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🕊️ Support Palestine with Str8jacket!🕊️

🇵🇸 Join the Dancers for Palestine movement! Our D4P shirts are $45 with 100% of the proceeds going directly to e-sims for Gaza.

🇵🇸 Join the Dancers for Palestine movement!

We are thrilled to introduce our D4P shirts, priced at $45, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to e-sims for Gaza. This initiative aims to combine the passion of dance with a powerful message of solidarity and support for the people of Palestine.

👉 Order form link in here.

✨ Join us to make an impact ✨

By purchasing a D4P shirt, you’re not only showing your support but also contributing to a vital cause. Every shirt sold directly aids those in need in Gaza, providing essential resources and support.

Thank you for your support and for standing with Palestine. Together, we can make a difference and work towards a future where we see a free Palestine in our lifetime.


#DancersForPalestine #SupportPalestine #Solidarity #DanceForACause #HumanitarianAid #StandWithPalestine

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🍉 The Symbolism Behind the Watermelon in Palestinian Solidarity 🇵🇸

The watermelon emoji 🍉 has become a symbol of support for Palestine, representing resilience, hope, and solidarity. It's a vibrant sign of unity for the cause.

In recent times, you might have noticed the watermelon emoji 🍉 popping up in social media posts related to Palestine. At first glance, it might seem like an odd choice of symbol. Why would a fruit emoji be used in discussions about a geopolitical issue? The answer lies deep within the history and culture of Palestine, transforming the watermelon from a simple summer snack into a powerful emblem of resistance and identity.

A Deeper Hue: Beyond the Emoji

The significance of the watermelon in relation to Palestine transcends digital expressions, rooting itself in the very colors of the fruit. Red, black, green, and white—the hues of the watermelon—reflect the Palestinian flag, a symbol of nationalism and unity. This alignment is not merely a matter of coincidence; it represents a deliberate and profound statement. The watermelon, through its colors, becomes a living, breathing representation of Palestinian identity and resilience.

Cultural and Historical Context

The watermelon's symbolism is deeply interwoven with Palestinian culture and history. This fruit, a staple in Palestinian households, stands for more than just a refreshing treat. It signifies hospitality, community, and the persistence of joy amidst conflict. Historically, during periods when overt displays of Palestinian symbols were suppressed, subtle acts of resistance, such as the use of everyday objects that mirrored national colors, became a form of silent protest. The watermelon, with its unmistakable resemblance to the Palestinian flag, emerged as a symbol of defiance and a testament to the enduring spirit of the Palestinian people.

The Watermelon: A Symbol of Solidarity

The adoption of the watermelon as a symbol in the context of Palestinian solidarity is a testament to the power of ordinary objects to carry extraordinary meanings. It transcends its role as a mere fruit to embody a statement of support for Palestinian rights and identity. When people use the watermelon in discussions about Palestine, they are not just referencing a piece of fruit. They are invoking a rich tapestry of history, culture, and resistance. They are standing in solidarity with a people's enduring struggle for recognition and justice.

In bringing attention to the watermelon's symbolism, we are reminded of the many layers of meaning that can be contained within simple, everyday symbols. The watermelon serves as a poignant reminder of the resilience, unity, and identity of the Palestinian people—a symbol of their struggle and their hope for a peaceful, sovereign future.

Conclusion

Next time you see the watermelon emoji or hear reference to the fruit in the context of Palestine, remember the depth of meaning behind it. It's more than a digital icon or a summer snack; it's a vibrant symbol of resistance, identity, and solidarity. Through understanding and sharing the significance of such symbols, we contribute to a broader awareness and appreciation of the Palestinian cause and the universal quest for dignity, freedom, and self-determination.

Extended read

From Barrak Naamani: https://www.instagram.com/p/CyOROHpsDyL/

Military Order 101, of the occupation began arresting
Palestinian artists for using
The Forbidden Colors
Red, White Green & Black in their artworks!

In 1980, during an art exhibition in Ramallah, occupation forces stormed the gallery, confiscated paintings and arrested Palestinian artists Sliman Mansour, Nabil Anani and Issam Badr.

Mansour recalls, "we were summoned by the occupation authorities & read us orders of the prohibition of the use of red green black and white colors, and that any painting that includes these colors will be confiscated."

