enough space to fit all of her creativity 

and a design that would inspire her. 

Brooklyn provided the first part of what 

she was looking for in the form of a newly 

renovated home with four stories and four 

bedrooms. With an open-plan living and 

dining room and several floors to walk up, it’s 

the kind of interior that all New Yorkers dream 

of having when they grow up. On top of it all is 

a rooftop deck, perfect for barbecues, al fresco 

dining and long hours spent enjoying the 

skyline. With the space for her home decided, 

Danielle turned to Brooklyn interior design 

firm AphroChic for the next step. 

“They asked the strangest questions,” 

Danielle smiles when asked about working 

with AphroChic. The home was filled with 

items from a previous apartment when the 

designers arrived a few months after the 

couple moved in. Deciding how to integrate 

what was there with what was coming was a 

process. For AphroChic, that process revolved 

around questions exploring a range of topics, 

from the couple’s taste in music to learning 

how they imagined their life evolving in the 

space over time. The answers helped form a 

design aesthetic that was uniquely their own 

- a reflection of Danielle’s love of music, sense 

of glamour, love of bold colors, and embrace of 

her cultural heritage. 

Music fuels the energy that moves 

throughout the home. The aural form of that 

energy comes from Danielle’s ever-rotating 

playlists. It’s a sound that mixes a little Lizzo, 

a little Raphael Saadiq, and some modern 

gospel with classic sounds like Ella Fitzgerald, 

Bob Marley, and of course, the best of Brooklyn’s 

hip-hop tradition. It’s a sound that’s 

warm and joyful, a perfect feeling of home. 

The task for AphroChic, was getting that 

feeling onto the walls and into the furniture. 

The design began with color. The 

strategy throughout the home was to create 

contrasts, blending warm and cool elements 

for a look that had sophistication and depth. 

The walls were up first. The white walls of the 

newly renovated townhouse lacked the soul 

that Danielle and Dennis required, so to start 

things off, the open-plan first floor was transformed 

with C2’s Overcast, a gray-blue shade 

that looks blue in the daylight, becoming a 

softer gray at night. The cool neutral played 

the perfect backdrop to an array of colorful 

pieces, from printed textiles, to plush furnishings, 

and a curated art collection. 

A Black-owned tech brand, Sweeten, 

was brought in to help with the painting and 

renovation. Focused on connecting homeowners 

with reliable contractors, they helped 

AphroChic identify the contracting crew that 

would assist in the home’s transformation. 

In addition to painting the entire first floor, 

they installed new lighting in the kitchen and 

dining room. 

The first floor of Danielle’s home is constructed 

for maximum space and flow. Completely 

open-plan, the kitchen floats between 

the twin poles of the living and dining rooms. 

The living room was a big point of interest, not 

only because it’s where Danielle and Dennis 

spend time relaxing together, but because it’s 

an integral part of one of Danielle’s favorite 

pastimes. 

“I love to host,” she beams. “I love to 

have people over.” From impromptu visits to 

holiday parties, Danielle loves for her house 

to be the place where people gather. Given 

the need for seating, one sofa just wouldn’t 

do. The answer was a pair of velvet sofas in 

emerald green from World Market. The jewel 

tone of the sofas mixed perfectly with the walls 

and the soft gray of the paired side chairs. 

But the real drama came from the windows. 

The golden silk drapery was handpicked by 

Danielle during a visit to The Shade Store, and 

quickly became the star of the room. 

44 aphrochic


Across the room and past the kitchen, 

the dining room is home to some of the interior’s 

original architecture, including built-in 

storage and shelving. An avid reader, the 

actor’s collection of scripts, novels, history and 

cookbooks can be found throughout the home. 

The dining room boasts one of the home’s 

largest displays of Brooks’ wide-reaching enchantment 

with literature. 

On these shelves Shakespeare sits beside 

August Wilson, with both in the company of 

Oprah Winfrey, Martin Luther King, Jr. and the 

Blood & Bone series. 

Like the living room, the dining room 

was envisioned as an entertaining space. The 

smoke-black dining table and gold chandelier 

are the room’s centerpieces, providing 

light and seating for as many as eight guests. 

The plush, dark gray dining chairs are perfect 

for long nights of eating, talking, and playing 

games - a mainstay of Danielle’s gatherings. 

But also like the living room, it’s the window 

treatments that steal the show. The Mali Kuba 

print shades - another pick from the Shade 

Store - provided the finishing touch to the 

space, turning the dining room windows into a 

bold statement of color and pattern. 

Culture and heritage are the cornerstones 

of the design, with nods to Danielle’s 

South Carolina roots and Dennis’ Haitian 

heritage woven throughout the home. In the 

living room, Australian artist Brent Rosenberg’s 

Saint and Miss Noho prints are nods to 

Haitian headwrap culture. Meanwhile in the 

dining room, African art from Danielle’s own 

collection hangs on the wall. The amazingly 

intricate piece was a cue for bringing African-inspired 

textiles to the room. 

Up the stairs, the master bedroom is a 

daily retreat space. The walls were painted a 

deep, enveloping black, giving the bedroom a 

cozy and intimate feel. Artisan pieces play an 

48 aphrochic

Interior Design


important role in this space as well. Pennsylvania 

artist Ronni Robinson created one of her 

signature floral fossil pieces for the couple’s 

home. Above the bed hang a pair of Juju hats 

made by hand in South Carolina - a tribute to 

the Juilliard-trained vocalist’s hometown. The 

red and white of the hats pop brightly against 

the chalky black walls. And beside the bed, 

handmade lighting from Moroccan artisans 

- a collaboration between AphroChic and 

Dounia Home - adds a finishing touch to the 

intimate ambiance; at night the pierced metal 

of the sconces throws a patterned shadow on 

the walls. 

For Danielle, finding the perfect house 

and creating a home is a celebration of what 

she’s already achieved and a preparation for 

what’s coming next. “Getting to buy my first 

home has been a joy and such an accomplishment,” 

she reflects. “I moved a little further out 

so I could really find a place that I could build 

a family in, and that I could share.” It was all 

worth it. Danielle’s home is a truly glamorous 

interior where her style and culture are celebrated 

through textiles, handmade furnishings, 

and art. It’s a space where Danielle and 

Dennis, who recently celebrated the birth 

of their first child, can grow and evolve as a 

family. Outside of its walls, Danielle’s talent will 

continue to attract the attention of the world. 

But inside the walls of her home, the world goes 

away, leaving the star to enjoy the people and 

the place that matters the most. AC 


Interior Design

“Getting to buy my first home 

has been a joy and such 

an accomplishment.”

