Lamar is a muse for the ages, a lens through which we can explore the love within both our hearts and others'.
Check out the video and photos below.
As we all long for the comfort of understanding and the validation of observation, Fry provides a platform for his subjects to deliver their thoughts and wishes in a time when such essential emotions are the bare minimum we are allowed.
Check it out below.
Yuui Vision, makeup artist
When did the virus start affecting your life?
The first change happened when they started the lockdown in March. I was on set in Philadelphia when the announcement happened, and the producer wrapped the shoot early to send us home safely. That’s the time it hit me how serious this pandemic is. Right after that, everything STOPPED for me work wise. Since February 2020, I was fighting for the stop of xenophobia among my people wearing masks, so I was scared if that hate toward my race will be stronger, on top of all the fears such as financial insecurity, health risk, and life risk to name a few.
What changes did you have to make to your work, personal and social life?
I needed to change my mentality, and I’m confident that many of you agree with me! During this crisis, I got to re-design my life, appreciate what I already have in front of me, and I got to learn the political issues deeper.
How did you first hear about the tragedies of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor?
Instagram.
What was your response and how did you act?
.... Disbelief. I have to say that is very ignorant of me. I would shamefully admit that I did not know much about political systems in the United States. I am still learning, of course, but I was in ... what is the word? Not shock, not confusion, but some sort of anger that this has been happening in this country for so long.
What changes do you want to see happen in this country going forward?
More care and share.
How will you look back on 2020 and who should be leading the country in 2021?
2020 is the year of realization. In 2021, I believe we all should be involved to lead the world, since this crisis taught us how important EVERYONE is deeply and how much power we have when we are united.
Dion McKenzie AKA Tygapaw, multidisciplinary artist, 36
When did the virus start affecting your life?
Immediately.
What changes did you have to make to your work, personal and social life?
Since touring is no longer an option this year, I’ve had to do a few live streams here and there, but it doesn’t make up for the significant amount of income lost. Right now I’m focusing on finishing my debut album.
How did you first hear about the tragedies of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor?
Via social media.
What was your response and how did you act?
A mixture of heartbreak and frustration are my immediate responses to seeing the blatant brutalization of black people by officers whose job is to protect and serve. It seems like people (when I say people, I mean people with white privilege) haven’t been aware of systemic racism up until now, but I’ve been awake and aware since moving to the US in 2002 from Jamaica. I’ve been doing the work.
What changes do you want to see happen in this country going forward?
The end of systemic racism.
How will you look back on 2020 and who should be leading the country in 2021?
I’ll look back at 2020 as a year when I witness the truth about human nature, and because I’m an immigrant and don’t have a voice in this country, it would be great to see a leader who will stand up for the disenfranchised and support and uplift the working class.
Mahi Mamadou, artist, 23
When did the virus start affecting your life?
Beginning of March.
What changes did you have to make to your work, personal and social life?
It slowed down my traveling. I was going to move back to NY around the beginning of March, but in February I knew it wouldn’t be the best idea. So I ended up just being inside a lot more and as an artist that was actually great for me. I stopped seeing a bunch of friends but I still skated from time to time so I’d run into a few good homies.
How did you first hear about the tragedies of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor?
Social media.
What was your response and how did you act?
I was enraged, but I know there are many others who’ve been wronged by our corrupt system that have gone unnoticed. My actions became very spiritual. I would read more and have these intense conversations with my pretty diverse group of friends, figuring out ways to dismantle the conditioning in others.
What changes do you want to see happen in this country going forward?
More unity within the black race and the other races as humans.
How will you look back on 2020 and who should be leading the country in 2021?
I’ll look at 2020 as a major turning point for the human psyche, a huge shift in the planet’s energy.
Liv Collins and Adrian Koenigsberg, skaters, 23 & 25
When did the virus start affecting your life?
Liv—March was when things started getting bad. My mom is a microbiologist at Yale New Haven Hospital and I still lived with her at the time. I had never seen her that stressed in my life.
Adrian—I feel really fortunate to still continue to have a job and have really for the most part been in good health during this pandemic since mid-March. My parents live in Miami and my sister lives in Dallas, so when things started to pick back up, I got increasingly concerned for their health. I think it most specifically affected me when my grandmother got diagnosed and put into the hospital early July. She's 95 years old and I haven't been able to see her in over eight months. You don't get those moments or people back. Luckily she's doing a lot better.
What changes did you have to make to your work, personal and social life?
