AphroChic Magazine: Issue No. 5

APHROCHIC 

a curated lifestyle magazine 

ISSUE NO. 1 \ VOLUME 2 \ WINTER 20/21 

HOUSE STORIES \ A MODERN LOOK AT KWANZAA \ EXPLORING TANZANIA 

APHROCHIC.COM

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Ok, we all know it’s true, so let’s say it together one last time: “2020 has been a BEAST.” 

But here’s the good news: we’re almost done! This year has been the year of uncertainty. 

The world as we know it has changed. And as challenging as it is to imagine how to move 

forward, this year has also given each of us a wonderful opportunity - an opportunity to 

take stock of who we are, what we’re capable of, and what our purpose is in this world. 

This issue celebrates the things about Black culture that are enduring, and that can’t be altered by one bad year - our 

resilience, our creativity, and our radical joy. In the pages of this issue, we’ll be sharing with you the visionary work that is 

taking place every day in our Diaspora. We’ll introduce you to a growing community of Black homebrewers who are creating 

their own space in craft brewing. Then we’re off for a photo tour of beautiful Tanzania. We’ll look at the modern work of 

South African artists Faatimah Mohamed-Luke and Al Luke. And for the holidays, we’ll share with you our modern take on 

the Pan-Africanist celebration of Kwanzaa. 

In issue 5 we are thrilled to take you to the hottest decor boutique in Germany, created and designed by our cover star 

Chris Glass. Then we’ll give you a sneak peek into our latest project - AphroFarmhouse. And our Hot Topic is an important 

discussion on the recession and how we can craft an economic plan that puts Black people first. 

While we are excited to show you all that’s beautiful around the Diaspora, we also want to share with you the reason why 

we do this work - to educate, uplift and give back. This holiday season we’re excited to let you know about our partnership 

with (RED) on an exclusive collection of pillows and tabletop to raise awareness and critical funds for the world’s most vulnerable 

communities impacted by HIV/AIDS and now COVID-19. And you’ll find more amazing products that support Black 

businesses in our expansive Mood gift guide. 

One of the beauties of Black cultures is that we’ve seen hard years before. Hard times don’t break us, they just make us 

stronger. 2020 has exposed a lot of flaws and weaknesses in the world as we know it. From pre-existing conditions to police 

violence, and lopsided economic policies, many of them are aimed directly at our community. That’s not news to us, but this 

year also revealed opportunities for new conversations, new allies and as always, an unshakable commitment to building a 

better world. 

Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason 

Founders, AphroChic 

Instagram: @aphrochic 

editors’ letter

WINTER 20/21 

DEPARTMENTS 

Read This 10 

Visual Cues 14 

It’s a Family Affair 16 

Mood 20 

FEATURES 

Fashion // Fashioning the Tale 30 

Interior Design // House of Stories 38 

Culture // A Modern Look at Kwanzaa 56 

Food // Homebrewed 66 

Travel // Exploring Tanzania 76 

Wellness // AphroChic Goes (RED) 90 

Reference // The Forming of Diaspora 92 

PINPOINT 

Artists & Artisans 100 

Hot Topic 106 

Who Are You? 110

CONTRIBUTORS 

Cover photo: Chris Glass by Kate McLuckie 

Publishers/Editors: Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason 

Creative Director: Cheminne Taylor-Smith 

Contact: 

AphroChic 

Brooklyn, NY 

AphroChic.com 

info@aphrochic.com 

Contributors (left to right below): 

Lauren Crew 

Janelle Jones 

Sabina Lee 

Camille Simmons 

issue five 9

READ THIS 

This has been a year to reexamine history, to take a look at what has come before so we can move 

forward. The book selections for this issue are all about history, including a look at 75 years of the iconic 

magazine Ebony. The magazine broke new ground when it made its debut, and provided a revelatory look 

at Black life in America. In How the Word Is Passed, coming out next spring, Clint Smith walks through 

iconic landmarks and monuments across the country, revealing the often brutal truth that is hidden in 

plain sight. And in The Rise, iconic chef Marcus Samuelsson showcases the cooking of the Diaspora from 

its roots to its contemporary recipes. 

How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the 

History of Slavery Across America 

by Clint Smith 

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company. $29 

Ebony: Covering Black America 

by Lavaille Lavette 

Publisher: Rizzoli. $57.50 

See more book suggestions on page 26. 

The Rise: Black Cooks and 

the Soul of American Food 

by Marcus Samuelsson 

Publisher: Little, Brown 

and Company. $33 

10 aphrochic

READ THIS 

ALL HAIL THE QUEEN 

The original Queen of Rock, Tina Turner has sold 200 million records worldwide and is a 12-time 

Grammy Award-winning artist, including three Grammy Hall of Fame Awards and a Grammy Lifetime 

Achievement Award. Tina Turner: That's My Life is the first authorized photo-filled biography by the 

legendary artist, showcasing iconic photography, never-before-seen candid photos, letters, and other 

personal items. Intended to be the "ultimate scrapbook for her fans," Tina offers insights into the moments 

that have made her career and life meaningful to her. 

Photo by Jack Robinson 

Tina Turner: That’s My Life 

by Tina Turner 

Rizzoli New York, 2020, $60 

Photo by Alberto Venzago 

12 aphrochic issue five 13

VISUAL CUES 

While museums across the country have struggled with how to survive in a pandemic era with shutdowns 

and limits on audiences, the African American Museum in Philadelphia has moved online for its latest 

exhibit: Rendering Justice. Curated by artist Jesse Krimes, the exhibit showcases art that examines mass 

incarceration while revealing an unflinching view of contemporary America. The art was created as part 

of Mural Arts Philadelphia’s Reimagining Reentry program, which works with formerly incarcerated 

artists and helps support them in their creation of public art projects. The nine artists worked individually 

and in pairs to showcase issues in mass incarceration, with a focus on Philadelphia. The pieces highlight 

what it means to be in jail or prison, including the loss of autonomy. And they show how artists can 

struggle with their identity both before and after they reenter society. Russell Craig, whose work is 

shown below, is a painter and Philadelphia native who survived nearly a decade of incarceration after 

growing up in the foster care system. He combines portraiture with strong social and political themes. 

To see more of the Rendering Justice exhibit, go to bit.ly/2UjAZCF. 

Nipsey triptych 

Russell Craig, 2019 

Leather, acrylic, bandana 

14 aphrochic

IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR 

A Home of Our Own 

As a child, I would sit with my sister and we would sketch out what our dream homes would look like 

one day. For me it was always a farmhouse, surrounded by apple trees with a quiet pair of chairs on 

the porch for my husband and I to sit and relax as we watched the world go by. As I grew older, those 

sketches seemed like just fantasy. First, my husband turned out to be a complete city boy with no interest 

in life without skyscrapers and subways. More importantly, I had fallen in love with city life, myself. 

Going to school in Atlanta, living in Philadelphia before moving on to Washington DC, San Francisco and 

Brooklyn, made it impossible to imagine a return to country life. Especially after Brooklyn. 

Late nights at our favorite restaurant, 

movies on the weekends, public 

concerts in the summer, walking blocks 

and blocks just to explore — that’s the life 

we’ve always loved. But life is different now 

following a major pandemic. 

As our world changes in this moment, 

my forgotten dream of country living 

began to seem less like a fantasy and 

more like a better idea — a place that we 

own, with lots of space, and where we can 

bring our full vision of home to life. When 

complications with my immune system 

following a bout with COVID-19 made me 

sensitive to air quality, it stopped being an 

idea and became an urgent next step. 

Design runs in my family. I believe 

my mom had the design gene. She loved 

designing our homes and when she was 

done with one house, she was ready to 

move. I remember vividly the experience of 

going out to search for a new home when I 

was heading into the sixth grade. The excitement 

of getting to step into an empty 

house and see if it was a perfect fit. My 

parents eventually settled on a two-story 

rancher, but I had fallen in love with a light 

blue colonial. At 11, it was my dream house, 

not the one I had sketched out, but one I 

could imagine myself designing beautifully. 

Thirty years later, the dream has 

become a reality. What seemed like 

something we would never want to do, is 

now a new journey that we’re excited to 

embrace and very proud to have achieved. 

Home ownership is not a given for African 

Americans. Starting in 1968 with the 

passage of the Fair Housing Act, Black 

families began to thrive. For the first time 

we found access to homes and neighborhoods 

that had historically been closed to 

us by a combination of discriminatory laws 

and practices and reinforced by the threat 

of violence for anyone who succeeded in 

breaking through. But racism is a living 

thing and, like all living things, it adapts. 

Redlining continued despite the 

Act, followed by crushing educational 

debt, credit reports, predatory lending, 

the Great Recession and now COVID-19. 

Through it all a series of stereotypical 

tropes were woven into the national 

psyche, ignoring structural inequalities 

It‘s a Family Affair is an ongoing 

series focusing on the history of 

the Black family home 

Photos from Jeanine Hays 

and Bryan Mason 

Words by Jeanine Hays 

Jeanine with her sister, 

Angela Belt, in the home 

they grew up in. 