Entertaining 

Play 

Date 

AphroChic Magazine & Thermador 

Hosted A Group of Creatives 

at the Bedford Playhouse for a 

Day of Living Exceptional 

Written and Produced 

by AphroChic: 

Jeanine Hays & Bryan Mason 

Photos by Chinasa Cooper 


On a beautiful day, with a hint of spring in the air, a group of New York City creatives gathered 

at the historic Bedford Playhouse in Westchester County, NY. The goal of the gathering was 

simple - to celebrate artistry, the creative spirit, and community. The Bedford Playhouse was 

the perfect backdrop for the afternoon. Once a struggling movie theater, it was saved by a 

community of entertainment industry artists, many with New York City roots. 

Named for Clive Davis, the musical star-maker who signed 

everyone from Aretha Franklin and Earth Wind and Fire to Whitney 

Houston and Alicia Keys - as well as helping to create LaFace Records 

and Bad Boy - the fully renovated not-for-profit theater is known for 

hosting to a variety of live events, performances, and gatherings just 

like this one. A full roster of new and classic films are shown daily in a 

place where ingenuity is celebrated. 

On this day, guests gathered in the green room, a beautifully 

designed, emerald-walled suite, reserved for performers and celebrities, 

and sponsored in part by Thermador. On the guest list for 

the afternoon: actors Curtiss Cook Jr. and Mirirai Sithole; Tiana 

Webb Evans of the digital journal, Yard Concept; Guka Evans of 

The Bruknahm Project; Kalyn Chandler of Effie’s Paper with her 

husband Todd, a retired corporate lawyer; and design-maven Kim 

Myles and her husband Scott, who works for Disney. 

The playhouses’ executive chef, Keelin Maniscalco, prepared 

a menu of items sourced from the local area. Home to dozens of 

farms and farmers markets, the menu included an assortment of 

sustainable goodies, including a green goddess dressing that the 

chef had prepared that morning. An assortment of wines from 

the McBride Sisters were paired with the afternoon meal. Most 

popular, the Black Girl Magic rosé, chilled overnight in Thermador’s 

wine fridge, just one of the many items from the luxury 

kitchen brand that was featured in the space. 

As the afternoon went on, the group gathered around the 

table having an in-depth conversation on what it is to be a creative 

person in this world and live an exceptional life. Some of the 

questions posed: What is exceptional to you? What is exceptional 

about you? What makes a moment, or a day, or a life stand out as 

something special? What are the simple, quiet things - past what’s 

on your Instagram feed - that make you like no one else on earth? 

“It’s hard to say what’s exceptional about yourself,” remarked 

Tiana, “it just goes against all of the humility that’s been baked 

into your personality.” She continued, “Take out the idea that 

you have to buy something to live exceptionally, you have to wear 

something, you have to be something else.” Todd added, “I think 

the way to think about that is, What’s exceptional for you? So when 

you’re saying what’s exceptional to your own life, it’s not being 

negative with respect to anyone else’s way of living or thinking.” 

The conversation continued into the evening. The night 

ending with a clinking of glasses. Not rose-colored, but beautifully 

vibrant pieces handmade by artisans from the South Carolina 

brand, Estelle Colored Glass. 

In a world where everyone is so busy and distracted, it’s rare 

to find space to come together to recognize each other, contemplate 

together and have a meaningful discussion. But for one 

afternoon in Bedford, New York, eight creatives gathered and did 

just that, truly experiencing a day of living exceptionally. AC 

This spring view our Live Exceptional video series, in partnership with 

Thermador, on YouTube.com/aphrochic. 

issue three 61

Entertaining

Entertaining 

In a world where everyone 

is so busy, it’s rare to find 

space to have a meaningful 

conversation. 


Entertaining

Entertaining 

72 aphrochic

Entertaining 

THE MENU 

Charcuterie platter with assorted cheeses and smoked meats 

Crudite with green herb dip, hummus and crispy pita 

Chicken fattoush salad 

Strawberry & almond baked brie served with fresh fruit 

and assorted crackers 

Shrimp wrapped with prosciutto 

Butternut squash salad 

Wines: Black Girl Magic Rose, Riesling, and Red Blend 

from the McBride Sisters 

issue three 75

Travel 

This Land 

Is Our Land 

“I’m America’s son. 

This is where I come from. 

This land is mine.” 

- This Land, Gary Clark, Jr. 

Photos supplied by A Tribe Called Camp 


76 aphrochic

Travel

Travel 

Growing up in North Carolina, Ron Frazier has always been familiar with the outdoors. “My 

family and friends played outdoors all the time. We grew up on a lake and my dad was an avid 

fisherman and boater.” Going out in the water and playing in the nearby woods was just part 

of growing up for Frazier, so much so, that as an adult, his outdoor adventures turned from 

daylong swims to two-week excursions into some of the most remote parts of the country. From 

visiting the deepest parts of The Grand Canyon to the outdoor Shangri-La of Moab in Utah, the 

great outdoors calls to Frazier. In answering it, the childhood pastime turned part-time hobby 

has now developed into a brand - A Tribe Called Camp (ATCC). 

Frazier is nonchalant in discussing his outdoor excursions. To 

him, there’s nothing unusual about time spent in the deserts and 

forests that dot our country or in the logistics of sending a week’s 

worth of equipment to another state before flying out to begin a 

camping trip. But beneath the understated exterior is the fervor 

of a true enthusiast. There is a passion for nature and a love for the 

challenge of planning the ultimate experience, from finding the 

location, to mapping out the details, and even planning time for 

going even further off the beaten path. His getaways include eating 

below snow-topped peaks in Washington State, four-wheeling along 

a vast ocean of dunes in Oregon and trekking along the red, Mars-like 

landscape of the Arizona desert. But in the beginning, his outdoor 

quests were simply about spending time with family and keeping in 

touch with friends. “When we first started, A Tribe Called Camp was a 

way for our circle of friends to stay connected. We all like to adventure 

and get outdoors. The name was a way for us to share pictures of what 

we were doing separately and keep the crew motivated to get out.” 

What started as family getaways are now Instagram-worthy experiences 

that hundreds follow each month as ATCC trips are part of 

a larger community of Black outdoor enthusiasts who post content 

under hashtags like #outdoorafro #blackvoyageurs and #melaninbasecamp. 