Confronting the officer, Badr asked, "What if I just want to paint a watermelon? to which he replied,
"It would be confiscated".

The watermelon has become a powerful symbol of Palestinian resistance and resilience.

Resistance through art has a long-standing history in Palestine, but so do attacks on Palestinian culture Targeting of artists and cultural spaces is a tactic used by occupying forces to erase identity.

"Some people even deny our existence, deny Palestinian culture
and identity, so art fights this. It gives a home for the homeless"
Sliman Mansour

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🍉 Dancers For Palestine 🇵🇸

"'Dancers for Palestine' merges dance with activism to champion peace in Palestine. Featuring unique 'Dancers for Palestine' shirts and supporting the BDS movement, it's a call for justice and solidarity. Join this art-driven movement towards change."

Empowering Change Through Dance: The 'Dancers for Palestine' Initiative

Solidarity in Motion

At Str8jacket, we believe that art is not just a form of expression but a powerful tool for social change. That's why we launched "Dancers For Palestine" — a program dedicated to advocating for a permanent and immediate ceasefire in Palestine. We invite you to join us as we use dance to voice our solidarity and support for peace.

Fashion with a Cause

Every movement has its symbols, and ours is the "Dancers for Palestine" shirt. We are thrilled to announce our fundraising initiative for E-Sims, aiding in bridging communication gaps for Palestinians. These shirts are more than apparel; they're a stand against silence, available on Tuesday nights during our Open Sesh time. Remember, fashion is transient, but impact is eternal.

A Stand for Rights and Justice

We are proud to participate in the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement. Str8jacket is committed to ceasing international support for the oppression of Palestinians and is in full support of pressing Israel to comply with international law. Join us as we take a stand against companies that contradict these values.

Advocating for Action

Collective action is at the heart of our advocacy for a permanent ceasefire and the end of US military aid to the region. Str8jacket invites you to attend protests, contact officials, vote for peace, and raise awareness through every conversation. Your actions can bring us closer to the world we all deserve.

Knowledge as the Foundation

Understanding the complex layers of the Palestine issue is crucial. We're dedicated to educating ourselves and sharing resources. Dive into the wealth of information available on our resource pages, and join us in spreading the knowledge.

Economic Solidarity

Our performances are not just about entertainment; they're about making a statement. We source our costumes from Palestinian owned businesses, supporting the local economy. Check out "Palestine Products" on Etsy, and make your purchases matter.

Your Participation is Key

Lastly, we believe in the power of community, and your ideas can help shape our movement. Do you have suggestions on how we can better support Palestine? Let's start a conversation. DM us, leave a comment, and let your voice be heard.

In closing, Str8jacket isn't just about dance. It's about movement in every sense of the word — the movement of bodies, the movement of minds, and the movement towards a more just and peaceful world. We dance not to escape reality, but to confront it, to transform it. Join us.

Resources

✊ Take Action

📖 Educational Background

📰 News and Updates

  • Tune-in for Bay Area Palestinian Solidarity Announcements, every Friday at 12 pm PST.  Also available on youtube. Co-sponsored by Arab Resource & Organizing Center, Bay Resistance, Center for Political Education, and Anti Police-Terror Project.  

🕊️ Solidarity from Dancers & Cultural Workers

🧰 Toolkits & Communities

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How to Support Black Lives Matter Online

Learn how to support Black Lives Matter online, while staying safe and avoiding harassment from trolls, hackers, and more.

This post is provided by vpnMentor and suggested by community member.

Str8jacket doesn’t own the content.

 

Tom Read

Updated on 27th July 2023

Cybersecurity Researcher

The threat of Coronavirus means many of us must continue to support Black Lives Matter online. Unfortunately, fighting social justice issues online isn’t always a risk-free protest in itself.

Are you looking for a way to stay safe as you continue to fight for Black rights online?

Well, don’t worry. vpnMentor has compiled all of the most important safety information you need to know as you show your solidarity for BLM on the internet.

You need to know this stuff because there are malicious and hateful individuals that will do whatever they can to make you feel afraid or stop you from affecting change. Whether you're posting on social media or lobbying on other parts of the web, you’ll likely have already experienced your fair share of distasteful responses. But there’s also the possibility of hackers, abusers, political rivals, government organizations, and hate groups that can target you for your views, or their personal gain.