Liv—My plan for 2020 was to graduate college in May, start my new job, and move in with my boyfriend. None of that happened how I thought it would. My new job position was shut down and still is. I ended up moving to Brooklyn in March instead of May to avoid the risk of getting my mom sick. And I finished college early and online. My social life went from going out with friends all the time to staying inside playing Animal Crossing every single day. Even skateboarding changed for me. Things are different now, but at first all of the skate parks were locked up for months. Anytime I'd try to skate in an empty parking lot or basketball court the police would kick me out immediately, yet public parks like McCarren were open and packed with white people having picnics pretending the pandemic isn't real.
Adrian—From a professional standpoint I've been working from home since mid-March. Being a graphic designer, it's all computer based anyways so it hasn't been so heavy of a learning curve to continue to be productive. I just have been struggling more with the emotional aspect of everything. I live alone and obviously this is not a great time to be actively social. There was a period of time from mid-March to May where I literally had not seen anyone or really spoke to anyone in person aside from people in the grocery store. It comes and goes in waves. Lately I have been a bit more depressed with the absolute disregard for human life, and how we may not recover from this pandemic for an extremely long time. In terms of Quell Skateboarding, my business, luckily we were able to release and ship our fifth issue of our magazine in early April. So many people supported the launch digitally than ever before. It took a minute but I think we're slowly bouncing back to production and storytelling.
How did you first hear about the tragedies of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor?
Liv—I learned about their tragedies through Twitter. Twitter is definitely one of the fastest ways to spread information and make serious issues go viral.
Adrian—I think I first heard about these tragedies through Instagram posts or things I've seen on other social media. I was incredibly saddened to hear about these stories because there is absolutely no reason George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor should have lost their lives. Every single one of these cases, and the several other stories that are coming to life during the rise of Black Lives Matter deserve justice.
What was your response and how did you act?
Liv—I've been very vocal of my support for Black Lives Matter since I was in high school. I always use my platform to spread awareness and educate on the issues black people face in this country. So my first response was to share their stories with everyone I know. Sharing resources to help their families, donating money to various gofundme pages, and going to protests.
Adrian—I donated a lot of the proceeds of Issue 005 to several organizations through Quell. I also posted a statement on our page that encouraged our following to check out some resources and places to donate during that time. I re-wrote a mission statement for our brand, and developed guidelines so we can constantly be discussing anything with a political or social message appropriately. I want these changes at Quell to continue forever, not just for the moment.
What changes do you want to see happen in this country going forward?
Liv—I hope the passion for this movement never ends. I want to see a change when it comes to performative activism. Caring about black people should not be a trend. This is the first time I've ever seen this many people of all races coming together to defend black lives. I am not used to this at all. I hope non-black people stay angry and continue to use their privilege to help us. I want the whole country to be vocal and stand up for what is right!
Adrian—I don't think we have enough room for that on this platform to discuss how many things I would like to see change in this country. Health care, disease control, police brutality, voter equity, racism, gender and sexual discrimination. I think the pandemic and the election of Donald Trump just show how many things we've been thinking are acceptable to continue because of how they've always been. Every other country in the world has done more for their citizens than we've done for ours during this pandemic, from just a health and economic standpoint. There is no concise or clear messaging coming from our authorities and it's literally endangering our entire lives and futures.
How will you look back on 2020 and who should be leading the country in 2021?
Liv—I will look back on 2020 as the most hectic start to a new decade, but also the year that exposed so much and started a revolution. Even though there is evil in this world there is still a lot of love and compassion. Our world is changing, views are different, people are finally seeing how the system is against all of us. There is no going back now. I believe that black and indigenous womxn/femmes should be the ones leading this country!
Adrian—I feel like it's too early to tell how I'm going to look back on 2020. Every other week it seems like something worse and worse keeps happening. Maybe ask me after this election. I don't know who should be leading the country but I don't think the answer lies in who currently is in the position to get elected. I have a lot of hopes that Biden does bring Bernie into his political decision making as much as he claims he will do, but that's also contingent on Biden getting elected. I hate sounding so negative but, I'm not sure what hope I have left in this year other than creating and putting forth what I want to see in the world through Quell or in my personal life.
Julian Ribeiro, model, 21
When did the virus start affecting your life?