The posts serve not only as inspiration for Black travel, but 

also as important statements on African Americans enjoying nature 

and public space. “My attitude is it’s our country, too, and the best 

statement you can make about your right to be in a setting is to show 

up. The strongest statement you can make about what’s ours or where 

we belong is to just show up and own that space,” says Frazier. 

“The Green Book was real,” remarks Frazier, as we discuss 

some of the historic challenges that African Americans have faced in 

being able to safely engage in public space in America. “The freedom 

to move around safely in our country wasn’t something my parents 

experienced.” In fact, during the Jim Crow era that Frazier’s parents 

grew up in, from the mid-1930s to mid-1960s, stories of Black 

travelers being refused service, food, lodging, and even meeting fatal 

consequences on the road, were all too common. Publications like 

The Negro Motorist Green-Book were created to help African American 

road-trippers navigate safely while driving around the country. 

Today, studies find that African Americans continue to face 

great challenges in accessing and enjoying public space in America. 

Recently, a 2016 study out of the University of Missouri found that 

visitors to U.S. national and state parks are disproportionately 

white, while the number of African Americans visitors is especially 

low. Many Black families reported that they don’t patronize 

public parks due to racist histories including incidents of violence, 

the exclusion of Black history from national sites, and the fact that 

some national parks, such as Cedar Hills State Park in Texas, occupy 

the land of former plantations. Looking specifically at national parks, 

the researcher behind the study, Kang Jae Lee observes, “Many of the 


Travel

Travel 

adults I spoke with were raised by parents 

who experienced discriminatory Jim Crow 

laws that prevented or discouraged African 

Americans from visiting public parks.” 

Per Lee, “Park attendance in America 

is culturally embedded, meaning children 

who are raised going to parks will grow up to 

take their children. Many African Americans 

do not go to parks because their parents and 

grandparents could not take their children. 

In other words, many African Americans’ 

lack of interest in parks or outdoor recreation 

is a cultural disposition shaped by 

centuries of racial oppression.” 

As he ventures out with his own family, 

the ongoing fact of racial discrimination 

is something that Frazier can’t help but 

be aware of. “So we’re talking generational 

change,” he says when asked about the 

differences between his experiences and 

those of his father. “We have not had any 

issues, but we try to be prepared. We do a 

little research on where we’re going, but you 

have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. 

We don’t let fear lead us, but you do 

have to use your common sense.” 

For ATCC, getting outside, exploring 

the world around you, and doing it without 

apology is the mission. During a camping 

trip with friends, a decision was made to 

go to the “mecca” of outdoor life - Moab in 

Utah. With members of the group coming 

from Charlotte, Atlanta, and New York, they 

decided to meet up in Flagstaff, Arizona. The 

caravan drove off-road for 14 days to reach 

North Rim Grand Canyon and eventually 

Moab. 

During the backcountry trip, the crew 

explored Zion National Park, Canyonlands 

National Park, White Rim Road, and 

the Grand Staircase-Escalante National 

Monument. “We love Utah. It’s an amazing 

place and especially beautiful. You can just 

go and go and go and that’s an amazing experience.” 

During their trips, the tribe of friends 

and family gathers for food and fellowship 

around the campfire. Special care is taken to 

prove that roughing it doesn’t mean eating 

beans from a tin can. Tribe meals differ 

depending on the landscape. 

Lunch on a lakeside trip is likely to 

feature a fresh catch of the day with a menu 

of, “fire roasted red snapper with camp 

fire risotto, fish tacos, grilled scallops and 

corn.” It’s more than just getting outside, 

there is also reliance on the land. “I think the 

outdoors and nature can’t help but give you 

a sense of awe and wonder that broadens 

your perspective. Outdoors you have to take 

care of yourself and those around you, as 

well as the land. I hope these experiences 

teach my sons to be curious about the world 

and the people in it, but also confident in 

themselves. I like to think that our trips will 

expose them to a wider world and different 

ways of living. So as they grow into young 

men, they can have more choices to decide 

how they want to live.” 

Next up for ATCC is a trip this spring 

to the Mojave Desert and the Southwest. 

“These spaces are ours, too, and if the public 

doesn’t support them, they could be lost,” 

says Frazier. 

His message to African Americans 

thinking about venturing into the great 

outdoors is to embrace the adventure. “I 

think that we can enjoy these activities like 

anyone else, so if folks want to do it they 

should. I think we spread the word by doing 

it. Our crew made a conscious choice to not 

focus on asking for permission or invitations 

to outdoor events. We just show up like 

everyone else and have a good time. No permission 

or apologizing. Just go.” AC 

To learn more about A Tribe Called Camp, visit 

instagram.com/atribecalledcamp/. 

84 aphrochic

Travel 

“Our crew made a conscious choice 

to not focus on asking for 

permission... We just show up like 

everyone else and have a good time.” 

86 aphrochic

Camping Tips from 

a Tribe Called Camp 

PACK MULTI-PURPOSE ITEMS 

Think about items that can serve more than one purpose. If you bring a 

cup, can it also be a bowl? That will cut down on packing and weight. 

LAYER UP 

As temperatures change, layers will make it easy to dress up or down. 

It’s also easier to pack several small items versus one bulky item that has 

only one use. 

PACK SOCKS! 

They will keep your feet warm and dry. Stay away from cotton. Research 

the best socks for hiking to find the right pair to keep you warm. 

GO ANALOG 

Bring a paper map. Don’t rely on electronic devices for maps. If you must, 

make sure you download maps for the area you will be in. Cell service 

can be unreliable. 

BRING A LUXURY ITEM 

Pack whatever makes you happy. One thing that keeps your vibes 

positive. That may be a hat, a favorite candy, music, etc. 

PLAYLIST 

Lamborghini High - A$AP Mob, Juicy J 

Countin’ - 2 Chains 

Picture Me Rollin’ - Max B 

Money Trees - Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock 

Vivid Dreams - KAYTRANADA 

This Land - Gary Clark Jr. 

Listen to the full ATCC playlist at 

https://spoti.fi/2xsVzZ4 

issue three 89

Reference 

Journey to Diaspora 

From it’s beginnings in London at the turn of the 20th century, through the first World 

War and the start of the New Negro Movement, Pan-Africanism became the primary 

descriptor under which a host of movements, philosophies and organizations were 

grouped and understood. By the second decade of the century, New York stood out as a 

beacon of Black life and a center for the emerging themes of Black culture. 