Jeanine at the new AphroFarmhouse 


IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR 

to claim over and over again that it was the 

bad choices made by each Black person, 

not systematic racism, that was making 

it so difficult for us to own homes. So for 

decades nothing has been done as home 

became a fantasy not just for me but for 

most of us. 

Today, African Americans in our 

generation are less likely to own a home 

than our parents or grandparents. As 

of 2019, we are the least likely group to 

own homes in America, with only 42.1% 

of Black Americans owning homes as 

opposed to 73.3% of non-Hispanic white 

Americans. 

Despite the challenges, the girl in me 

has never stopped dreaming. This summer 

we put on our masks, our face shields and 

headed upstate to begin our search. The 

first home we saw was not the one. It had 

a cracked foundation, broken windows and 

a dead bird in it - which we felt was a bad 

sign. Fortunately things got better from 

there and after a short search we found the 

one. It’s a beautiful farmhouse in a small, 

sleepy town we had never heard of before, 

that feels like it’s the perfect fit for us - our 

AphroFarmhouse. 

After more than two decades 

together, for Bryan and I this feels like a 

natural next step. In this new house, we 

can truly bring our whole vision to life, 

exploring innovative design ideas while 

incorporating more of our family story. 

Space is not a luxury of Brooklyn living, 

but here we finally have room for pieces 

like an inherited settee. We’ll finally get 

to expand our art collection to feature 

our favorite Black artists from around the 

world. We might even find space to house 

and grow our collection of books. It can all 

happen here. 

And some may wonder why 

ownership matters at all. Buying a home 

is not easy and maintaining it is a constant 

process. But owning a home is one of the 

most basic foundations of our economic 

system. It’s an asset. It helps families build 

wealth. And without it, it’s hard for Black 

families to pass wealth down from generation 

to generation. 

Now, today, we have bought a home - 

one that fulfills my girlhood fantasy and 

can help our family build. There’s been a 

lot to the process and there’ll be a lot more. 

But we’re not doing it alone. We’ll be here, 

sharing our story with all of you. AC 

Jeanine and Bryan 

Left: During a college break at 

the Mason family home. 

Below: During high school at 

the Mason family home. 

Bottom: Teenage sweethearts at 

the prom in 1996. 

The AphroFarmhouse 


MOOD 

AN ARTISAN HOLIDAY 

Dinah by Idris Habib $122 

Saatchi Art, bit.ly/2SswiW3 

This holiday season we are celebrating artisanship. 

Items that are handmade, well-crafted, and beautifully 

designed. For the homebody, we have pieces that will add 

a special touch to each room of the home. For art-lovers, 

we’re highlighting some of our favorite artists from 

around the globe. For the lit lovers, we’re celebrating 

books by some of our favorite creative minds. And we 

have some beautifully handcrafted pieces for the the 

fashion savvy, as well. This holiday season it’s all about 

the artistry that makes life exceptional. 

Day Dream by Natalie Odecor $40 

Etsy, bit.ly/3nf8vat 

Together by 

MKobyArt 

$30 

Etsy 

bit.ly/3jL39BH 

FOR 

THE ART 

LOVER 

EXPLORE OUR EXPANDED 

GIFT GUIDES ON 

PINTEREST! 

Mali by Willian Santiago $35.99 

Society6, bit.ly/3iukXiN 

Twin Celadon by Dawn Beckles $1,305 

Saatchi Art, bit.ly/33mIs85 

Different Ways To Climb & Unusual Paths 

by Isabelle Feliu $35.99 

Society6, bit.ly/34oybIZ 


FOR THE 

FASHIONISTA 

DEMESTIK Bowtie Sculpted Masks $60 

Etsy, bit.ly/3d08MZS 

A Promised Land 

by Barack Obama 

$34.99 

Target, bit.ly/3ixP35d 

The Butterfly Effect 

by Marcus J. Moore 

$19.57 

Walmart, bit.ly/2Guohxk 

The Fire Next Time 

by James Baldwin/Steve 

Schapiro $36.49 

Target, bit.ly/36AmZMe 

Mateo Diamond Initial 

Necklace in Yellow 

Gold/White Diamonds $595 

Goop, bit.ly/34rLHvp 

Who Will You Be? 

by Andrea Pippins 

$20.99 

Walmart, bit.ly/3d10otb 

Young, Gifted and Black 

by Antwaun Sargent 

$47.49 

Target, bit.ly/30AxCKT 

Kamala Harris by Nikki 

Grimes and Laura 

Freeman $19.93 

Walmart, bit.ly/30A2Z8o 

lemlem amira orange plunge-neck dress $495 

J.Crew, bit.ly/30zz8No 

BROTHER VELLIES 

Ankle boots $330 

Yoox, bit.ly/3iAOG9I 

Fenty Women's Side 

Note 54MM Oval 

Sunglasses $460 

Saks Fifth Avenue, 

bit.ly/2Svmwmg 

FOR THE 

BOOK 

LOVER 

Off-White Diag Camera Bag $660 

LN-CC, bit.ly/33vHwzt 


Harlem Candle Company 

Lenox Luxury Candle $45 

Amazon, bit.ly/3d2V8Wb 

Cravings by Chrissy Teigen 5qt Cast 

Iron Dutch Oven with Lid $39.99 

Target, bit.ly/33vKnIB 

Ankara Apron Set $50 

Etsy, bit.ly/2F9IeJq 

Jubilation Black Duvet 

Cover $540 

Perigold, perigold.com 

Ayesha Curry Rectangular 

Pillow Cover and Insert $50.99 

Wayfair, bit.ly/2SuL0vH 

FOR THE 

HOMIE 

Pinto Acacia Round Mirror $199 

CB2, bit.ly/3leFCt0 

24 aphrochic issue five serenaandlily.com 25

Here is a list of our favorite charitable organizations 

that you can donate to this holiday season: 

WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN 

wck.org 

WCK is working across the country and the globe to distribute 

food to communities in need. Founded by Chef Jose Andres, 

WCK has provided more than 45 million, healthy, chef-prepared 

meals to communities around the world. 

UNITED NATIONS FOUNDATION 

unfoundation.org 

The UN Foundation is working to solve global problems, 

including the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization’s 

COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund helps with global coordination 

of prevention, detection and response to the pandemic. 

THE MOVEMENT FOR BLACK LIVES 

m4bl.org 

M4BL provides legal resources, political actions, and strategies 

that support Black humanity and dignity. Their Black Power 

Rising 2024 Campaign takes a long-term view of how to 

transform Black lives and communities. 

(RED) 

red.org 

(RED) is dedicated to fighting global emergencies, including 

HIV/AIDS and COVID-19, emergencies that hit the most 

vulnerable populations hardest. This year, AphroChic is joining 

with the (RED) campaign with (APHROCHIC)RED products 

that will be part of the organization’s Shopathon. 10% of the 

proceeds from sales of our red products will go directly to 

(RED). 

26 aphrochic 

SHE’S ON 

THE FRONTLINE 

FOR WOMEN. 

We’ve got her back. 

red.org 

@RED

FEATURES 

Fashioning the Tale | House of Stories | A Modern Look at Kwanzaa | 

Homebrewed | Exploring Tanzania | AphroChic Goes (RED) | 

The Forming of Diaspora

Fashion 

Fashioning 

the Tale 

The Roots and Future of Innovative 

Online Dealer The Folklore 

Storytelling is at the heart of The Folklore, a 

multi-brand e-commerce site and wholesale agency 

that delivers high-end contemporary African fashion 

and lifestyle products to customers around the 

world. According to founder and CEO Amira Rasool, 

“Before our real story was told, the only way that 

we were able to pass down our history was through 

oral folk tale, things going down from generation 

to generation. We’re doing the same thing with The 

Folklore, but we’re telling stories through clothing." 

Words by Cheminne Taylor-Smith 

Creative Producer: Raven Irabor | Photographer: Imraan Christian 

Stylist: Zizi Ntobongwana | MUA: Justine Alexander 

Models: Patricia Laloyo, Samuel Edem, Faith Johnson 

30 aphrochic

Fashion 

A trip to South Africa with friends 

led the former stylist and writer to an 

out-of-the-box idea. Clothing that she 

brought back from her trip received 

such an amazing reaction that Rasool 

realized there was an audience for the 

brands and products she had fallen in 

love with. Armed with an entrepreneurial 

spirit and connections in the 

fashion community thanks to her time 

writing for publications like Vogue, 

Teen Vogue, Glamour, and WWD, Rasool 

developed the idea to use technology to 

bring Africa's most in-demand brands 

to global customers. And that’s how The 

Folklore began to tell its story of African 

fashion, art, and craft. 

In addition to products for sale, 

there is content on the site, like podcasts 

and blog posts written by the designers 

and artisans. “We’re giving people from 

Africa and the Diaspora the ability to 

tell their stories authentically and in the 

way they want to,” Rasool says “We don’t 

want to dictate what they say and how 

they say it, we just want to give them a 

platform that complements what their 

overall vision in life is.” 

Today, there are over a dozen 

categories of goods for sale on the site, 

including apparel, housewares, and 

literature. There are eight countries 

represented, with plans to bring on 

more companies from North and East 

Africa, as well as the South American 

Diaspora. 