While this may all sound a little bit scary and overwhelming, we mustn’t allow antagonists, racists, criminals, and opposers to impede BLM or the broader social justice movement. People across the internet must take action by persisting with the crucial message of BLM. By adopting the tips in this article, you can continue to support social justice issues safely for years to come.

9 Steps to Stay Safe While Supporting Black Lives Matter

The internet is full of people who are up to no good. During times of social change, it’s no surprise that people with their own agenda are looking to exploit the situation.

Targeting someone because of their opinion is simply not acceptable. Here are some ways you can avoid these spiteful groups, all while reducing the risk of threats as you support Black Lives Matter online.

1. Keep your social media private and secure

If you engage in social activism online, malicious people and groups can use the information on your social media against you.

Harassers might comment on your social media posts with hateful language to disparage what you say. They may even go as far as analyzing your content and personal information to dox you (revealing your private information online), harass you across other platforms and in real life or target your friends and family.

Snoopers, hackers, or other bad actors might use your contact details or personal information to launch phishing attacks against you, either to monitor what you're doing or to commit various types of fraud.

By making your social media private and secure, you can reduce the risk of exposure to these threats.

  • Restrict your past posts

  • Control who can see your new posts

  • Make sure your privacy settings hide any personal information that could be used against you (like where you live, your phone number, job, or email address)

  • Enable two-factor authentication on all of your accounts.

2. If you publicly support BLM or other causes, put safeguards in place

If you plan on supporting BLM publicly, and you're confident in engaging openly in conversations, debates, or collaborative discussions online, be careful about what information you share.

Consider keeping at least two separate public and private accounts on any social media. For example, you could create a public Facebook profile that’s completely open, and a 2nd private account just for close friends and family.

When supporting BLM online publicly, limit how much of your personal life, relationship, location, other information you reveal. Make sure your posts or public profile don’t accidentally reveal anything that could be used to hurt you or make you vulnerable to attacks.

As soon as you start supporting BLM online, you could experience an onslaught of attacks, bullying, and attempts to dox you.

But by creating a buffer between your public ‘persona’ and your private online life, you can shield yourself from most attacks.

3. Filter your social media

If you choose to support any social justice cause, it’s not always possible to prevent others from responding negatively to your content. A friend, colleague, or family member may suddenly expose themselves as hostile and bullying.

It's exhausting dealing with negative comments, messages, and other forms of online bullying. Still, there are some effective ways you can stop bad actors from interfering with your support for Black Lives Matter.

Individuals may post comments rubbishing your opinion, being racist, abusive, or generally unpleasant. In this case, you should simply report and block them, and take screenshots of any nasty remarks you receive in your comment section or inbox to use as evidence or to publicly out them for their bullying or racism.

You’ll get called a snowflake or ridiculed for ‘cancel culture.’ Just ignore it.

Follow these steps to avoid persistent online abuse while holding on to evidence of this harassment should it become a real problem and you need to report it to the police. In doing so, you’ll stop malicious individuals from spoiling healthy conversations about equality, or making you feel unsafe online.

4. Don’t trust strangers who approach you online

This one seems obvious, but it’s vital. If someone pops up in your online network, reaching out privately and asking to connect, be extremely cautious. However trustworthy they may seem, they could have very sinister intentions.

Bad actors with all sorts of different motivations could appear as friends or sympathizers to build trust and extract information about you. From here, they could launch cyberattacks or other forms of abuse.

We need to continue to have healthy conversations about rights and racism, but keep your personal information to yourself. That way, you can prevent the threat of strangers with ulterior motives.

 
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20 Funding Sources for Black-Owned Businesses in 2023

This post is a cross post from DownloadAstro, Str8jacket doesn’t own the right of the content.

Many African American small business owners face challenges with funding due to post-pandemic hardship, inflation, and fierce competition. Yet black-owned businesses have been integral to the U.S. economy in the past and present. 

To help you out, we’ve rounded up a list of 20 places where you can seek grants and funding for your business in 2023.