The coronavirus started affecting my life in early March. In the week before businesses and public spaces shut down, tensions were rising about the potential impact of the virus. I was skating in Brooklyn when a stranger started launching racist remarks against my friend, who is Vietnamese. This was the first, but sadly, not the last time that someone in my life was mistreated due to racist fears about the coronavirus. As someone who actively benefits from white privilege, situations like these serve as a stark reminder that so many of my loved ones would be unfairly accosted during this crisis.
What changes did you have to make to your work, personal and social life?
Everything changed in an instant. When quarantine began, I was told I would be out of work for two weeks. That quickly became upwards of four months. I was afraid, as were all my friends. I have a pre-existing respiratory condition, would I be at risk of getting seriously ill? Would my loved ones get sick? Who would take care of them? My parents cried when we discussed how much the hospital bill would cost if I got ill. My grandmother told me she prayed for me everyday. I am immeasurably grateful to have a loving and supportive community of friends here in New York City, and even though we couldn’t be physically together, that connection never swayed. I got really good at iMessage 8ball pool. I watched my friend turn 21 over Zoom. I skated alone under the BQE, and ate nothing besides hashbrowns and coffee for weeks. I woke up at 5 am to play Animal Crossing. We all worked to keep our minds and bodies light, and express gratitude. We couldn’t leave our apartment, but at least we had each other.
How did you first hear about the tragedies of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor?
Social media. As these events unfolded, I started seeing my friends share the videos and the images. My heart sunk. White supremacy and racism once again led to the execution of innocent people. We weren't just watching police officers suffocate a man for nearly eight minutes, we were watching hundreds of years of white supremacy, racist hierarchies, and systemic anti-black violence do what it has always done: destroy. Destroy families, destroy communities, destroy lives. I was twelve years old when Trayvon Martin was murdered by George Zimmerman, and the nation watched as he was acquitted. Eight years later, it is abundantly clear what hasn't changed. We watch again, as innocent black people are killed, and their murderers are protected by the authorities.
What was your response and how did you act?
In the morning before the first riot, I went to visit my family. I hadn’t seen them since the year prior. Later that evening, I started getting text messages. The protests were not ending, and the police were brutalizing everyone they could. I sat helpless, hours away, as my friends waited outside of a police station to try and retrieve others. A few days later I returned, and we all got back into the street. Never in my life had I watched police officers terrorize peaceful protestors with such a fervor. We had to be at these protests. To do otherwise was to be even more complicit in the violence. We had to be present, be in the crowd, to protect each other. There is no “staying silent” in situations like these. If you truly believe in a better future, you cannot sit idly by and watch your neighbors, friends, and community members face the evils of white supremacy and racism alone.
What changes do you want to see happen in this country going forward?
We all desperately want to see change. Our government and current administration have made it abundantly clear that they have no interest in dismantling the systemic racism that plagues our society. This comes as no surprise, as it is the foundation of their power. I want to see a continued level of raised social awareness surrounding these issues. We cannot let these movements fall to the wayside as our world opens back up. We have to ask ourselves how we can continue to support anti-racist initiatives, and create a more equitable world. Our eyes must remain firmly on the abuse levered against our neighbors. It has never been enough to quietly condemn these structures of abuse. It must be an active and ambitious effort, with the goal of equity and healing. I look to the future with hope and optimism, because when I look around at my peers and community, I see a new generation of politically conscious and aware young people, spanning a wide breadth of creeds and backgrounds. The government will not be there to help us. The systems that concentrate power into the white and the wealthy will not be there to help us. It is simply us, and the love and support we can give to each other, that can help us.
How will you look back on 2020 and who should be leading the country in 2021?
I will look back on 2020 as a year of immense and uncomfortable change. We have all watched as our old routines, habits and lifestyles were upended. However, I have no wish to return to the way things were. I will look back at 2020 and hold gratitude for this year because of the shift that has been initiated. I am more mindful of my community, more appreciative for my health and wellbeing, and more aware of the work that remains to be done. 2020 has made it abundantly clear: the old ways are not working. We must look forward, and remain steadfast in our goal of change. None of us deserve to feel comfortable if the same cannot be said for black people, for trans women of color, for the poor, for the undocumented, for the homeless. To inhabit a white body and ignore their voices is to perpetuate violence.
Danny, social worker, 29
When did the virus start affecting your life?
The literal day that venues, festivals, etc. all shut down, because it was supposed to be the first day of our tour with Pussy Riot. We were out in LA for the beginning of tour, and up until a few hours before the show was supposed to start, we were waiting to hear from Pussy Riot's manager and the venue about if it would close or not. In the next couple days, LA began official quarantine, and me and Tommi had to escape back to NY and hop on a flight, because we were worried air travel would shut down.