There are challenges in working 

with companies on another continent — 

including issues with technology gaps 

and payment methods — but Rasool says 

the benefits far outweigh any problems. 

And, she says, her goal of connecting 

African artisans with global customers 

is a fulfilling one that has benefited her 

in unexpected ways. “We collaborate 

to make it a great experience for each 

other. It’s been a cultural exchange, and 

a great bonding experience. It has made 

me feel more connected to have friends 

and people I consider family in Africa,” 

she says. 

Giving voice to those who are 

historically ignored is another part of 

The Folklore’s story. Including the fact 

that the company’s corporate team is 

largely comprised of Black women. 

“I wouldn’t say it was a conscious 

choice, but it was a natural one,” Rasool 

says. “The spaces that I’m in are heavily 

dominated by women, like the luxury 

fashion space. I wanted to be sure that 

this time around a luxury company 

like this is dominated by Black women. 

I think it’s important that Black people 

are the ones creating these spaces 

for other Black people, and that Black 

women — who we’re mostly targeting — 

are the main drivers behind what we’re 

doing.” AC 

Left, Amira Rasool. 

Designs featured are by the 

brand Sisiano. 

Photos were shot in 

Cape Town, South Africa. 

34 aphrochic

Fashion

House of Stories 

A Look at aptm Berlin 

by Chris Glass 

For Chris Glass, the need to tell stories started early. His ability to do it through 

objects arranged in a room was revealed somewhat later. From his earliest days 

growing up in Georgia, Chris was a creative person, exploring acting and singing. It 

was how people knew him, and how he understood himself. But as he grew, it turned 

out that his own story was proving far more interesting than that of anyone he 

could play and it was taking him to more places — the well-traveled expat has made 

homes in Amsterdam, Turkey, Barcelona and Mumbai to say nothing of countless 

other travels to many other destinations. His well-traveled life has introduced him 

to more people and showed him more of the world than he could possibly sing about. 

Now in Berlin, he’s sharing with us his own unique vision of the world. 

Photos by Kate McLuckie 

Words by Bryan Mason 

issue five 39

Interior Design 

Every person is the hero of their own 

story, but even in your own tale, it can be a 

moment before the hero emerges. “I spent a 

lot of time behaving well and doing what was 

expected of me,” Glass says. “Being the person 

that that I was taught to be and sort of staying 

within the lines. Because of my theater background, 

I grew up thinking everyone should 

have one of these classic theatrical stories and 

I kept waiting for mine to fall into that script.” 

The journey that led Glass away from 

characters and to owning an ever-changing 

boutique in Berlin is an interesting one. “I lived 

in Munich for about eight years, and eventually 

moved to Berlin in 2009,” he remembers. 

“Munich had become too small for me and I 

really needed to be in a place that was more 

stimulating and dynamic.” In addition to 

owning his own boutique, Glass has the role 

of Director for European membership for the 

famed Soho House. His role requires that he 

connects with the experiences and stories of 

others, experiencing new places, people and 

cultures. 

Much of what he finds becomes part of 

building better member experiences for Soho 

House’s European clientele. But for his life 

outside of his 9-to-5, he’s found a different 

outlet as part of a growing relationship with 

interior design that has been as unusual as it 

has been rewarding. 

What sets Glass apart from others in the 

design world is that most people who become 

designers do so on purpose. Yet for Glass, not 

only was it unintentional, it happened largely 

without his noticing. Instead of a longstanding 

love affair with the profession, for him the 

calling came in the form of an actual call made 

by someone inquiring about interesting spaces 

to shoot for a magazine. His assent, he says, was 

nonchalant at best, admitting that he agreed to 

have his Berlin apartment shot solely because 

he thought it would be fun to show the article 

to his mother. As soon as it was done, the shoot 

was forgotten about. 

As the images circulated, what began as 

a single feature quickly became more. “Every 

few weeks, she would send me a clipping 

and say, ‘Your apartment was featured in this 

magazine, it was featured in that magazine.’” 

Glass’s bold and eclectic design style, fueled 

by finds acquired through his constant travel, 

was finding resonance in print and online. 

Everyone, it seemed, was recognizing this new 

and exciting talent. Everyone, that is, except the 

designer himself. “I thought it was somewhat 

flattering,” he confesses, “though I really had 

no concept of what was going on.” 

44 aphrochic

Interior Design 

The breakthrough moment came when 

the attention resulted in an eight-page spread 

for a major publication. “I started getting 

messages from friends saying 'Your space 

is amazing. Your taste is amazing.' And in 

that moment, I understood, maybe I've done 

something interesting with my space. Maybe 

I have a certain point of view or way that I do 

things that's interesting to someone beyond 

me.” 

With the acknowledgement of his own 

talent came the question of how best to express 

it. It was his first time telling a story that was 

completely his own, and naturally Glass felt 

protective of it. The point of view he was expressing 

in his home was gaining notice, but it 

was only one home. And working as a designer 

with clients would largely be about expressing 

the client’s aesthetic, not his own. He needed 

another canvas to paint on, another stage from 

which to tell, not just his own story, but all of the 

stories he had spent so many years collecting. 

The result was a space that is equal parts decor 

shop and interactive experience - aptm Berlin. 

Opened in 2017, in the Wedding neighborhood 

of Berlin’s Mitte district, aptm Berlin 

is as much an event space as it is a retail shop. 

At nearly 2,500 square feet, this one-of-a-kind 

boutique encompasses a large dining, library, 

and home office space. “The first response 

should be a sense of home, of belonging,” Glass 

says of guests visiting for the first time. “aptm 

Berlin is an abbreviation for apartment, but it 

also is an acronym for ‘a place to meet’. I wanted 

to create a space where people and things come 

together. A space where people can discover 

and be inspired.” 

With aptm Berlin, Glass has the best of 

both worlds — a place to present his vision 

without compromise and with the flexibility 

to be changed over and over again, turning one 

space into many. And in fact, it is this flexibility 

of concept, and the frequency with which 

Glass exercises his prerogative for change that 

have become the heart of the attraction. “It’s 

occasionally seasonal,” he says of the transitions, 

“But sometimes also in response to a 

recent trip, or a new product that’s been introduced. 

And sometimes it’s just because I fancy 

changing a wall color and then switching everything 

to suit that. This idea is also what 

keeps people coming back — the newness and 

the desire to discover something unseen.” 

From the beginning, Glass envisioned 

aptm Berlin as more than a retail shop. With his 

rotating designs at center stage, he has used the 

interest the space generates as a way to draw 

more people in, using this platform to create 

and share experiences of their own, while continually 

breathing new life into the store’s retail 

side. “The space has really morphed more 

into a living gallery. People book it for dinners, 

photo shoots, filming, meetings. And via these 

bookings, people experience the pieces we 

have for sale and inquire after to buy things.” 

While the space’s first display incarnation, 

the aptly titled Birth, conjured images of 

something new being brought into the world, 

the revision immediately following, called 

Dolce, stems from sources far closer to the designer’s 

own life and experiences. “I draw inspiration 

from so many different places and I 

wanted to have the flexibility to show different 

ideas,” Glass reveals. “Just before Dolce I’d 

begun seeing a therapist who focused on mindfulness. 

She really helped me to embrace this 

idea of living in the moment.” 

Glass extrapolates, drawing the universal 

out of the specific to create designed tableaus 

that resonate on a number of different levels. 


“This idea is what keeps 

people coming back - the 

newness and the desire to 

discover something unseen.” 

“The idea of Dolce is to evoke that moment 

when you bite into something sweet. Your 

mouth is flooded with sensation and exactly 

that moment is what I wanted to capture. It was 

also fitting that it is an Italian word as I had an 

image of an Italian vineyard during the harvest 

and the colors in the space corresponded to 

that moment.” 

Since then, this design stage has hosted 

several other productions including Deutsch 

and Umoja, before being slowed down by the 

COVID-19 pandemic. Unsurprisingly though, 

the interruption has been less a setback for 

Glass, and more an opportunity to explore 

things in a new way. 

“We’ve had to slow down and cut back 

like anyone else,” he says. “But it’s also allowed 

us to literally clean house. Going through and 

looking at what is genuinely essential and the 

location aspect of our business has become 

even more important as people are looking for 

quaint, personal, safe spaces for events and 

other activities.” 

As the saying goes, “all the world’s a 

stage,” and in Chris Glass’s world, there’s no 

question that it’s true. Through design, this 

former singer and actor created the perfect 

stage to express his own vision. 

Glass’s stage isn’t something he 

dominates, but instead a space he shares with 

those who visit from all around the world. 

Whether it’s for the thrill of seeing something 

“unseen,” for the first time or coming together 

with a group of likeminded people to explore 

new ideas, or just for the fun of spending the 

afternoon somewhere out of the ordinary, 

Glass offers aptm Berlin as a door to another 

world in the the hopes that whatever visitors 

bring back will be something they’ll want to 

share as well. AC 

issue five 49

Interior Design

Interior Design

Interior Design

Culture 

Freedom 

Summer 

An AphroChic interview 

with Naeem Douglas, the 

Brookladelphian 

A Modern Look 

Interview by Bryan Mason 

Photos by The Brookladelphian 

at Kwanzaa

Since it was first introduced by Maulana Karenga in 1966, Kwanzaa has been 

part of the suite of holidays celebrated by Americans at the end of every year. 