The city became a rallying point for 

talent and creativity in literature, art, music 

and more. Harlem in particular became the 

perfect environment in which to concentrate 

and explore the new sense of consciousness 

and self-possession that was growing 

among Black people and finding expression 

among the uptown creative community. The 

expansion of consciousness embodied in 

the New Negro Movement - later called The 

Harlem Renaissance - was both representative 

of and instrumental to a rising tide of internationalist 

activity from Black people in 

all corners of the world. The New Negro, the 

seminal 1925 anthology by Howard University 

professor Alain Locke, is considered the 

central defining text of a moment in which it 

seemed the whole world was coming to New 

York. But there is more to the story. 

The Harlem Renaissance can be seen 

as a kind of mid-point in the narrative of 

Pan-Africanism. It’s timing, from roughly 

1920 to 1930, stands between Pan-Africanism’s 

nascence in the discourse of 19th 

century orators such as Frederick Douglass 

and Edward Wilmot Blyden, and its eventual 

end, which came in the late 20th century. The 

Renaissance itself served as a turning point in 

the discourse of Black creatives and intellectuals. 

No longer was the conversation focused 

on asserting the humanity of Black people 

or debating the morality of their enslavement. 

Attention instead turned to exploring 

the meaning of that humanity and demonstrating 

the injustice of the circumstances 

under which it was forced to exist. The New 

Negro Movement, while contemporary with 

other group efforts of the time, occurred at 

a high point of international activity and collaboration 

among Black creatives around 

the world. It was instrumental in the instigation 

and furtherance of such thought, 

and with Harlem as its symbolic flagship, 

sparked the imaginations of those whose 

work would follow, including the Chicago Renaissance 

of the 30s and 40s which would see 

the rise of writer’s such as Alice Walker and 

Richard Wright along with a host of visual 

and musical artists and dance ethnographer, 

Katherine Dunham. As such, the Harlem Renaissance 

represents a moment in the history 

of Pan-Africanism that presaged its greatest 

triumphs while simultaneously charting 

a course towards its obsolescence and the 

eventual emergence of diaspora. 

Between Harlem and the World 

While the importance of New York at 

this time, and Harlem in particular, should 

not be undersold, it is important too that it 

not be overemphasized, at least not to the 

extent of ignoring the cultural and political 

strivings taking place elsewhere during this 

period. Today what is commonly referred 

to as the Harlem Renaissance is widely understood 

to have been, as Yale professor 

Robert Stepto puts it, “merely the North 

American component of something larger 

and grander.” The tendency of scholars 

to bristle at the specification of Harlem as 

the epicenter of this “larger and grander” 

event, isn’t new. In fact, Sterling A. Brown, a 

luminary professor and poet considered part 

of the New Negro moment, argued that “most 

of the writers weren’t Harlemites [and] much 

of the best writing was not about Harlem.” 

The assertion is, if not entirely inaccurate, 

perhaps a bit unfair. Harlem was unquestionably 

a special place that drew attention 

and talent from around the world at that time 

specifically because it offered opportunities 

for collaboration among Black intellectuals 

not available, or not equally available, in other 

parts of the United States. 

Though the Harlem Renaissance, as it 

is currently known, is not typically recognized 

as part of an international event, the 

New Negro Movement, as it was originally 

called, made no attempt to attach itself 

to a single location - particularly as Locke 

himself was a resident of Washington DC at 

the time he released his anthology. Moreover, 

it is difficult to believe that those involved in 

the actual moment believed it to be anything 

other than international in both composition 

and scope. 

Although primarily connected to the 

Harlem cultural movement, The New Negro 

was largely built on the contribution of authors 

from around the Diaspora, just as the Harlem 

movement itself was built upon the presence 

of the Diaspora in America. As scholar and 

author Robert Philipson points out: 

Prominently featured [within 

The New Negro] were poems by the 

Jamaican immigrant Claude McKay, 

and a short story titled The Palm Porch, 

by the West Indian writer Eric Walrond. 

Essays were contributed by Puerto Rican 

bibliophile Arthur Schomburg (The 

Negro Digs Up His Past), and by the Ja- 

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division, The New York Public 

Library. “Author Langston Hughes [far left] with [left to right:] Charles S. Johnson; E. Franklin Frazier; 

Rudolph Fisher and Hubert T. Delaney” New York Public Library Digital Collections. 

Words by Bryan Mason 


Reference 

Schomburg Center for Research in Black 

Culture, Photographs and Prints Division, 

The New York Public Library. “W. E. B. 

Dubois in the office of The Crisis.” New York 

Public Library Digital Collections. 



The New York Public Library. “Aimé 

Césaire” New York Public Library Digital 

Collections. 

maican-born journalists Joel A. Rogers 

(Jazz at Home) and Wilfred A. Domingo. 

West Indian influence was also deeply 

felt on the political front as well, most notably 

through Marcus Garvey’s UNIA movement. 

Yet the spirit of collaboration that animated 

this moment was not confined to interactions 

within the diaspora of the New World, it relied 

heavily on activities and activists in the Old 

World as well, with the most important of these 

located in the very seat of colonial power. 

The Two Sides of Paris 

If it would be unfair to strip Harlem 

of the notability of its position during this 

moment of rebirth, it would be equally so 

to ignore the position of Paris, New York’s 

sister city, in the eyes of the Black intellectuals 

whose movements and work carried them 

back and forth between these two poles of 

emerging Black identity. Paris was a unique 

place where artists, intellectuals, and transients 

from all corners of the Diaspora could 

meet and interact, often without many of the 

strictures that hung over them in other lands. 

Despite its historical appointment as 

one of the major sites of colonial tyranny 

and racist exploitation, France had become 

a place of unusual (though by no means 

absolute) tolerance through its reliance on 

Black soldiers and laborers during the early 

part of the 20th century. Brent Hays Edwards 

reminds us that: 

During World War I, about 370,000 

African Americans served in the segregated 

Army Expeditionary Force in 

France [while] the French conscripted 

nearly 620,000 soldiers from the colonies, 

including approximately 250,000 from 

Senegal and the Sudan and 30,000 from 

the French Caribbean. France simultaneously 

imported a labor force of nearly 

300,000, both from elsewhere in Europe 

and from the colonies. 

