Learned Something New.

Morning walks posted in evenings

FRIDAY FOLLOWS 👀

Blogs to watch // Blogs we love

1. @melanated-violet brings all things aesthetic, black and excellent to your dash, peppered with quotes & flowers for a little day ✨brightening✨

2. We get it, you’re artsy. Follow this Toronto native who makes music and makes your day by curating calming aesthetics, fashion and interiors.

3. In need of fashion inspo? We got you. Follow @blackfashion

4. Oh, you fancy? We have the blog for you: @blvksupreme

5. Do your dash a favor and follow @melaninblackmagic for all the aesthetics

All we need is a little ☀️ to have fun

In anticipation of the (now virtual) New York Caribbean Week and the annual Labor Day Parade, this August we’re highlighting artworks in the Museum’s collection that celebrate the presence of Caribbean culture and its diasporas.

Jamaican artist Ebony G. Patterson uses lavish surfaces and verdant motifs to entice viewers to contemplate not only the power of beauty and fashion but also historical and contemporary violence against Black bodies. In the monumental three-channel video installation …three kings weep…, a trio of towering young men shed tears as they sit silently before a backdrop of floral wallpaper and fluttering artificial butterflies. The videos play backwards, and as a result the initially shirtless men appear to be slowly dressing themselves in colorful clothing with mixed patterns and gleaming jewelry that draw on the styles of dancehall culture and carnival costuming. Silence is intermittently interrupted by the voice of a boy reciting “If We Must Die,” a sonnet that Jamaican-born writer Claude McKay published in 1919 after a summer of intense racial terror and resistance across the United States. In the final seconds of the more than eight-minute-long triptych, as the men’s sartorial performance ends, each proudly crowns himself with a bandana, a bucket hat, and a pair of reflective glasses, respectively. As in McKay’s poem, these three kings are ready to fight for their dignity. 

Come view this work, along with other videos from the Brooklyn Museum’s collection, starting September 9 in an upcoming outdoor screening series—stay tuned for details!

Posted by Drew Sawyer Ebony G. Patterson (Jamacian, born 1981). ... three kings weep … (excerpt), 2018. Three channel digital color video projection with sound, 8 minutes 34 seconds Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Contemporary Art Committee and purchase gift of Carla Chammas and Judi Roaman, 2019.11. © artist

Black Lives Matter

Last week we reacted with feeling. This week we’re channeling that feeling into fuel for action. 

The ongoing protests against police brutality are not just a response to the unnecessary deaths of a few. They are a response to 401 years of racism. The unequal treatment of BIPOC was built into the blueprint of the United States, and we still see the indirect and direct consequences of that fact. 

Tumblr has a moral obligation to our community to use this platform in a socially responsible manner. Staying silent about our solidarity with the police brutality protests last week was not an option. Simply spreading our message of solidarity without actionable follow-up this week was not an option, either. 

What Tumblr is doing

Diversity and inclusion will remain an ongoing open and honest conversation within our company. This week we have come together as an organization to make sure the necessary conversations are being held. Dialogue is great, but action is needed. 

Hate speech is not allowed on Tumblr. That sort of hateful rhetoric leads to violence. White supremacists, Nazis, and other purveyors of hate can fully fuck off. They are not welcome here. As we promised last month, hate speech will not go unchecked. If you see hate speech, report it to our Trust & Safety team. They will remove all content against our Community Guidelines.  

Tumblr is a platform. The small team of <200 employees behind Tumblr are people. People who are scared, hopeful, angry, sad, and impassioned. People who care. As individuals, many of us are marching, protesting, and donating. We wanted to share some of the places we’ve donated to over the last two weeks in the hopes that you’ll check them out yourselves:

Color of Change demands justice and equality for Black people in the United States.

Black Girls Smile is dedicated to providing young Black women with mental health resources.

Equal Justice Initiative works to end mass incarceration, excessive punishment, and racial inequality. 

Homeless Black Trans Woman Fund provides Black trans women in Atlanta with housing, food, and necessities.  

Our social advocacy team is seeking more activists to do Issue Times on issues that affect the Black community. So often, the best suggestions come from all of you. Let us know who you want to hear from. As always, we will read the reblogs from this post.

Our official Tumblr for all things social advocacy, @action​, will continue to reblog posts from the community on more ways to help support the protests. 

Ways we can all help

Over the years, the Tumblr community has solidified itself as being passionate advocates for social justice. Through your posts, group chats, and messages, you educate yourself and others. If you’re not Black, commit to being a better ally. Listen to the Black community. 

Last week @theblackoutofficial​ collected a nice list of resources here on Tumblr. You can stay further informed by following the Black Lives Matter, BLM, and protests tag.

There is a place for everyone in the Black Lives Matter movement. You may be unable to march or attend rallies, but that doesn’t mean you have to sit on the sidelines. You can pass out water, masks, and hand sanitizer if you can’t march. You can donate to a charity you believe in or give money to your local mutual aid organization. 

Contact your officials to encourage our communities to invest in areas we know can prevent crime before it even happens: youth services, education, adequate housing, trauma services, counseling, and restorative justice programs. You can use these easy pre-filled form emails for a number of cities.

Just yesterday, U.S. House and Senate leaders introduced the Justice in Policing Act of 2020. This legislation may work to hold police accountable for their actions. We’re watching the developments of this closely, and suggest you do, too. Call your senators and call your representatives to support this legislation. 

Are you an artist of any kind? Or do you just like art? There are tons of artists on Tumblr who are doing commission fundraisers for charities that have an impact on Black communities. Considering buying something or starting one yourself. 

Lastly: Vote!  

Vote! Vote! Register to vote! Even if you missed the deadline for upcoming elections, register to vote now so you can participate in the next one. You deserve to have a say in what happens within your community.

Perfect scene in nyc, no cars on an entire city block

What will you do in 2022 for a #HealthierTomorrow? 🌎

What is World Health Day?

Explore the bold Women’s SS21 Collection.

M̶e̸e̵t̶i̷n̴g̷ ̸o̸f̷ ̵t̴h̶e̵ ̶M̸i̵n̸d̴s̴