Yet compared to other winter holidays, Kwanzaa is not especially popular, even 

among its target community of African Americans. Though a variety of Kwanzaa 

events take place every year, some attracting crowds of thousands, many of us are 

unfamiliar with the core principles of the celebration, its history, or its original 

intent. For others, the disconnect is aesthetic, rooted in ’60s perspectives on Black 

culture and Diaspora and hard to connect with today. But the seven principles 

that form the core of the celebration — Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), 

Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Familyhood / Cooperative 

economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity) and Imani (Faith) — are 

powerful points of focus and we should be careful not to lose them to neglect. 

An interview with Christopher Harrison 

Conducted by Bryan Mason 

Design by AphroChic 

issue five 59

Culture 

To get a better understanding of the holiday, we sat down with 

Christopher Harrison, a PhD candidate in Ethics and Social Theory at 

the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA, whose studies focus 

on Kwanzaa, among other African American social philosophies. We 

talked with Harrison about the history and purpose of the celebration 

of “first fruits,” and designed our own modern interpretation of this 

54-year-old holiday. 

AC: It’s widely known that Kwanzaa is a celebration of Black 

culture based on seven principles symbolized by seven candles. What 

should we know about it? Is there more to the story? 

CH: Kwanzaa was never meant to be a once-a-year holiday. 

When Karenga first created Kwanzaa in ’66, the Black Power 

movement was just beginning to come into focus in California. It had 

been a year since Malcolm X had been assassinated and The Us Organization 

and the Black Panther Party had just been founded. Karenga 

was the co-founder and chairman of The Us Organization and he felt 

that in order to be truly transformational, the political efforts of these 

organizations needed a cultural foundation. Kwanzaa was intended 

to be the basis of that foundation, a kind of cultural revolution to 

break Black people out of negative American stereotypes and reconnecting 

us, not to a specific African culture, but to a broad cultural 

framework based on a variety of traditions from the continent. In 

that way Kwanzaa is actually quite ambitious. It’s the beginning of an 

attempt to reconstruct a deconstructed people. 

AC: All of Kwanzaa’s terminology, including the name itself are 

taken from Swahili, an East African language. Some have called this 

an anachronism citing the prevalence of West African influence in the 

genetics and cultures of the Diaspora. Why was Swahili the language 

of choice? 

CH: Swahili is one of Africa’s most widely spoken languages, 

connecting a number of nations in the central, eastern, and southern 

parts of the continent. Moreover it was essentially the lingua franca 

of the Pan-Africanist movement at that time. East Africa was in the 

process of decolonizing and the leaders of Swahili-speaking nations 

like Julius Nuyere and Jomo Kenyatta — the first presidents of 

Tanzania and Kenya — were at the vanguard. That gave Swahili the 

kind of status that Ghanaian kente cloth had attained under Kwame 

Nkrumah. So for the type of practice Kwanzaa was intended to be and 

what it was intended to do, Swahili was a natural choice. 

AC: Even in the ’60s, Kwanzaa’s popularity was limited by the 

idea that it was intended to supplant religious observances like 

Christmas. Does that continue to be true today? Can Kwanzaa be 

updated or incorporated into other holiday celebrations? 

CH: They can certainly be combined now, but that was not the 

initial intent. Early literature on the holiday explains it as an attempt 

to construct a new philosophical environment for the unlearning of 

racists tropes internalized by Black people in America and elsewhere. 

Those tropes were strongly present and even reinforced in American 

churches with their insistence on the whiteness of Jesus and God. 

issue five 61

Culture 

Since then however, the lines between 

the two have softened. In fact, a large 

number of the Kwanzaa celebrations held 

every year are given by Black Catholic 

churches. 

Kwanzaa is not about elevating race 

or culture to the level of a religion. History 

is full of examples of why that’s a bad idea. 

It’s about fostering and reinforcing commitment 

to the process of liberation for Black 

people around the world — a process, this 

year proves, is still ongoing. 

AC: Since the 1960s, Diaspora has 

replaced Pan-Africanism as the primary lens 

for conceptualizing global Black culture. As a 

result, many of Kwanzaa’s signature components, 

like Swahili or the red, black, and green 

color scheme don’t resonate for some in the 

same way that they once did. Can the practice 

be updated while keeping its significance and 

meeting its goals? What are the important 

features that need to be maintained? 

CH: Without question, Kawaida, is the 

most important aspect to be maintained. 

Kawaida is the philosophy behind Kwanzaa 

as a celebration of the nguzo saba (seven 

principles), and can be thought of as the 

seven in combination. Maulana Karenga is 

still alive so it’s his perspective that really 

matters, but in my opinion it’s possible to 

alter much of the outer structure of the celebration 

and still make it work. But unless 

the principles and the goal of Kawaida are 

present, it’s not really Kwanzaa. Given that, 

it’s possible for the holiday to be celebrated 

in different ways in every culture and 

household while keeping to the observance 

of the nguzo saba. That flexibility would 

be more in accordance with how we see 

Diaspora today, rather than Pan-Africanism 

in which the uniformity of the practice was 

part of the point. It also gives us the ability 

to update the practice while passing on the 

principles. 

AC: What books or resources would 

you recommend for anyone wanting to learn 

more about Kwanzaa? 

CH: I would suggest starting with his 

website, maulanakarenga.org. Also Molefi 

Asante wrote an excellent biography called, 

Maulana Karenga: An Intellectual Portrait. 


Food 

Homebrewed 

A Black Beer Lover’s 

Journey into the World 

of Craft Beer 

“There is an art,” my brother Charles says, 

“to learning to make the thing you drink and 

enjoy it.” As one of a growing number of Black 

homebrewers, it’s a saying and an art that my 

husband Joe has deeply embraced. 

Words and photos by Camille Simmons 

66 aphrochic

Food 

Charles is always saying things like that. He’s quirky, and with 

a lot of interests outside of the usual stereotypes for Black men, 

he’s played a big role in Joe’s developing love for beer and his skill 

at creating his own. The two started brewing together in 2010. It 

didn’t take long for Joe to know that he was hooked. As a mechanical 

engineer, the detail-oriented process appealed to him, but also 

offered a level of creativity far beyond what he was used to. That year 

they brewed a strong Belgian tripel, and with my brother cheering him 

on to start his own creations, I bought Joe his first one-gallon brewing 

kit. Joe began learning simple recipes like a grapefruit honey ale, an 

IPA, and an oatmeal stout. Our friends and family became his taste 

testers and he loved their reactions as much as they loved his work. 

But part of what made these words of encouragement so valuable at 

the time is that they were also rare in a field that, even now, has few 

participants of color. 

Representation in homebrewing is much like it is in a number of 

other activities. Black people drink beer, of course, just like we drink 

wine. But when it comes to the art and, more importantly, the business 

of making it, that’s a different game. Our presence at the table is often 

not welcome, and it’s never expected. As strange as that ever is, it’s especially 

odd in the case of beer which, as the world’s oldest surviving 

recipe, was first recorded in 5000 BC — by Egyptians. 

Three years after we began our homebrewing journey, Joe 

and I were visiting wineries in Sonoma, CA, with my mother for her 

birthday. We visited a local community that is very popular with beer 

lovers and brewers alike. Joe was excited about the visit, and eager 

to chat with the bartenders about their craft process. Instead, we 

were greeted with unsubtle glares from a room seriously devoid of 

diversity. Joe struggled even to place an order as he was peppered with 

questions like, “Do you know what we have here?” and “Do you know 

it’s just beer?” Sadly we’re used to these interactions so Joe brushed 

off the condescending tone and proceeded to order. We salvaged the 

night, enjoyed the beers, even got a few to take home. 

Fortunately, though representation remains an issue and the 

condescension of those unused to Black faces in what they think 

of as “their” spaces continues to be a reality, the Black homebrew 

community is a growing contingent and their accomplishments are 

real. In 2013, Annie Johnson became the first African American to ever 

be named Homebrewer of the Year by the American Homebrewers Association, 

only a year after she won the Master Homebrewer Competition 

held by Pilsner Urquell in San Francisco. And in 2018, Day Bracey 

and Mike Potter, the founders of Black Brew Culture, hosted Fresh 

Fest, the first festival dedicated to craft beer lovers of color and the 

celebration of Black-owned breweries. 

For us, homebrewing has been part of our journey for the last 

10 years. Every step we took for one led to more developments in the 

other. We were living in Oakland at the time when Joe found a homebrewers 

supply shop in Berkeley that encouraged him to keep exper- 


Food 


Food 

imenting with recipes, trying out different 

beer styles, hops (the plant that gives beer its 

recognizable taste), and other flavorful ingredients. 

As he learned the basic styles like 

pale ale, porter, stout, and pilsner he would 

brew a batch about once a month in our tiny 

apartment. Before long, he had fans and 

realized he needed a larger brew kit. 