As a result, France emerged as a type 

of crossroads for the Diaspora, a theme 

explored often in the Black literature of 

the 1920s, in books such as Claude McKay’s 

famed Banjo: A Story Without a Plot. Paris’ 

status as a center for world culture contributed 

to the growing narrative of the city 

in the minds of Diaspora creatives. Constructed 

from the endless tales of soldiers, 

students, and musicians, a tale emerged 

describing a place that was both modern 

and accepting, cosmopolitan and willing to 

embrace the changing identities of a people 

only just beginning to realize all that they 

had to offer. The draw of the city became so 

absolute that many of those considered to 

be the literary giants of Harlem’s cultural 

moment, including Langston Hughes, Alain 

Locke, Gwendolyn Bennett, Countee Cullen, 

and many more spent several formative 

years in Paris during the 1920s. International 

movement was so prevalent among intellectuals 

at this time that, as Edwards notes, 

“Looking just at the culture makers usually 

identified with the ‘Harlem Renaissance,’ it 

is striking that the exceptions are those who 

remained in the United States.” 

Yet despite its progressive reputation at 

the time, it is important to note that France 

in the 1920s was in no way devoid of racial 

tensions either between races or among 

the various Black populations that encountered 

each other there. The beneficent image 

of Paris that loomed so large among African 

Americans came at the precise moment that 

France was exercising the full extent of its exploitative 

power over its colonial holdings in 

Africa and the Caribbean. These contrasting 

views of the nation led to many schisms 

between African American writers and those 

from French-held territories. McKay in particular 

held his American contemporaries to 

account for turning what he felt was a blind 

eye to French oppression of Black people in 

its colonies. Simultaneously, however, some 

attention should also be paid to the senseless 

attitudes of a French population that would 

cheer the coming of Black American soldiers, 

offering them greater freedom and acceptance 

than they received in their home 

country, while simultaneously maintaining 

its right to exploit and control Black populations 

in other places. Still, despite its indiscretions, 

many Renaissance-period writers, 

artists, and musicians from across the 

Diaspora, including McCay, looked to France 

both as a physical location and abstract 

symbol of inspiration for the still developing 

sense of Black internationalism. 

L’Monde Noir 

Within this context, the intellectual 

movement of Black Paris in the 1920s was, 

like that of Harlem, largely contained within 

the myriad journals produced at the time. 

These not only expressed a consciousness of 

the interrelated issues facing Black people 

around the world, but also demonstrated 

their commitment to the internationalist 

approach to meeting these challenges 

through their affiliation with English-language 

journals emanating out of Harlem 

and elsewhere. As much as could be said of 

the titles of Harlem’s many publications, the 

names of French journals including, La Paria, 

L’Action coloniale, La Voix des Negres, La Race 

negre, La Depeche africaine, Legitime Defense, 

Le Revue du monde noir, Le Cri des Negres, 

L’Etudiant Noir, and Africa, serve as clear 

exposition on the concerns and attitudes 

of Paris’ Black intelligentsia. Bilingualism 

was common among publications on both 

sides of the Atlantic, with several American 

journals producing French language editions 

for European circulation, and many French 

magazines, such as La Depeche africaine, 

including English language sections among 

their standard content. 

The desire to see Black thought, creativity, 

and experience translated across linguistic 

boundaries inspired one of the most 

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division, The New York Public 

Library. “UNIA Parade, organized in Harlem, 1920” New York Public Library Digital Collections. 



The New York Public Library. “La Revue 

Du Monde Noir” New York Public Library 

Digital Collections. 



The New York Public Library. “Franz 

Masereel woodcut” New York Public Library 

Digital Collections. 


Reference 

important francophone figures, Jane Nardal, 

to reach out to Alain Locke with the intention 

of creating a translation of The New Negro 

for French-speaking audiences. A student 

at the time, Nardal maintained connections 

to several French journals, most notably, 

La Depeche africaine, the first issue of which 

featured her article L’internationalisme noir. 

Nardal’s proposal to Locke is in many ways an 

enactment of the theoretical stance taken by 

this article, as Nardal states in her own words: 

In this postwar period, the barriers 

that exist between countries are being 

lowered, or are being pulled down… 

Negroes of all origins and nationalities, 

with different customs and religions, 

vaguely sense that they belong in spite of 

everything to a single and same race…If 

the black wants to be himself, to affirm 

his personality, not to be the copy of some 

type of another race (as often brings 

him resentment and mockery)…he must 

profit from acquired experience, from 

intellectual riches, through others, but in 

order to better understand himself[.] 

The Birth of Negritude 

Nardal’s attempts to translate The New 

Negro were not successful. Nevertheless she 

continued to espouse a form of internationalism 

very close in nature to that asserted by 

Alain Locke. In 1931, as the stresses of the Great 

Depression were showing on the New Negro 

Movement in Harlem, Nardal partnered with 

her sister Paulette Nardal to bring forth their 

own journal, Le Revue du monde noir, a critical 

publication in the evolution of Black francophone 

intellectualism, and a starting point in 

the foundation of Negritude. 

Negritude was the predominant 

movement among Black francophone intellectuals 

of the 1930s and 40s. “In practice,” 

according to Emmanuel Egar, “Negritude had 

come into being through…Paulette and Jane 

Nardal, [editors of] Review of the Black World, 

the journal that recognized the value of Black 

experiences throughout the world.” Yet it would 

be Aime Cesaire, a Martinican, Leon Damas, 

from French Guyana, and Leopold Senghor 

of Senegal, the foremost authors and patron 

saints of this movement, who would give shape 

to this pivotal literary and cultural concept. 

For Senghor, Damas, and Cesaire, internationalism 

lay at the heart of their association. 

As students in Paris hailing 

from different ends of the French colonial 

empire, their association was in itself a form 

of Pan-African collaboration. Moreover, 

the movement drew clear inspiration 

from the work of Pan-African intellectual 

movements in other parts of the world. In 

that spirit of collaboration and unity across 

nations, Damas went so far as to assert that, 

“Negritude has been the French assertion of 

the New Negro Movement”. 

In Paris, Damas, Senghor, and Cesaire 

met and together founded L’Etudiant Noir. 

Despite descriptions as, “a thin, eightpage 

periodical,” that likely produced only 

one issue, the publication has nevertheless 

been afforded great importance in the development 

of Negritude, if only for bringing 

together the talents of its three brightest luminaries. 

Nevertheless, the formally recognized 

beginning of the movement came 

with Cesaire’s use of negritude in his epic 

poem, Notebook of a Return to the Native Land, 

published in Paris in 1939. 