Backstage Capital

What’s cool about Backstage Capital is that they intentionally back underrepresented founders, particularly those of color, female genders, and LGBTQ orientations. Founded in 2015, this private firm set out to support early-stage startups that traditional venture capitalists often overlook. It has since funded 200 startups, most of which are based in the United States.

One of the key initiatives of Backstage Capital is its interest in helping its portfolio companies grow. Rather than give out one-off grants, the firm sources for equity rounds, convertible notes, and Simple Agreements for Future Equity (SAFEs) from its accredited investors. 

Besides investment, Backstage hosts events and provides opportunities to network with mentors, investors, and industry experts. 

Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund

The CDFI Fund is a public funding source designed to empower CDFIs servicing America’s underserved and distressed communities economically. This Fund provides various programs to support CDFIs, including the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program, which has guaranteed over $2 billion worth of bonds so far. 

CDFIs are financial institutions such as banks, credit unions, loan funds, microloan funds, or venture capital providers that provide residents and businesses loans funded by the U.S. Treasury Department to create economic opportunities in low-income communities.

To become certified as a CDFI, a financial institution must apply to the CDFI Fund and meet certain criteria. These include having a primary mission of promoting community development and being a financing entity.

The CDFI Fund isn’t exclusively for black-owned CDFIs. But it does encourage CDFIs in low-income communities by helping them with grants, tax credits, and loan services. This empowers the CDFIs to give people in those communities loans to open businesses, buy homes and so on, improving their living standards. 

Grants.gov

Grants.gov is a federal website that provides a centralized location for grant seekers to find and apply for funding opportunities. While Grants.gov offers a wide range of funding opportunities for businesses of all types, they do not specifically target Black-owned businesses. 

Some of these programs may focus on promoting economic development in historically underserved communities or supporting small businesses in certain industries. 

Please remember that Grant.gov doesn’t disburse grants. Rather, grantors can advertise grant opportunities to potentially interested communities on Grant.gov, urging them to submit their applications. 

Reign Ventures

Reign Ventures is a private venture capital fund that invests in startups led by women and minorities. They focus on companies in the tech industry that have high-potential founders. 

Reign doesn’t stipulate specific periods during which interested business owners can pitch their ideas to the board of investors. You’re welcome to send your pitch to them at any time. 


IFundWomen of Colour (IFC)

IFC is the perfect platform for female coloured entrepreneurs to raise capital through crowdfunding, grants and coaching. If you choose IFC, you can access its exclusive Slack community, where you can share your business strategy and learn more about branding and marketing.

IFundWomen also provides opportunities for women to learn from expert workshops and enlist the services of coaches to assist them on their business growth journey. 

To crowdfund your business, start by taking IFC’s crowdfunding course and supporting other campaigns. Then download the grant planner to map out exactly how you intend to get the capital you need from crowdfunding.


For full content, please visit DownloadAstro’s post here


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Bay Area hip-hop dance groups fight for Black and Asian solidarity

A year after George Floyd’s murder, local hip-hop dancers look back on a year of uneven but hard-fought progress toward racial justice.

Cross post from Date Book, written by Erin Woo

Lindsay Eklund and others dance in Rocko Luciano’s choreography class in the Zentrum Motors parking lot on Seventh Street in West Oakland.

Photo: Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

When George Floyd was murdered, the dancers at Full Out Studios didn’t want to stay silent.

The Oakland dance studio formed an informal board to discuss their options, sparked by a “base-level decent human reaction of being disgusted” by Floyd’s killing, said Full Out co-founder Rocko Luciano. But the staff — multiracial and led by three Asian American studio owners — was anxious about saying the wrong thing. For a few days, they waited to see if other studios would speak out, but they saw nothing on social media.

Four days later, Full Out posted a statement of solidarity with the Black community on Instagram. And then, Luciano said, “we put our money where our mouth was.”

Full Out raised more than $2,200 for organizations including Hip Hop for Change and the Black Lives Matter Global Network, hosted workshops to highlight Black dancers, and revised its policies to include specific anti-racism clauses. All this while struggling to stay open as a small business during a crippling pandemic and grappling with its position as an Asian-led group practicing an art form deeply rooted in African culture.

Full Out Studios’ Rocko Luciano teaches a choreography class in the parking lot next door.