When we decided to move back 

home to Long Beach, CA, we found a great 

apartment by the beach, with a garage 

space that could house Joe’s growing laboratory. 

He still brewed on a monthly basis, 

but also made special batches for friends’ 

weddings, birthdays, and baby showers. I 

opened a decor and flower boutique and Joe 

brewed special floral varieties (like a honey 

lavender saison) for my customers to enjoy at 

tasting parties in the shop. As word of mouth 

spread, he applied to Airbnb to host a homebrewing 

experience in our apartment. Soon, 

we had strangers from all over the world 

spending Saturdays in our home, falling in 

love with the process of making beer. 

Keeping up our visits to breweries 

and beer festivals has only helped our circle 

grow. The festivals are lively events, filled 

with crowds that deeply appreciate quality 

craft beer. And we’ve even seen a few more 

breweries popping up led by women and 

people of color. In 2017, at the LA Beer Week, 

Joe met an exuberant beer fan, Teo Hunter, 

with a mission to show that Black people are 

an important and vibrant part of the craft 

community. With his business partner Beny 

Ashburn, Hunter formed Crowns & Hops, a 

Black-owned brewery focused on dramatically 

shifting the culture of craft beer. While 

still managing his full-time job as a technology 

consultant, Joe acts as their right hand, 

helping the duo to navigate the worlds of 

data analytics and brewery operations. Since 

beginning, Crowns & Hops has begun partnering 

with established breweries to release 

limited edition batches, both in California 

and internationally in the UK and Germany. 

In the long term, Joe plans to follow his 

passion and transition to the beer industry 

full time. 

Black breweries are still just a tiny 

minority. Of the 6,300 small, independent 

breweries in America, only 50 are Blackowned. 

But from brewing with my brother 

over a hot stove in the summer humidity of 

Northern California 10 years ago to helping 

a fledgling company take international steps, 

Joe’s passion for what he does has brought 

us deeper into a community that loves the 

art of beer just as much as he does. That 

community is making strides to make its 

voice heard and its presence felt not just as 

a customer base, but as enthusiasts, artisans 

and entrepreneurs in their own right. AC 


Food

Travel 

Exploring Tanzania

Travel 

Like so many places on the African continent, Tanzania is ancient and 

beautiful. The modern state, born of the fusion of the sovereign state of Tanganyika 

and the island nation of Zanzibar, is home to Mount Kilimanjaro, 

as well as vast plains and coral reefs. With a history that stretches back for 

millennia, this East African nation has traded with empires, survived colonizations 

and breathed life into Diaspora. Photographer Lauren Crew takes 

us on a visual journey of this incredible country, from rural towns to its 

prized tourist destinations. 

Photos by Lauren Crew 

Words by Jeanine Hays & Bryan Mason 

78 aphrochic

Travel

Travel 

Referred to by academics as the The Cradle of Mankind for 

the age of the tools, remains, and settlements discovered within its 

borders, Tanzania is also considered the birthplace of the Swahili 

language and culture. The nation is home to the Hadza people, one 

of the world’s oldest surviving isolated ethnicities, who continue a 

language tradition and culture that appear to have remained largely 

unchanged since ancient times. At the same time, the various nations 

that preceded modern Tanzania appear prominently throughout 

history. 

Collectively called Azania by the Greek historian Ptolemy in the 

2nd century AD, the Swahili Coast, which included Tanzania, was 

known as a hub of trade. By the second millennia, the Swahili Coast 

was a vital part of the thriving Indian Ocean Trade. This network of 

trade routes connected more people than the Silk Road, reaching well 

into Asia as well as the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Europe. One 

town in particular, Kilwa, located on what is now Tanzania’s southern 

coast, was singled out as one of the best cities in the world by the 14th 

century Islamic historian Ibn Battuta. 

By the 1960s, the newly formed nation of Tanzania had survived 

the decline of the Indian Ocean Trade and more. After occupation by 

the Portuguese and later the Omani in the 16th century, it fell under 

German control in the 19th century and British control in the 20th, 

being dragged into two World Wars in the meantime. But in 1964, 

Tanzania declared independence from British colonial rule. Ten years 

later, after sharing its language with the international community of 

Pan-Africanism, the nation’s first president Julius Nyerere convened 

the 6th Pan African Congress, which introduced the world to the idea 

of the African Diaspora. 

Its fascinating history and natural splendor make Tanzania home 

to some of the world’s most entrancing destinations. Four hundred 

miles from the slopes of Africa’s highest mountain — Kilimanjaro — 

Zanzibar City recalls the nation’s history of travel and trade. There, 

old trade fortresses stand beside a sultan’s palace and 19th century 

Persian bathhouses fed by a series of antique aqueducts. In the north, 

the Ngorongoro Conservation Area boasts Serengeti National Park 

with its hornbills, hyenas, and lions amid a vast array of wildlife. 

Lauren Crew’s photography also takes us west into the 

Nyarugusu refugee camp, one of the largest refugee camps of the 21st 

century. The red clay camp, which was first created in 1996, has been 

a refuge for those escaping the war in Congo, and now the conflict in 

Burundi. It is now home to over 65,000 Burundians. 

Tanzania is one nation with many stories. Traveling through the 

country you can’t help but be taken by the sheer variety of its landscapes, 

the richness of its history, and the beauty of its people. AC 

To aid refugees at the Nyarugusu refugee camp, donate to Oxfam: secure2. 

oxfamamerica.org/page/contribute/donate. 

82 aphrochic

Travel

Travel 

issue five 89

Wellness 

AphroChic 

Goes (RED) 

Introducing CULTU(RED) 

During this year’s season of giving, we are thrilled to announce 

that we are giving back. AphroChic is partnering with (RED), and participating 

in (SHOPATHON)RED with an exclusive new collection 

entitled CULTU(RED). 

In 2006, (RED) was founded by Bono and 

Bobby Shriver to engage businesses and people 

in one of the greatest health emergencies, the 

AIDS pandemic. To date, (RED) has generated 

$650 million for the Global Fund to support HIV/ 

AIDS grants primarily in eSwatini, Ghana, Kenya, 

Lesotho, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, and 

Zambia. Today, as COVID-19 threatens to undo 

the progress of the AIDS fight, (RED) is supporting 

the fight against two deadly pandemics, 

AIDS and COVID-19. To date, COVID-19 infection 

rates in Africa have not been as severe as in other 

parts of the world, yet the pandemic’s impact on 

critical health services has been devastating. The impact of COVID-19 

could cause AIDS-related deaths to double in the coming year as health 

and community systems are overwhelmed, treatment and prevention 

programs are disrupted, and resources are diverted among the most 

vulnerable communities, including those in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Having lost family members to this crisis, as well as being 

impacted by it personally, we are excited to do our part in helping the 

world take back control from this virus. Part of that means helping to 

raise awareness around contributing factors such as preexisting conditions 

and equal access to healthcare, both on the African continent 

and throughout the Diaspora as well. 

Our CULTU(RED) collection will feature 

a number of AphroChic patterns including our 

signature Silhouette and Sisters designs, turned 

red as a show of solidarity with the campaign and 

its many partners. The collection will include 

our pillows as well as exclusive items such as 

table runners, placemats and dinner napkins. 

We will also be offering a limited run of exclusive 

CULTU(RED) T-shirts. 

Times like this teach us a lot. More than 

anything they teach us that the more we all do 

for each other, the easier we can make things for 

everyone. This year, maybe more than any other we’ve experienced, 

we all need to feel like we can do something to make things easier. 

For us, that’s always meant making beautiful things that have a story, 

make a difference, and give back. AC 

Shop the AphroChic CULTU(RED) collection as part of (SHOPATHON) 

RED on Amazon.com/RED. 

Words by Bryan Mason

Reference 

The Forming 

of Diaspora, Part 1 

A New Lens 

for a New World 

In 1965, after more than six decades of Pan-Africanism, 

a new paradigm was emerging, led by a new generation 

of intellectuals, politicos, and activists. In that moment, 

the framework that had begun with a brief conference in 

London, had been formed in the shadow of empires, grew 

Words by Bryan Mason 

Photos by Pascal Genest 

to span nations and, nurtured by many of the best minds of 

the century, played a key role in reshaping the world, began 

to end. 

Yet the introduction of the African 

Diaspora concept by Joseph Harris and George 

Shepperson in 1965 was more than a rhetorical 

passing of the guard. It signified deep changes 

in the ways that Black people all over the world 

were seeing themselves in relationship to their 

homelands, to Africa as both continent and 

symbol, and to each other. Bringing all of that 

into focus would take more than one word. 

Much more. But before the African Diaspora 

could become real in the minds of those who 

would comprise it, it would first have to be 

formed and defined in ways that would meet the 

new needs of a changing time. Chief among the 

questions to be answered between Pan-Africanism 

and Diaspora was, what’s the difference? 

Among the many aspects that differentiate 

the two frameworks, perhaps the most 

significant is the basic way in which each conceptualizes 

the relationship between the individual 

Black person of any nationality, the 

continent of Africa, and the whole community 

of Black people worldwide. Any number of 

other differences exist, especially as Diaspora 

continues to work to define itself more fully. 