Unlike the New Negro Movement, which 

is widely recognized for its social as well 

as its artistic impact, there has been some 

question around the importance of Negritude 

outside of its initial literary context. Considering 

the question in his 1966 article, 

Négritude: A Pan-African Ideal?, Bently 

Le Baron suggested that, as a movement, 

“Negritude has always been a literary-cultural 

movement, a movement more potent in 

the realm of intellect and idea than in terms of 

concrete political activity, and it might even be 

argued that its net effect is more detrimental 

than helpful to the Pan-African aim of political 

union on a continental scale.” Predictably, the 

opinions of the movement’s founders were 

markedly different. When questioned on the 

political value of a poetry-driven movement, 

Damas returned that, “all the revolutions on 

the world succeed chiefly by the message 

of the poets. [T]hanks to negritude you had 

the end of French colonialism and the independence 

of Africa.” Moreover, the political 

careers of the founders of the movement belie 

the suggestion that it and its proponents were 

apolitical, most notably in the case of Senghor, 

who became Senegal’s first post-colonial 

president. 

Pan-Africanism and Communism 

While the Negritude movement grew in 

power and influence throughout the francophone 

diaspora, in other parts of the world, 

work was being done that, though different 

in approach, nevertheless shared Negritude’s 

desire to cast off the chains of colonial oppression 

and its recognition of the commonalities 

of racial oppression throughout the 

world. In 1931, while working in Moscow as 

the editor of The Negro Worker – a Communist 

Party publication through the Negro International 

– George Padmore released The Life 

and Struggles of Negro Toilers, a comparatively 

brief yet comprehensive survey of the 

working conditions and oppression of Black 

people in Africa, the United States, and the 

Caribbean. Not surprisingly, given Padmore’s 

affiliation with the Communist Party at the 

time, the book concludes by advocating the 

positive role of the Red International Labor 

Unions (R.I.L.U.) as a radically militant opposition 

to both white chauvinism and the capitalist 

imperialism that created and sustains 

that distorted perspective. 

Despite the passion of his arguments, 

by 1934, Padmore had broken with the 

Communist Party. According to Russian 

history expert Roger Kanet, the separation 

came as a result of a realization that, “as 

Richard Wright has pointed out…the Kremlin 

was merely using Black men as political 

pawns to be maneuvered in Russian interests 

alone.” In 1937, following a move to London, 

Padmore became a founding member of the 

International African Services Bureau (IASB), 

a revision of an older organization – The International 

African Friends of Abyssinia – led 

by CLR James to campaign against Italian incursions 

into Abyssinia. In the same year, the 

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints, New York Public Library. 

“Langston Hughes and Léon-Gontran Damas” New York Public Library Digital Collections. 

IASB called for the formation of a Pan-African 

Federation, which would provide an 

overarching structure for London’s many 

active Pan-Africanist groups. Over a period 

of three years, from 1937 to 1939, the organization 

would produce no less than three 

distinct publications: Africa and the World 

( July – September 1937), African Sentinel 

(October 1937 – April 1938); [and] International 

African Opinion ( July 1938 – March 1939). 

The Sixth Conference 

In 1945, following the Second World 

War, the Pan-African Federation called 

for a Pan-African Conference, to be held 

in Manchester, England in October of that 

year. Kanet recounts that, “Because of the 

problems of travel (the Second World War 

had just ended), the only African American 

present was W.E.B. DuBois, who, in recognition 

of his having called the previous four 

Congresses, chaired all the sessions except 

the first, which was chaired by Amy Ashwood 

Garvey.” Though similar to DuBois’ 1919 conference 

in that this, the fifth congress (or sixth 

conference, depending on how one prefers 

to count) was being held in the aftermath of 

a massive struggle between colonial powers, 

the Manchester conference was vastly 

different in both tenor and outcome. Instead 

of the mild concessions envisioned by the 

Versailles congress, the Manchester conference 

produced dramatic demands including, 

“‘complete and absolute independence’ for 

West Africa; equality for all in South Africa; 

federation and self-government for the 

British West Indies; and that ‘discrimination 

on account of race, creed, or colour [in Great 

Britian] be made a criminal offense by law’.” 

The 1945 congress also included the participation 

of Francis, later Kwame Nkrumah 

—the future leader of post-colonial Ghana. 

Nkrumah had been referred to Padmore by 

his childhood friend and professional collaborator 

CLR James. James had first made 

Nkrumah’s acquaintance in the United States. 

Nkrumah’s further involvement with organizations 

such as the West African Student 

Union and the West African Secretariat, 

“sharpened his vision and strengthened 

his commitment to freedom for the Gold 

Coast, West Africa, and Africa as a whole,” 

according to scholar, Nana Arhin Brempont. 

In 1957, one year after the publication of 

George Padmore’s seminal Pan-Africanism 

or Communism?, Nkrumah would fight 

successfully for Ghana’s independence, and 

Padmore would take a position as his Advisor 

on African Affairs. The book, which Padmore 

called a, “historical account of the struggles 

of Africans and peoples of African descent 

for Human Rights and Self-Determination in 

the modern world,” was largely a refutation 

of contemporary British propaganda labeling 

all Pan-Africanist activity as Communist. At 

the same time that he combated this divisive 

tactic, Padmore managed to provide a compelling 

history of Pan-African thought, while 

offering hope for its future. 

Pan-Africanism in Decline 

By the beginning of the 1960s, the Pan-African 

Congresses had, for the most part, run 

their course. A final congress would be held in 

1974 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, under the organization 

of Tanzania’s then president, Julius 

Nyerere. Much had changed in the world since 

a London-based, West Indian barrister first 

conceived of holding a meeting to give Black 

intellectuals with different histories yet similar 

heritages the opportunity to discover and 

reflect on the ways in which, despite distances 

both physical and intellectual, their futures 

were inextricably bound. By 1974, many African 

and Caribbean nations had attained independence, 

sparking a change in their political 

agendas and a redirection of focus from Black 

communities across the world to the needs of 

their own fledgling states. 

And though by this time the Pan-Africanist 

movement was fraying badly at the seams, 

a new discourse was forming that would 

continue the premise of internationalism into 

a world confused by the changing identities 

of people who were, for the first time, finding 

the space to identify with the lands of their 

birth in greater measure than the continent of 

their descent, and who were, as a result of this 

transformation, becoming ever more aware 

of their difference. Appropriately, the new 

discourse of diaspora began nearly ten years 

earlier, in the same place where Pan-Africanism 

ostensibly came to rest. AC 


Sounds 

Nathalie Joachim Gives Voice 

The artist’s first solo album is an aural journey to the past, an exploration of her roots, 

and a celebration of the women of Haiti. 