What changes did you have to make to your work, personal and social life?
Needless to say, tour was cancelled; however, I didn't have much time to think about it, because I was already amping myself up for visiting clients in their homes all over NYC during the pandemic. I knew that my job would be way more intense then usual, and that my coworkers would need me to be one of the people willing to go out and see clients. My job started incorporating telehealth as part of how we provide services, so for situations that are not an emergency we can call people instead of meeting them in person. But many of the situations weekly still counted as emergencies, and I've been out every week of quarantine. It was trippy riding the subway to the Bronx every week in March and April and seeing what felt like end times.
Earlier on, I had to visit COVID19 positive patients and check in with them/bring them food/thermometers, prescriptions, etc. There were big food shortages at the beginning of quarantine. Much of my time was spent delivering masks, medication, and coordinating emergency food efforts to clients, who all have mental health and/or substance use concerns, and regularly engage in risky behaviors. There continues to be psychiatric and medical emergencies every week. Our agency didn't have access to masks at the beginning of quarantine (there was a massive shortage in NYC) so I posted on social media and received lots of generous donations from our community, and it was really inspiring, as well as a precursor of what was to come with mutual aid efforts during the resurgence of the BLM movement. A lot of the folks already engaged in helping out with mask donations would be the same people I would be organizing and taking action with in June and beyond.
As far as with Deli Girls, we enjoyed playing some online shows with friends over quarantine, and have mostly been working on finalizing our upcoming album. After much deliberation, quarantine definitely helped push us in the direction of deciding to make a PC game to go with our next album. We feel a game is the best representation of our creative project so far, and are so excited to bring that to life in conjunction with our upcoming album. We want people to still experience our music even without the existence of live shows. I wrote the script for the game, our talented friend Mark Fingerhut is programming it, and Tommi is creating a lot of the assets for the game.
How did you first hear about the tragedies of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor?
I heard about these tragedies through the news, friends, and social media. I vividly remember my roommate coming out of his room and saying, "Yooooooo did y'all see what happened in Minneapolis? They set fire to a precinct." And then the next night we were all out at Barclay's Center, like that. After years of protesting in NYC before this past June, I was surprised, joyful, and strengthened by the reaction and energy of the people, which I could tell was a total 180 from actions in the past. Everyone was committed to direct action, to taking care of each other, and ready to fight. I took a day off work so I could focus on marching and coordinating supply efforts with friends. I was out the whole first day/night of curfew, which was dystopian as fuck. Cuomo's tweets shining down at us from a billboard at Columbus Circle at 7:55 pm the first night of curfew while surrounded by pigs: "Don't be a criminal." It was one of the most intense couple weeks of my life, doing social work by day and taking action by night. I was visiting clients in the Bronx during curfew (doing my job) and cops were menacing on every corner, and I wondered if I would be arrested for trying to bring a client their check, or for buying a hot plate for another client whose stove didn't work, or for counselling another who had recently been suicidal. My little essential worker pin was obviously irrelevant.
What was your response and how did you act?
I focused on educating people who had not taken direct action before, educating my friends about security best I could, and sharing and amplifying the voices and information that needed it in our community (like just about everyone else at this time). I've been donating as much as I can, and trying to amplify the BIPOC voices at my job and in my community. I brought protest kits to any of my clients that wanted to go take action. My friends and I showed up to jail support...My friends who were unemployed at the time went IN, and I was able to connect a lot of folks who killed it with mutual aid. We were all looking out for each other best we could, and went out as much as we could. The nights at home or working were spent simultaneously police scanning for those who were out.
What changes do you want to see happen in this country going forward?
I want to see the revolution prevail. I want to see the demands of BIPOC met, and for their voices to be heard. I want to continue to see direct action prioritized, and also a diversifying of the methods of direct action. I want trans people to be safe. Abolish ICE, prisons, and psych wards. I want to see a harm reduction based approach for all endeavors.
How will you look back on 2020 and who should be leading the country in 2021?