But this is most important, because it is on the 

foundation of these points that both philosophies 

build the entirety of their perspectives. 

Form and Function 

For Pan-Africanism, the basic foundation 

of its outlook is expressed in an idea that 

could loosely be described as “the underlying 

African self.” This idea posits that beneath 

the cultural specificities of any nationality 

or ethnicity, there exists an underlying, 

original or essential part of every Black person 

that connects us to the African continent and 

therefore to each other. 

Though the idea of an essential African-ness 

connecting all Black people might 

continue to resonate to a greater or lesser 

degree today, at the time it was all but common 

knowledge. During Pan-Africanism’s tenure 

there was no “African-American” as Jesse 

Jackson would popularize the term in the 

1980s, only the African (or more commonly, 

the Negro) in America. Black people in other 

parts of the world were thought of similarly, 

not as belonging to the place, regardless of 

where they were born, but as being the Negro 

here or there. The idea is even borne out in 

the title of Shepperson’s introductory article 

on Diaspora with its use of the phrase, “The 


Reference 

African Abroad.” 

By necessity, “Africa” played a central 

role in this conceptualization, which arguably 

saw what we now think of as distinct Diaspora 

cultures as different aspects or at least various 

iterations of a comparatively monolithic 

African culture. And while it is problematic 

for us today to reduce Africa to a monolith, 

ignoring the plethora of cultures that make 

up the world’s second largest continent, at 

the height of colonialism the only difference 

between African nations considered meaningful 

was the flag of the European nation that 

occupied them. 

Whatever anachronisms we might accuse 

the idea of today, it’s clear that in its time, 

the underlying African self was not simply 

a romantic notion, but a philosophical and 

political tool. It was a refuge for every Black 

person either disowned by the place of their 

birth or oppressed in it by the absent monarch 

of a distant empire. It was the basic building 

block that made cooperation and joint struggle 

across oceans possible, allowing the first 

Pan-African Conference in London to become 

Pan-African Congresses around the world, 

and Harlem’s New Negro Movement to become 

Negritude in Martinique, Senegal, Paris, and 

more. The composite symbol of Africa that 

it employed, even if not understood in the 

moment as being distinct from the actual 

continent, met the needs of dispersed people, 

themselves a cultural and genetic composite 

of many African nations, while drawing their 

attention and efforts to the aid of a spiritual, 

if not physical, homeland as deeply in need of 

them as they were of it. 

Unity or Difference 

As the successful application of the 

Pan-African framework led to the accomplishment 

— at least in part — of the purposes 

for which it had been conceived, the state of 

affairs within the global Black community 

began to shift so that the framework itself no 

longer applied. The introduction of the term 

‘diaspora’ by Harris and Shepperson was the 

beginning of a necessary new direction in the 

study of Black cultures and communities, one 

that centered on a change in focus from unity 

to difference as the defining element of relationships 

between Black cultures internationally. 

As scholar, Brent Hayes Edwards puts it, 

“[diaspora] focuses especially on relations of 

difference and disjuncture in the varied interactions 

of black internationalist discourses, 

both in ideological terms and in terms of 

language difference itself.” 

In the years that followed its introduction, 

the formation of the African Diaspora 

as a field of study would be significantly 

aided in the task of theorizing difference 

by the work of British Cultural Studies, itself 

an emerging field at that time. In particular, 

Stuart Hall’s theory of Articulation, a derivative 

of the Marxist thought of Louis Althusser, 

would give the African Diaspora the vocabulary 

with which to address issues of difference. 

These distinctions had become increasingly 

prevalent as the Pan-Africanist call for ‘African 

Unity’ subsided in the face of growing political 

independence. 

Prior to the emergence of the African 

Diaspora concept, the desire for unity that 

animated both cultural and political Pan-African 

movements served to limit not only 

the study of the various cultural and political 

elements of the Diaspora, but the confines 

of Black identity as constructed around the 

shared image of Africa as homeland. As Hall 

himself put it: 

[S]uch images offer a way of imposing 

an imaginary coherence on the experience of 

dispersal and fragmentation, which is the history 

of all forced diasporas. They do this by representing 

or figuring Africa as the mother of these 

different civilizations…Africa is the name of 

the missing term, the great aporia, which lies at 

the center of our cultural identity and gives it a 

meaning which, until recently, it lacked…Such 

texts restore an imaginary fullness or plentitude, 

to set against the broken rubric of our past. 

Hall’s somewhat pessimistic-sounding 

take on the role of Africa as the central, 

unifying concept of all Black identity interprets 

this idea of a singular, underlying 

yet shared self as one of two approaches 

to cultural identity. Within Pan-Africanism, 

this approach was the primary means of engendering 

the desire for unity and the sense 

of shared urgency on which Internationalist 

movements of every sort depended. Though 

theorists of subsequent generations, including 

Hall, would argue against this method of 

binding and thus, as they assert, limiting Black 

identity, the necessity of this stance in the time 

in which it found its greatest use is not difficult 

to understand. Without a central image of 

shared concern to bind them, coordinated 

activist movements among African descendants 

of many lands would have been nearly 

impossible to create, much less sustain. 

Coming out of this moment however, the 

establishment of Black Studies as a burgeoning 

field in the late ’60s and early ’70s shifted 

the focus from international unity around 

the symbol of a free African homeland, to a 

series of competing nationalisms. Within this 

context it is similarly possible to understand 

Hall’s push to investigate difference given that, 

as a British citizen of African descent, he was 

himself equally marginalized in studies of both 

Black and British culture at that time. 

In the U.S., approaches to Black Studies 

emerging from various Black Nationalist 

movements, such as Maulana Karenga’s Us 

Organization tended to privilege the study 

and culture of African Americans specifically. 

At the same time, the reification of 

English particularism within British cultural 

studies established the subject of that study 

firmly, if not exclusively, as the white, British, 

male. Though Hall was a prominent figure in 

the field and an important voice in such discussions 

as a founding member of the Centre 

for Contemporary Cultural Studies at Birmingham 

University, for countless others 

across the world the combination made it 

difficult to establish Black identity across, 

and in some cases, even within national 

boundaries. 


Reference 

Hall’s work makes a powerful intervention 

into the theoretical basis from which 

society is observed with the 1980 essay, “Race, 

Articulation, and Societies Structured in 

Dominance.” Though the term ‘diaspora’ 

appears nowhere in the text, it is in this essay 

that Hall most thoroughly lays out the idea of 

difference in unity as entailed in the Althusserian 

concept of Articulation. As Hall recounts 

the idea: 

The term Articulation is a complex one, 

variously employed and defined…[I]t is a 

metaphor used to indicate relations of linkage 

and effectivity between different levels of all sorts 

of things…[T]hese things require to be linked 

because, though connected, they are not the same. 

[Therefore] the unity formed by this combination, 

or articulation, is always, necessarily a complex 

structure. 

The challenge that Hall continued to take 

on in his work on cultural identity was to find 

a means of expressing the connection between 

Diaspora cultures while affirming their difference 

— yet without resorting to nationalist 

or ethnic “essentialisms.” He describes what 

he affirms as a second approach to cultural 

identity as one that, “recognizes that, as well 

as the many points of similarity, there are also 

critical points of deep and significant difference 

which constitute ‘what we really are’; or 

rather — since history has intervened — ‘what 

we have become.’ ” 

His recognition of the importance of 

the intervention of history in the process 

of creating cultural identity achieves two 

major goals. First, it dismisses the hegemonic 

unity of the African center of the global Black 

culture by acknowledging that the passage of 

time and the events of history have resulted 

in the emergence of new cultures within the 

Diaspora which are African in origin — and 

then only in part — but not in expression. 

Secondly, it emphasizes the differences that 

stand between Diaspora cultures while recognizing 

the points of similarity that transcend 

attempts at facile ethnocentrisms. While additional 

scholars would continue the work of 

establishing difference as the fundamental 

element of Diaspora, Hall’s work was a major 

first step towards an understanding of global 

Black identity that acknowledged both the 

connection of community and the distinction 

of unique cultural and historical trajectories. 

The Point of it All 

In the first article of this series, we looked 

at the prevalence of the term diaspora, its attachment 

to dispersals of all kinds and the 

tendency for those who study them to try to 

define diasporas collectively. And we demonstrated 

several points of distinction between 

the African and other diasporas in the process 

of arguing that diasporas in general should 

be considered individually as each has its 

own salient characteristics. In the transition 

away from Pan-Africanism, the global 

community now collectively understood as the 

African Diaspora created one of its biggest and 

most important distinctions, and a massive 

argument for its continued study as a thing 

unto itself. 

The difference between Pan-Africanism 

and the African Diaspora as expressed in 

their most basic, core concepts is profound. 