Her voice is full of life - vibrant and 

soulful with an unflinching clarity. Its sound 

is a declaration of identity, a definitive 

statement of existence, and an unapologetic 

claiming of place in both history and the 

present day. In her Grammy-nominated solo 

debut, Fanm d’Ayiti, Nathalie Joachim’s crisp 

vocals pair beautifully with her stunning arrangements 

of flutes, strings, and electronics 

to seamlessly blend the weight of history 

with a rising sense of wonder and joy. In 

every song we hear not only Joachim herself, 

but the voices of the brave women of Haiti - 

the ancestors for whom she sings. Recasting 

songs with centuries of history in modern arrangements, 

the album recalls the struggles 

and resilience of the past as a means of 

gathering the strength to meet the challenges 

of the present. We spoke with Joachim about 

what drove her to create this seminal work. 

AC: What first drew you to the world of 

music and composition? 

NJ: I’ve been drawn to music as long 

as I can remember. The truth is that from 

the moment I became aware of music, it has 

been what I’ve loved most and is quite simply 

part of the very fabric of my being. I started 

playing flute in my public elementary school 

band, and soon thereafter auditioned and was 

admitted to the Music Advancement Program 

at The Juilliard School and then to Juilliard’s 

Pre-College Division and College Division, 

where I did my undergrad. In reality, making 

music with my voice came to me far before I’d 

ever encountered a flute, particularly through 

my relationship with my grandmother. 

AC: Your first album is an ode to Haiti, 

but you were born in Brooklyn. How did your 

relationship with Haiti take shape? 

NJ: My parents immigrated to this 

country to escape the dictatorships of the 

Duvaliers, so we were not traveling there frequently 

when I was young. My grandmother 

came to live with us in the States during that 

time, which was amazing for our relationship, 

but it was also very clear that she missed her 

life in the countryside. She returned to Haiti 

as soon as it was safe to do so. It wasn’t until I 

was older that I started to travel to Haiti with 

regularity and frequency, and as an adult it’s 

been a real priority of mine. 

AC: You are a part of the band, Flutronix, 

and were a member of Eighth Blackbird. What 

was the experience like creating your first 

solo album? 

NJ: This work was entirely different than 

anything I’ve ever made before, and was an 

extremely vulnerable place for me personally 

and artistically. For the first time, I was 

not only representing my artistic leanings, 

but my family’s heritage, hundreds of years 

of Haitian music history, and narratives that 

did not belong to me. Not to mention the 

fact that everyone previously knew me as a 

classical flutist, and here I was putting out a 

vocal record of music entirely composed and 

arranged by me. I wanted to tell the world 

who I am and what I’m about. A big part of my 

leaving Eighth Blackbird was a very strong 

desire to shed the final remnants of what the 

classical world expected of me in my career, 

in order to stand in my own truth as an artist 

and commit myself to work that nourishes 

my artistic practice. With Flutronix, I’m 

proud to be in an ongoing creative relationship 

with another phenomally talented black 

woman, and that we are thriving together as 

artists and entrepreneurs. Fanm d’Ayiti and 

Flutronix are allowing me to represent my 

identity in its entirety, in addition to giving me 

total ownership over my creative voice and 

professional career. They are my evolution 

sonically and otherwise. 

AC: For this album, you were inspired 

by Haitian women - Carole Demesmin, 

Emerante de Pradines, and Toto Bissainthe, 

as well as your grandmother. How did you 

seek to tell their stories in this work? 

NJ: All of these women, my grandmother 

included, are and were forces to be 

reckoned with. And each of them made it 

possible for me to be doing the work that 

I’m doing today. My grandmother is the first 

person who encouraged me to be myself, 

share my story, and to use my voice in service 

of both of those tasks. She was the first person 

in my life to see and accept me entirely for 

exactly who I chose to be, because that is 

Words by AphroChic 


Sounds 

what she had to do for herself in her own life. In meeting 

Carole, Emerante, and Milena Sandler (Toto Bissainthe’s 

daughter) while researching this project, I found that 

they too had that in common, in addition to a deep desire 

to uplift our history and the people of Haiti by reconnecting 

us to our roots. They each lived lives of service to 

our people through their music. Carole as a champion of 

the storytelling practice of vodou that connects us to our 

African history; Emerante as a feminist against all odds; 

and Toto as an international advocate and truth teller. 

AC: For many of us in the Diaspora, Haiti is 

symbolic for its overthrow of French rule. But like all 

places, Haiti is not bound to a single moment in history. 

What do you want us to know about the Haiti of today 

from this album? 

NJ: In my heart, I hoped to share so much of the 

beauty and strength of Haiti through this album and 

these stories. That’s relevant as much in our history as 

it is today, and, to me, the women of Haiti have been so 

critical in carrying that legacy forward. The country 

certainly still has its challenges politically, socially, and 

economically, but Haitians are fighters. We continue to 

be makers of beautiful somethings sculpted from what, 

to the naked eye, appears to be virtually nothing. 

AC: Diaspora is not always, nor is it required to be, 

a harmonious set of relationships, yet music is one of 

the strongest cultural ties that we maintain - and that 

maintains us. What music from the Diaspora inspires 

you and how do you weave them into your own music? 

NJ: I think it’s clear that the rhythmic roots of West 

African music never left any of us. It’s the essence of what 

connects us, and I think is what’s most prevalent in my 

own music. I think that’s not just because it’s interesting 

or evocative, but because it is in our bones. That keeps us 

close to one another, whether we tap into it actively or 

not. However, I am being deliberate about using music 

as a connector. For example, Flutronix’s forthcoming 

work, Discourse, is an evening-length musical production 

and a community-centered social change initiative 

rooted in connectivity. In response to the fear, uncertainty, 

and frustration now dividing America, Discourse 

uses oral history, music, and immersive performance to 

honor individuals’ stories, foster collectivity and create a 

sonic picture of community. It’s been a remarkable experience 

to create work of this nature, and it is really a 

continuation of the type of work that Fanm d’Ayiti ignited 

in my practice. 

Experience the album at www.nathaliejoachim.com 

100 aphrochic

PINPOINT 

The Remix | Artists & Artisans | Who Are You

ARTISTS & ARTISANS 

Andile Dyalvane 

There is a story in the work. For ceramicist Andile Dyalvane, his work is the story of 

growing up in South Africa, his connection to the legacy of his Xhosa ancestors, and 

the indelible imprints of the places he has been. His pieces are more than a meeting of 

hands and clay. They are a form of self-expression - a record of who Dyalvane is and 

who he is constantly becoming. 

In his most recent solo exhibition 

held at Friedman Benda in New York City, 

Dyalvane introduced audiences to Camagu, 

a term that loosely translates in English 

to “I am grateful,” and which serves as 

the title of his latest series of work. For 

Dyalvane the works in Camagu were created 

to express gratitude to those who came 

before and to those who are yet to come. 