Photo: Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

In the year since Floyd’s murder, Full Out hasn’t been the only Bay Area dance organization reckoning with issues of race and appropriation. Teams and studios across the country have pledged to honor the history of hip-hop, make their own practices more inclusive and use their platforms to support Black-led community organizations. The resulting change has been hard-fought, uneven at times and necessary, dancers say.

“Before we start posting any black squares or videos, we need to start learning what we’re doing first, because that’s where the respect comes from,” said JC Caoile, the executive director and artistic director of Str8jacket, a predominantly Asian hip-hop team based in San Mateo.

Hip-hop emerged in the 1970s, created by Black and Latinx youth in a postindustrial Bronx scarred by gang violence and a cratering economy. It has five pillars, according to the New York hip-hop collective Zulu Nation: DJing, breaking, MCing, graffiti and knowledge.

But even from the beginning, Asian martial arts and kung fu movies helped influence break-dancing styles, said Khafre Jay, founder of Hip Hop for Change, an Oakland-based nonprofit that uses hip-hop education to advocate for social justice causes.

Nearly two decades later, Asian American college students who grew up steeped in hip-hop culture began forming collegiate dance teams tied to Asian cultural organizations at their schools. Then the success of groups like the Jabbawockeez, which originated in the Bay Area and won the first season of “America’s Best Dance Crew” in 2008, brought Asian hip-hop dancers to mainstream attention.

“The spirit of it was connected to providing a space where people have a sense of belonging, where people who grew up in hip-hop culture can come together and express that love,” said Arnel Calvario, who started Kaba Modern, the first of the groups, as a freshman at UC Irvine in 1992.

But as mostly Asian hip-hop groups sprouted up across the University of California system and beyond, dancers started using the now-disavowed term “urban dance,” and the ties to hip-hop’s cultural roots began to fray. “We were all of these Asian people doing hip-hop and there were no Black people,” said Sammay Dizon, who danced on UC Berkeley’s Main Stacks team from 2010 through 2014.

In the Bay Area, with Asian American dancers the majority on competitive dance teams, Black dancers reported microaggressions ranging from use of racial slurs by Asian dancers to a feeling of tokenization during routines. Those dynamics were compounded on college campuses like UC Berkeley, where Black students’ share of the population dropped from 7.8% of the entering class in 1997 — the last year UC schools were allowed to use race as a criteria in admissions — to 3% in the 2020-21 school year.

“I get uncomfortable because there’s a predominantly Asian community and then sometimes you guys are dancing to rap and hip-hop songs with the N-word in it and it’s not bleeped out,” said UC Berkeley student and Bearettes drill team member Cherie Hughes, a Black dancer who spoke at an October panel discussing anti-Blackness within the Berkeley dance community.

Last summer, the renewed cultural consciousness spurred by the resurgent Black Lives Matter movement cast those tensions into sharp relief. First to go was the term “urban dance,” with team after team posting the same message via social media apologizing for its “harmful racial implications.”

Dancers participate in a pre-pandemic class at Oakland dance studio Full Out.

Photo: Rocko Luciano

Danyel Moulton, a half-Black, half-Japanese dancer from Southern California who emerged as a leader in the dance community’s fight for social justice, led virtual conference calls with hundreds of participants to discuss anti-Black racism within the dance community and outlining concrete ways to improve.

In August, Dizon’s former Berkeley team, Main Stacks, issued a statement acknowledging that “after listening to previous members’ experiences, we realize that Main Stacks has not been a place where all BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) individuals have felt welcomed, included, and heard.”

The team pledged to increase its hip-hop education, require leadership to take an implicit bias test and include a zero-tolerance clause against racial bigotry in its contract. Over the summer, team members raised $855 for the Black Organizing Project, an Oakland grassroots community organization, through a series of workshops featuring Black artists. They also helped organize the October panel on anti-Blackness in the Berkeley dance community.

Full Out hosted classes to raise money for national and Bay Area Black activist organizations including the Black Trans Protesters Emergency Fund and So Oakland LLC. Internally, the studio educated its training team on the history and fundamentals of hip-hop and revamped its internal contract to include more specific clauses condemning racism and detailing a complaint and discipline procedure for future instances of harassment or discrimination.