Both acknowledge a connection between all 

Black people and cultures around the world, 

as well as points of difference that distinguish 

us one from another. But they differ greatly 

in their interpretation of this agreement 

and on which aspect of the relationship is 

most important. For Pan-Africanism, which 

espoused an inclusive global perspective, 

unity was the most important thing as it was 

crucial to pursuing its agenda of African liberation 

— a term that extended beyond the 

continent to include dispersed Black people 

living in different conditions of oppression 

around the world. Therefore for Pan-Africanism, 

the underlying African self was the true 

self, as it connected us across oceans and in 

spite of generations of exploitation, abuse and 

resistance. Conversely, in the absence of an 

inclusive political or social agenda, Diaspora 

presents an outlook no less global, but far more 

specific and decentralized in its treatment of 

Black cultures. For Diaspora, as Stuart Hall 

clearly stated, it is not the points of commonality 

but the points of difference that connote, 

“what we really are.” 

For most if not all diasporas, the whole 

point of being understood as a diaspora is 

to create or maintain some sense of unity or 

sameness despite dispersion. And while it 

is very likely that conversations within any 

number of diasporas have turned to address 

present or growing cultural differences within 

them, it was on this basis specifically that the 

African Diaspora came into being — not as 

a way of establishing unity, but as a means of 

countenancing difference. 

It’s natural at this point to question 

which of the two approaches is better, as both 

have clear strengths within their fundamental 

differences — but there are more useful 

avenues to pursue. Instead of comparing one 

framework to another, it is more important 

to compare each to the times and the needs 

of the people whose lives are lived in and 

through a given paradigm. From that perspective, 

the question is not whether diaspora 

is in some way superior to Pan-Africanism, 

or whether it more accurately describes the 

“reality” of interconnected cultures dispersed 

and descended from the African continent. 

The question is whether, as a tool, diaspora 

does what we need it do now as well or better 

than Pan-Africanism did what we needed it 

to do then. Though we may not really have an 

answer until diaspora has joined Pan-Africanism 

on the list of zeitgeists past, in the present 

moment the question is far more valuable. 

Asking it requires that we take detailed stock of 

what we think diaspora is in the context of the 

struggles we face in the world as it is right now, 

with the intended purpose of matching one to 

the other. Because if we are not working conscientiously 

to make diaspora the solution, it 

could easily become the problem. AC 


PINPOINT 

Artists & Artisans | Hot Topic | Who Are You

ARTISTS & ARTISANS 

Faatimah Mohamed-Luke and Al Luke 

Their work is distinct. She presents geometric shapes, he paints in flowing lines, but 

there is a connection in their pieces — abstraction, mathematics, identity. For South 

African artist Faatimah Mohamed-Luke and her husband Al Luke, aka ALFA, one of the 

things most interesting about their artwork is the mediums they each have chosen to 

work with and how they have found unique ways to express themselves. 

Faatimah’s work is an exploration 

of both her African and Arab heritage. 

Central to her creations is the millennia-old 

technique of tessellation, a symmetric 

edge-to-edge tiling technique that results 

in complex, intricate patterns. With roots 

as old as ancient Sumer, the art reached its 

heights in Islamic Spain and Morocco. Both 

employed the technique extensively in constructing 

the sophisticated geometric tile 

work of places like the Alhambra Palace, the 

Great Mosque of Cordoba — now a Catholic 

church — and more recently, the famous 

Hasan II mosque in Casablanca. In the 21st 

century, Faatimah is using this technique 

to create thoroughly modern works of art, 

using building blocks that are customized in 

specific colorways for each piece. 

It was during a trip to Morocco 

that Faatimah fell in love with the pattern-work 

that can be spotted all throughout 

the country. “It was the first time I 

had witnessed parts of my heritage living 

together so gracefully,” she remarks. This 

led her to a new medium to work with to 

create her unique landscapes, portraits and 

abstract works. “The porcelain tile used to 

create mosaics didn’t really resonate with 

me, so I looked to a more unusual basic 

shape. What I love most about it is that it is a 

nontraditional art medium and comes with 

no expectations, but has it own unique set of 

challenges.” 

Thousands of plastic blocks are used to 

create works like her Reflections of a Queen II 

series, Flora-The Blue Period and a collaborative 

piece with her husband, My Head Your 

Hands, all represented by UK art gallery, the 

Jenn Singer Gallery. “I believe that challenging 

an already established environment and 

challenging society is an essential part of an 

artist’s work and this medium helps me to 

do that by starting the conversation: 'But is 

it art?' ” 

Al’s medium is different. His use of 

spray paint and acrylic liners gives his 

paintings an urban street style feel that is 

immediately modern and contemporary. 

The vivid colorful lines take you on a journey 

of exploration. For Al, it is an exploration of 

identity. He describes his art as exposing a 

new African style that can challenge stereotypes 

of what art from the continent 

should look like. “I enjoying blurring the 

lines of what an art medium is,” states Al. 

“Spray paint is considered a street artist 

tool. It’s urban and edgy, but when placed 

in the gallery environment, it takes on new 

meaning. 

“When it comes to creating the line 

work in the pieces I create, the lines are 

completely expressive and intuitive, 

working directly with the medium of choice 

to avoid any hesitation or self-doubt. It is an 

exercise in trust and extremely cathartic. 

I enjoy the limitless nature of the work and 

end results are constantly evolving.” 

In both Faatimah and Al’s you can see 

the modern art aesthetic that is present on 

the African continent. Works that speak to 

identity, place and society at large. Pieces 

that challenge the viewer. 

And with this duo doing it in tandem, 

at times in collaborative works, they are 

showing pieces that excite and push us all to 

dig deeper. 

Explore works by Faatimah Mohamed-Luke 

and AI Luke at jennsingergallery.com 

Words by Jeanine Hays 

Equilibrium 

Al Luke 

courtesy of Jenn 

Singer Gallery 

100 aphrochic



My Head Your Hands - Pink 


courtesy of Jenn Singer Gallery 

Tesselat 

Faatimah Mohamed-Luke 

courtesy of Jenn Singer Gallery 



Reflections of A Queen II - Yoruba Grey 

Faatimah Mohamed-Luke courtesy of 

Jenn Singer Gallery 

Reflections of A Queen II - Wolof Pink Blocks 

Faatimah Mohamed-Luke courtesy of Jenn 

Singer Gallery 


HOT TOPIC 

What Does This Economic Recession Mean for Black People? 

This winter poses an intensifying turning point for the many crises we are simultaneously 

facing, including a global pandemic, an economic recession triggered by the pandemic 

and marked by soaring inequality, uprisings driven by anti-Black violence and poignant 

grief, and an election in the U.S. that determines the direction we’re headed in for all of 

the above. One thing is true: we can’t afford to return to “normal.” 

Even before this summer — even 

before the pandemic — Black people have 

borne the brunt of police violence and have 

been impacted by wide health disparities. In 

addition, Black people historically have been 

disproportionately affected by economic 

downturns. Racial wealth and income gaps 

have made downturns longer and more 

painful to the Black community than other 

racial groups, and these gaps have robbed 

Black people of an economic safety net to 

cushion us from the harshest of these blows, 

including the one we’re currently experiencing. 

Economic downturns hit Black 

workers harder. Because of systemic racism 

and discrimination entrenched in the labor 

market, Black workers are often the first 

fired and last hired following any economic 

downturn. And because lower wages leave 

Black workers unable to build wealth over 

time, we are twice as likely than white 

households to have trouble covering bills 

if hit with an unexpected $400 expense, or 

sudden loss of income. The Black unemployment 

rate was 5.8% in February. By May, 

one in six Black workers were unemployed. 

By July, the Black unemployment rate was 

higher than any white unemployment on 

record since we began collecting the data. 

Because Black workers are overrepresented 

in low-wage jobs, it takes us longer to 

recover lost income and accumulate wealth 

following a recession. A full decade after the 

Great Recession, for example, Black households 

had still not recovered their prior 

income levels. Even worse, many Black 

homeowners permanently lost their homes 

following the housing crash. 

We are again in a dire economic crisis, 

but this one is of unprecedented scale. Over 

the past several months, we have seen nationwide 

shutdowns, significant job loss, 

and severe declines in income for millions 

across the country. By June, the National 

Bureau of Economic Research, a nonprofit 

research organization well known for 

providing start and end dates for economic 

downturns, announced we had officially 

entered a recession, which is a decline 

in economic activity that lasts for two consecutive 

quarters. But given the severity 

and global scale of the ongoing crisis, it’s 

likely that we will enter a depression soon, 

and this next great depression will hit Black 

communities hardest. 

The Next Great Depression 

Recessions are defined by specific 

factors like declines in gross domestic 

product (GDP), income nationwide, and 

sales and consumer spending. They also 

are characterized by a rise in unemployment 

— basically, a significant shock to a 

country’s economic activity. A depression 

is a recession on a bigger scale in terms of 

length and breadth. In fact, depressions 

can last from two to 10 years and can cause 

major disruptions to the global economy. 

But there’s a danger in studying 

economic data across the nation without 

looking specifically at the economics of 

Black people. The economics of Black 

America have always been worse off than 

what the average statistics suggest. That’s 

due to, in part, a long-standing history 

of systemic racism and racial discrimination 

in every sector of our economy 

— from the labor market, to housing and 

education. But even current “race-neutral” 

economic policies and a failure to disaggregate 

economic data by race contribute to a 

cultural norm of ignoring the economics of 

Black America. Altogether, these patterns, 

practices, and policies help to amplify 

economic pain and suffering within the 

Black community. 