“I’ve always wanted to do a solo show,” the 

artist remarks, “creating works I’d only ever 

dreamed of producing. It’s been my chance 

to realize designs that would otherwise have 

remained in my sketchbooks. Camagu references 

my gratitude.” 

Guided by the physical and spiritual 

influences of his culture, the works in 

Camagu are an exploration of meaning 

sought through the connected lenses of 

family, place, home, and memory. In Dyalvane’s 

large-scale clay sculptures you 

can see the Salt River, where he currently 

works in a suburb just outside of Cape 

Town. A wall sculpture, Ifusi, is a black clay 

landscape, with markings made by bolts 

and typewriter keys found in Cape Town 

street markets. Standing approximately five 

feet tall, Nkcokocha, is a mountain peak, the 

work an articulation of the rolling green 

hills Dyalvane saw while growing up in the 

Eastern Cape. As a unique signature of the 

artist, the markings on the surface of his 

objects are symbolic of the ancient practices 

of the Xhosa who scarred their flesh for 

healing purposes. 

Ultimately, Camagu is a collection of 

tactile reminiscences in which each work is 

a unique act of gratitude for a specific experience. 

Hard edges and sharp angles define 

pieces that reflect on the artist’s time living 

in California. In these works, the artist’s 

daily concern over earthquakes during his 

residency in the state become intentional 

fractures in the design, reflecting fissures 

and fault lines as well as the fragile feeling of 

living in fear of a natural disaster. 

Before Dyalvane’s sculptures became 

fully realized pieces, they existed only in 

his sketchbook - pieces of ideas waiting 

for a chance at completion. The book also 

contained collections of observations 

drawn from experiences, reflections and 

daydreams. Momentary reflections and 

spontaneous flashes of inspiration, nascent 

concepts hastily transcribed onto paper. 

Unfocused, incomplete, but not forgotten. 

Manifested now as completed sculptures, 

they combine Xhosa culture and his 

personal experiences to create material 

prayers of thanksgiving, reminding us all 

of the possibilities contained in small beginnings 

and the power of saying, “I am 

grateful.” AC 

Photos by Justin Patrick 


104 aphrochic


issue three 111

THE REMIX 

The Evolution of Home 

Home should be a reflection of you. Not just who you’ve been - where 

you’re from or the things that you’ve done, but who you are right this 

minute. And who you are changes over time. Career paths evolve, 

tastes change, and at some point you find that you’re just not as 

comfortable anymore sitting on the first couch that you bought for 

your first apartment. Or the furniture from your first home just won’t 

fit the feeling you want for the third one you’re about to move into. 

When that happens, it’s time for your home to change along with you. 

Often these aren’t drastic changes. 

Every refresh doesn’t have to mean a 

remodel. It’s the little touches that can 

redefine a space that you love. Just a chair, a 

table or a bed, can make all the difference. 

As they enter their 40s, AphroChic founders 

Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason are on such a 

journey, reworking their interior to fit their 

lives today. 

For the first five years in the Crown 

Heights limestone they call home, the 

couple has curated a mix of old and 

new pieces. Furnishings from a former 

apartment in Philadelphia, a six-year stint 

in San Francisco, and a few New York finds 

make up their current aesthetic. “This coffee 

table is from our apartment in Philadelphia. 

We picked it up at IKEA, and it’s at least 10 

years old,” remarks Mason. 

“We love our home” says Hays, “but 

now that we’re getting a little more settled 

in New York, we’re ready for some real 

grown-up pieces.” Their move to New York 

five years ago marked a significant point 

of growth for their brand. Once a popular 

interior design blog, over the past five years 

the couple has moved into interior design, 

authoring their first book, and developing a 

media and design brand. To usher in a new 

era in their business and a new decade, they 

chose to work with Bernhardt, a brand that’s 

dedicated to heritage, quality, and craftsmanship 

that can last a lifetime. 

“I remember the sofa that my grandmother 

Gladys Hays had,” says Hays. “It was 

floral with the most beautiful details. She 

didn’t just pick it up at a store, she worked 

with a brand and chose custom fabric and 

finishes to make it hers. We are looking to 

embark on a similar journey, looking for 

pieces that will support us and our family for 

years to come.” 

The hardest part is narrowing down 

which pieces they’ll use in their new living 

room. To see the concepts AphroChic is considering 

for their new REMIX, turn the page! 

The current Brooklyn living 

room of AphroChic cofounders 

Jeanine Hays and 

Bryan Mason. 

Interior design by AphroChic 

Photos by Patrick Cline 

AphroChic co-founder Jeanine 

Hays’ grandmother, Gladys 

Hays, in her living room. 


THE REMIX 

Follow Jeanine and Bryan’s journey as they makeover 

their Brooklyn interior in this four-part decorating 

series in partnership with Bernhardt - The Remix. 

Atticus Side Chair 

Morello Oval Metal Cocktail Table 

Pisa Ottoman 

Lorient Left Arm Chaise 

Jax Drink Table 

An ode to femininity, we absolutely love 

the sculptural shapes and curves of 

these objects. Each piece of furniture is 

a statement piece. We can add our own 

personality with custom fabrics. Upholstering 

the chaise lounge in a soft gray 

would add the perfect luxurious touch 

to our living area. 

Crisp and tailored, this look is all about 

the tufting. Design is in the details, 

including the nailhead trim and curved 

metal lines. This look will take our living 

room from cozy to elegant and studious. 

Haley Armless Chair 

Clarion Round Cocktail Table 

Jacob Ottoman 

Faye Settee 

Adella Round Chairside Table 

Noland Chair 

Ashbourne Cocktail Table 

Kai Ottoman 

Cosmo Power Motion Sofa 

Leavitt Bunching End Tables 

For a whole new look in the living room, 

we can embrace some rustic style. 

Leather sofas, a carved cocktail table, 

and wood framed side chairs will add a 

masculine touch to our interior. This look 

will also switch up our color palette, from 

pale blues and purples, to deep browns 

and creamy whites. 

ALL FURNITURE 

DESIGNS BY BERNHARDT 

(BERNHARDT.COM) 


WHO ARE YOU 

Name: Ace Clark 

Hometown: 

Bedford-Stuyvesant, 

Brooklyn 

Occupation: Hip-Hop 

Documentarian 

Currently: Promoting 

his sophomore album, 

Black Privilege. 

“Black culture is resilient.” 

116 aphrochic

AphroChic Magazine: Issue No. 3

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