Black staff members at Full Out said they’re proud of the work that the studio is doing.

“They are super supportive, and they have so many resources on their website,” said Raquel Tansier, a Black dancer who began teaching at Full Out last summer after leaving two other local dance studios because they weren’t showing support for Black Lives Matter.

Arayah Fleming, another Black teacher at Full Out, said the support the studio has shown her and other Black staff members has given her the confidence to be more assertive with friends in other aspects of her life. “I got used to non-Black POC not saying anything, but not here,” said Fleming. She and Tansier are two of seven Black leaders at the studio, making up roughly a fifth of the staff.

Str8jacket dancers Miky Chau, Janna Aspidov, Namaad Jackson and Lexi Nutkiewicz at Westfield Valley Fair for the mall’s Lunar New Year Celebration on Jan. 18, 2020.

Photo: Jho Vilar

Str8jacket, which has long incorporated education on the history of hip-hop into its curriculum, added an hour of conversation before its practices to discuss current events and social issues in the dance community, and raised $900 for organizations supporting Black Lives Matter over the past year.

Teams also united for big events. In August, dozens of organizations partnered with the 2020 Project, an Asian American voter mobilization organization, to host Dance to the Polls, a virtual dance workshop series to get out the vote and share dance community perspectives from Asian and Black performers. In November, Main Stacks turned Prelude NorCal, its annual national dance competition, into a two-day speaker series “to investigate the issue of cultural appropriation of hip-hop dance as a Black cultural art form, and our privilege as non-Black dancers.” And earlier this year, Main Stacks and Str8jacket were two of many sponsors of the Invitation, an event to discuss ongoing social issues within the community.

Hip Hop for Change founder Khafre Jay and Hip Hop for Change communications director Stephanie Liem.

Photo: Courtesy of Stephanie Liem

Over the past year, activism within the dance community has happened against a backdrop of ongoing police violence against Black Americans and escalating hate crimes, bigotry and violence against Asian Americans.

Outside of the competitive and studio scene, organizations like Hip Hop for Change are working to build solidarity between Black and Asian communities in the Bay Area, partnering with other community groups like the Chinese Progressive Association. They’ve hosted workshops for dance teams and schools to emphasize a history of Black and Asian community organizing as well as “hip-hop as a pathway for solidarity,” said Hip Hop for Change communications director Stephanie Liem.

Full Out is also continuing to host events to make an impact. On Friday, May 28, for instance, the studio is hosting classes, including one taught by Moulton, to raise money for Compassion in Oakland, a volunteer organization that provides chaperones to seniors in Oakland’s Chinatown.

The efforts show that Bay Area dance teams have sustained their activism, even if Moulton cautions that success stories like these aren’t the norm across every organization. In the 15th month of the pandemic, as many teams haven’t yet held in-person practices or performances, the true test of lasting change will depend on how well their new anti-racist practices translate to a post-COVID world.

“In the next couple months, as more things open up, we’ll see how the wider community has been changing altogether,” said Str8jacket co-director Kristie Lui. “But I think definitely for Str8jacket, we’re forever changed in our mentality.”

Full Out Studios presents “AAPI Fundraiser: Dance for a Cause”: 6, 7:30 and 9 p.m. Friday, May 28. $25 for one class or $60 for all three, with a portion of the proceeds going to Compassion in Oakland. Ciel Creative Space, 935 Carleton St., Berkeley. www.fulloutstudios.com/aapi

About this story

This story was produced in partnership with AAJA-SF Bay Area and Comcast California for Rising with the Tides, a storytelling project aimed at amplifying Asian American Pacific Islander stories and voices. AAJA-SF Bay Area is the local chapter for the Asian American Journalists Association, a nationwide nonprofit educational and professional organization based in San Francisco. www.aajasf.org/rising


Erin Woo

Erin Woo is a Bay Area freelance journalist and the editor in chief of the student-run Stanford Daily newspaper.

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Support Black-Owned Businesses: 181 Places to Start Online

Racial and wealth disparities in the United States have been thrown into sharp relief by the COVID-19 pandemic and racial unrest throughout 2020. We see more clearly than ever just how often Black business owners and creatives have been thought of as less than their Caucasian counterparts – and Black businesses are paying the price.