The last economic depression was 

the Great Depression of the 1930s. While 

we don’t yet know whether what we’re experiencing 

is a depression, if history is any 

guide, the Black community might be feeling 

the symptoms of a depression. Shuttering 

businesses and record unemployment 

are rivaling the Great Depression itself. The 

signs are not promising. 

Black people are disproportionately 

harmed during economic downturns. Even 

if this economic crisis turns out to be only a 

recession, Black people will most likely experience 

depression-like conditions. Nearly 

60 million people filed unemployment 

claims for the first time in the last seven 

months. Some of these include temporary 

layoffs, but a new study from Harvard University 

suggests up to 8.7 million jobs could 

be permanently lost by the end of this year. 

To put that in perspective, a total of 8.6 

million people were permanently unemployed 

following the 2008 Great Recession. 

We will likely still be in the middle of this 

economic downturn by the end of the year, 

making the scale of this crisis enormous. 

Additionally, economic activity is down 

as a whole: consumer spending, business 

sentiment, small business reopening plans, 

and available jobs began plateauing in 

August, in part because of inaction over the 

Congressional stimulus package, including 

expanded unemployment insurance with a 

weekly $600 boost. Eligible folks have only 

received a direct stimulus check of $1,200 

one time during this crisis, as Senate Republicans 

stall in enabling any additional 

relief. 

When millions of households have 

decreased incomes, they’re unable to contribute 

to their local economies, causing a 

ripple effect and impacting thousands of 

small businesses and even large corporations. 

When business transactions slow to 

a near halt, local economies will starve, and 

people will suffer. 

Black Economic Reality 

Black America is even worse off. The 

latest unemployment data shows that Black 

unemployment is at 13%, nearly double the 

white rate. Black workers are more likely to 

be unemployed as they tend to work in the 

service industry, retail sector, and local government, 

all of which have been hit hard by 

pandemic-induced lockdowns. These jobs 

tend to lack remote work options, which in 

part explains why Black workers are always 

among the first fired during an economic 

downturn and the last re-hired when the 

economy recovers for everyone else. 

Black workers are also overrepresented 

in frontline industries and nontraditional 

jobs such as contract work or gig 

economy jobs like restaurant servers, Lyft 

and Uber drivers, and seasonal construction 

or produce pickers. Many of these jobs offer 

low wages with little to no benefits like paid 

leave or healthcare. These jobs put people 

Words by Janelle Jones and Sabina Lee 

106 

Photos by Irandelson Salgueiro 

aphrochic issue five 107

HOT TOPIC 

at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 and 

offer little promise of protecting workers 

who put themselves on the line for compensation, 

including hazard pay and workplace 

protections, including PPEs. 

In April, in a report by the Economic 

Policy Institute, it was estimated that less 

than half of all Black adults were employed. 

Underemployment is also on the rise — the 

practice of underusing workers’ skills and 

abilities, typically in reducing their hours 

or hiring overly skilled workers for lower 

skilled jobs. 

As local economies cycle in and out 

of shutdowns, workers are grappling with 

decreased hours, income, and — as full-time 

workers get placed on part-time work 

schedules — eliminated benefits, including 

healthcare, paid leave, and retirement, all of 

which are crucial safety nets during times 

of emergency like we are currently experiencing. 

Again, underemployment hits Black 

workers harder: it is estimated that two in 

five Black workers will be underemployed in 

the coming months. 

The Impact on Black Entrepreneurs 

The pandemic has also been devastating 

for Black entrepreneurship. Blackowned 

small businesses are twice as likely 

to permanently shut down due to weaker 

financial cushions, weaker bank relationships, 

and the poor distribution of the government’s 

Paycheck Protection Program, 

which did not reach many Black-owned 

businesses. Black unemployment is 

expected to continue increasing this year, 

reaching an astonishing potential peak of 

30%. 

Conservatives in Congress have falsely 

contended that too many people have been 

receiving more from their unemployment 

insurance payments rather than from their 

jobs. But this false idea has been debunked 

by a number of recent studies, including 

one study that shows the majority of unemployment 

insurance claimants are receiving 

less from these payments than from their 

previous jobs, when taking into account 

non-wage compensation — including paid 

leave, healthcare, and retirement. 

The truth is, as economic policy expert 

Lindsay Owens wrote in a recent piece, 

“conservatives, and even some liberals, hate 

the idea that unemployed Americans — and 

particularly Black and brown unemployed 

Americans — aren't being punished for not 

working.” 

And even as lifesaving as unemployment 

benefits are, it’s little coincidence that 

only 13% of Black people who are out of work 

actually received unemployment benefits 

between April and June. When Black people 

do receive unemployment payments, they 

tend to receive less aid than white workers 

and tend to live in states with programs that 

dispense lower unemployment payments 

and have higher barriers to receiving them. 

The extra $600 weekly unemployment 

payments that could be authorized via the 

CARES Act part 2 would be instrumental in 

fixing some of the inequalities among state 

programs. 

We Can’t Return To a “Normal” That Doesn’t 

Consider Black Americans 

In August, President Trump signed a 

series of executive actions, which included a 

$300 supplemental unemployment benefit. 

However, his plans have been widely and 

rightfully panned as unworkable. Reduced 

aid has strained millions of households financially, 

especially those who were already 

struggling. By the end of July, 29 million 

adults lived in households that did not have 

enough to eat in a week, and 15 million 

renters were behind on rent. And for Black 

households without wealth - nearly one in 

five - will suffer disproportionately from 

reduced aid. 

As some look for a new normal, for 

Black people, we can look at 2008’s Great 

Recession to show that “normal” doesn’t 

work for us. Black workers were slow to 

return to pre-recession income levels due 

to stagnant wage growth with wages rising 

slower than the cost of living. 

Even when Black workers returned 

to pre-recession income levels, the racial 

income gap persisted no matter the occupation, 

industry, level of education or 

geography. In 2017, the median net worth 

for non-immigrant Black households in a 

large American city like Boston was just $8, 

whereas the median net worth for white 

households in Boston was $247,500. 

Economist Jared Bernstein, the former 

chief economist to Vice President Joe 

Biden (now President Elect), and I recently 

proposed that the Federal Reserve track 

and target the Black unemployment rate. 

Racially disaggregated data would show how 

racial groups are experiencing the economy 

differently and would better inform the 

Federal Reserve to account for race. 

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell 

has noted that there are no rules to “mind 

the [racial] gap” economically. While The 

Federal Reserve is responsible for making 

sure the unemployment rate is not too high 

while at the same time the cost of living 

is not increasingly too rapidly and it has 

the power to adjust interest rates, which 

impacts how businesses spend money and 

purchases for consumers, like the interest 

on home loans, race is not a factor. 

To get a real picture of how America is 

doing economically, we need legal language 

barring Powell’s successors from targeting 

too-high “natural rates” without considering 

racial outcomes. This idea has 

gained traction over the past few months 

among policymakers and leaders including 

President of the Atlanta Federal Reserve, 

Raphael Bostic, Representatives Ayanna 

Pressley and Maxine Waters, and Senators 

Elizabeth Warren and Kirsten Gillibrand. 

Today, millions are out of work with no 

steady source of income; the income they 

had in the form of federal aid has been significantly 

cut by the Trump administration 

and congressional Republicans; consumer 

spending and GDP is down (even though the 

wealthy keep getting wealthier); coronavirus 

cases are on the rise, in part because 

schools, colleges, and businesses across 

the country have reopened; climate change 

and other forms of environmental pollution 

are devastating millions, particularly in the 

South and the West; and people are under 

threat by the government and emboldened 

militia groups at protests across the 

country. 

As we face interlocking social, political, 

and economic crises, now is exactly the right 

time to push for bold, progressive change 

that closes inequitable gaps and forecloses 

racist outcomes. 

This economy hasn’t been working for 

most, but especially not for Black people. 

We must build a stronger economy that can 

withstand a multitude of crises especially 

for Black workers who have historically 

been left behind. We can course correct 

one of the worst economic downturns in 

U.S. history for all by deliberately improving 

the economic outcomes of Black people and 

ensure that we don’t resort back to business 

as usual. 

Janelle Jones is the Managing Director for Policy and 

Research at Groundwork Collaborative (groundworkcollaborative.org). 


WHO ARE YOU 

Name: 

Brooklyn A. Belt 

Based In: 

Connecticut 

Occupation: 

Third grader who 

makes her own 

movies with her best 

friend 

Currently: “We are 

working on our latest 

movie, Just Dance. 

In the movie I like 

writing music and my 

best friend Charlotte 

loves making music 

and we get asked to 

go on Broadway but 

we’re not sure if we 

should go.” 

“Black culture is exciting. 

Black culture is adventurous like the guy who played Thomas Jefferson and 

Lafayette in Hamilton - Daveed Diggs. 

Black culture is different because it is only Black culture and no one else’s. 

Black culture is learnable because it is somebody's life and you 

can learn anything if you try.” 

110 aphrochic

AphroChic Magazine: Issue No. 5

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