This is a cross post from Sophia Conti

Racial and wealth disparities in the United States have been thrown into sharp relief by the COVID-19 pandemic and racial unrest throughout 2020. We see more clearly than ever just how often Black business owners and creatives have been thought of as less than their Caucasian counterparts – and Black businesses are paying the price.

Black businesses are impacted more deeply than Caucasian businesses by COVID-related closures, due to the long history of racial inequality that’s now exacerbated by the ongoing state of emergency.

It feels like an overwhelming problem – and it is – but there’s one simple thing you can do right now to help: Shop at Black-owned businesses whenever you can.

Supporting Black-owned businesses helps provide much-needed stability to business owners that have been hard hit by the pandemic. And you’re laying a foundation to continue to support Black businesses long after the crisis is over.

Once you start paying attention to who owns the businesses you shop at and where your money is going, you’ll be surprised at how your mindset starts to shift. It’s an easy, practical step to start changing the way you think while providing tangible support to Black business owners who need your help right now.

Where to start? We’ve got you covered. We’ve compiled a list of 181 Black-owned businesses across the United States in many different categories. Check out the list below.

1578701393663-Conti-Sophia-Headshotsq.jpg

Sophia Conti

Sophia is a freelance writer, editor, and content strategist. She specializes in digital marketing and B2B content for small businesses and entrepreneurs. When not writing or editing, she can be found searching used bookstores and watching the penguins at the San Diego Zoo.

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Exclusive Q&A with NBC World of Dance’s Str8Jacket

This hip-hop group burst onto the NBC World of Dance stage and spread their message of acceptance with their no-audition policy. Check out Str8Jacket’s division winning routine below and see what they were most nervous about before the Qualifiers in this exclusive Q&A with WOD Magazine.

 

This is a cross post, original post is from here

This hip-hop group burst onto the NBC World of Dance stage and spread their message of acceptance with their no-audition policy. Check out Str8Jacket’s division winning routine below and see what they were most nervous about before the Qualifiers in this exclusive Q&A with WOD Magazine.

WOD: HOW DID IT FEEL WHEN YOU FOUND OUT YOU’D BE ON SEASON 3?

SJ: A group of us were sitting in a giant van on the way back from a dance competition in LA and our Director, JC, got a phone call. We could only hear what he was saying, not the other end of the line but somehow we figured out it was WOD. Everyone started making frantic eye contact and whispering and JC kept motioning for us to be quiet. We could tell he was trying to contain his excitement. When JC got off the phone, he told us we would be on the show and we all started screaming! 

WOD: WHAT STYLE ARE YOU PERFORMING, AND WHY?

SJ: We are performing hip hop. Our team believes that anyone who has the passion and drive can become a dancer. We are a no-audition based team from the Bay Area that keeps our doors open to anyone who wants to learn.

WOD: WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED OR NERVOUS ABOUT BEING ON THE SHOW?

SJ: We are nervous about the outcome of the performance since one of our dancers, Alan Chung, sustained an injury during the filming but he pushed through and kept on going.

WOD: WHY DO YOU THINK DANCE IS IMPORTANT TO THE WORLD?

SJ: Because dance is an art that allows us to connect with people from all over the world regardless of race, language, culture, and background. Dancing also keeps us healthy both mentally and physically.

WOD: WHAT CAUSE IS CLOSE TO YOUR HEARTS?

SJ: We want more people around the world to be aware of and care about sustainability including the environment, agriculture, animal welfare, and more. We are still learning and trying to improve our habits as well.

Megan Feighery

Megan is a writer, animal lover, and coffee enthusiast with a passion for traveling and mystery novels.

 
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World of Dance is Just the Beginning for Alison Merrill

As a dancer who has studied ballet, jazz, and modern since the age of four, Alison Merrill never expected to break into hip hop and perform with a professional dance crew on national television for millions of viewers.

 

This is a cross post from IVY Magazine

As a dancer who has studied ballet, jazz, and modern since the age of four, Alison Merrill never expected to break into hip hop and perform with a professional dance crew on national television for millions of viewers.

It was not until her early twenties that Merrill discovered hip hop, gravitating towards the creative energy and inclusive culture that emanated from the community. Within two years of independent training, she was able to make her way onto two of Boston’s hip hop companies, CONcept ARTists and Static Noyze, going on to perform at Monsters of Hip Hop, RAW Boston Artists, Elements, and Sony Music.

 
Merrill, bottom row, second from the left, backstage with her hip hop team Str8Jacket at World of Dance Season 3 on NBC.

Merrill, bottom row, second from the left, backstage with her hip hop team Str8Jacket at World of Dance Season 3 on NBC.

Fast-forward three years later, Merrill is now a member and Training Captain of Str8Jacket, a competitive hip hop team based out of the Bay Area, with a mission to promote creativity, grit, and growth. This year, the team competed on Season 3 of World of Dance on NBC after winning 1st place at World of Dance Bay Area. After working on the show with personal idols like choreographers Tabitha & Napoleon D’umo and gaining feedback from renowned performers like Jennifer Lopez, Ne-Yo, & Dereck Hough, Merrill felt inspired to continue creating at a higher level.

 

Most recently, Merrill choreographed her own concept video for Bedby Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj. She explained, “What I really want to do is transport the audience to a different world and make them feel like they’re a part of something that is fun and all-consuming.” 

Through her work, Merrill strives to cultivate a welcoming space for all. Str8tJacket itself is a no-audition team, honoring the fact that hip hop embraces all different styles, bodies, and levels of performance. Anyone is allowed to join and train with them and those who show the most dedication and skill are brought onstage. To her, this serves as a refreshing contrast to ballet, where she notes that starting at a young age, being predisposed to a certain body type, and having enough money are often prerequisites that are prohibitive to many.

Alongside her involvement in dance, Merrill also serves as the National Growth Director at IVY, constantly energized by the diversity of talented members and strong arts programming.

 
Merrill celebrates the joy of dancing at the IVY Winter Gala with her boyfriend Sam Kahane.

Merrill celebrates the joy of dancing at the IVY Winter Gala with her boyfriend Sam Kahane.

A memorable experience at the IVY San Francisco Improv Workshop gave her a new perspective on the creative collaboration process. In one exercise, a member was instructed to hold a pose until another person tagged them out with a new pose. At first, people hesitated to jump, crippled by their own fear. But when the instructor asked them to reframe their intentions from a place of support, they moved more quickly and were able to generate more fun and eccentric poses. Inthat moment, Merrill realized that she could incorporate that mindset into dance. By putting her teammates first and making it her mission to support them, she could unleash tremendous creative power and deliver more astounding performances.

Merrill is grateful that her own mission of educating others and exposing them to the arts aligns so closely with IVY and that the company has allowed her to pursue her artistic passions vigorously. As Merill continues to grind away with Str8Jacket, rehearsing four nights a week and performing across the country, audiences can look forward to her second concept video coming out in June, an under wraps project that promises to be edgier, darker, and more hard-hitting than the last.

 
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Meet Str8jacket from NBC World of Dance Season 3

Str8jacket prides itself on being a no-audition dance crew, accepting anyone who is willing to put the time and effort in to becoming the best they can be. They strongly believe in providing the right tools for dancers and people as long as they have grit, discipline, and a positive attitude and are proactive in teaching the team about various topics in order to gain more skills outside of just dancing. 

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Str8jacket prides itself on being a no-audition dance crew, accepting anyone who is willing to put the time and effort in to becoming the best they can be. They strongly believe in providing the right tools for dancers and people as long as they have grit, discipline, and a positive attitude and are proactive in teaching the team about various topics in order to gain more skills outside of just dancing. This welcoming approach has paid off as Str8jacket placed second in the 2018 World of Dance Championships and took first at the WOD Bay Area competition. Now they are here to win it all this season and show America that they have what it takes. 

NBC World of Dance Season 3 begins Tuesday, February 26 at 9/8c with a 2 hour premiere and continues Sunday nights starting March 3. Watch as the best dancers in the world compete for a $1 million prize. Don’t miss exclusive interviews, performances, and more from the definitive source for all things World of Dance.

Elizabeth Spurbeck

Managing Editor

Elizabeth Spurbeck is a dance teacher, writer, and marketing professional who specializes in content + digital marketing and herding preschool-aged ballerinas.

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