2020 has been a year about unexpected but necessary growth, both personally and in the external world. Right now it feels unfinished. 2020 was a bad movie none of us wanted to be in. People forgot how to talk to each other, and now are in the process of relearning how to, which I think is one really positive outcome. A lot of folks I spoke with at work or in my personal life (including myself) reported having important realizations about themselves and the way their own brain works, due to having so much time isolated. 2020 has been very affirming, in all the real and difficult ways, because I realized I had a higher purpose. People's lives and well being depends on my ability to take care of myself, and be present. I don't know who should be leading the country in 2021, but definitely not anyone who's currently up for election. Representational politics is fucked.
As we all long for the comfort of understanding and the validation of observation, Fry provides a platform for his subjects to deliver their thoughts and wishes in a time when such essential emotions are the bare minimum we are allowed.
Check it out below.
Bryndon Cook, Artist
When did the virus start affecting your life?
Top of March everything started to stop. Then each day had its own event(s). I am a pretty regular vinyl DJ, and those events were some of the first to go in NYC.
What changes did you have to make to your work, personal and social life?
Just had to stay inside a little more than I normally do. Checking in on family across the country. Trying to stay calm & patient. My album, Forever, was already slated for release June 2020, so that gave me piece of mind.
How did you first hear about the tragedies of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor?
On Twitter, the final frontier. The last stop for news.
What changes do you want to see happen in this country going forward? How will you look back on 2020 and who should be leading the country in 2021?
We’re living in a pretty rare time. At moments, I don’t think generations before us quite fathomed the kind of hyper-saturated reality that we’re currently standing in. Where there has been so much progress (so to speak) yet incessant destruction from the lack of “radical progress” and the presence of “latent progress” which forms our present reality. It’s a historical chasm of dual consciousness I feel we are collectively unprepared for, despite the historical pushes of its chosen people.
I think as a human species carrying on in the digital world, we have a way of intellectualizing otherwise traumatic and tectonic shifts in our reality as a coping mechanism in order to process our own reality. Like bookmarking important webpages, but never returning to them in earnest. Therefore, when I look around at this year and some of the preceding moments of years past, if feels shocking to be a part of such a visceral moment of flux. Maybe part of our great undoing has been that we are built on generations that imagined a brighter future than this and we are fully stuck in the mires of our own inadequacies.
I believe to be black, is to know this. To be queer, is to know this. To be a black woman, is to live in constant reminder of all these things. George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Toyin Salau, Layleen Xtravangaza, Ahmaud Arbery, and all that floated in this wave of visible death are reminders of how far we are from the change we need. We have been born and bred through a history of violence which beckons reckoning. The systems which have so long destroyed us, need be destroyed. Police, patriarchy, white supremacy, weaponized anti-blackness, trans- and homophobia are all agents of the state. I hope as we tear down these systems, we’ll continue to uplift and empower those who were otherwise constantly cornered and silenced by them. There are new voices to be heard.
Dylan Chavles, Hairstylist, 29
When did the virus start affecting your life?
March 13, 2020.
What changes did you have to make to your work, personal and social life?
Everything really. I’m so used to touching people and connecting to them that way, and the thing that made me feel the most in my skin was the thing that could potentially get me and others sick. It was hard relearning how to communicate without my hands.
How did you first hear about the tragedies of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor?
Through Twitter.
What was your response and how did you act?
The same way I’ve been responding for years. Make sure my immediate community is okay, and get out and see where I’m needed. I think a lot of people forget that the police were awful under Obama’s era too. Obama deployed the DHS on protestors. Obama heavily militarized the police. This isn’t a new thing and no president is going to save us from police violence.
What changes do you want to see happen in this country going forward?
I think more than ever, especially during a pandemic, we need more social programs. I don’t think people would be stupid enough to not wear a mask if we had accessible education here. If we had access to free education, maybe all people without access to the obscene amount of money it costs to go to school could go to college without worrying about loans. Maybe we’d all come together and understand that trickle down economics is a farce and having billionaires actually pay taxes would solve a lot of financial issues in the US. We wouldn’t be protesting eviction court if trillions of dollars were injected into rent and mortgage freezes instead of Wall Street. Maybe we’d all be able to work together as individuals to fight against a system that keeps us divided by not caring for those who need it most.
How will you look back on 2020 and who should be leading the country in 2021?
I don’t know how I’ll look back on it, 2020 feels like it’s been going on forever and it’s still here. I don’t think we know what the effects this time will have on us yet. I’m voting for Biden, who I absolutely hate. I don’t think he should be leading the country but I truly believe if you’re going to abstain for voting out of “resistance," then you should also have a gun and be ready to lead a resistance. Otherwise, just vote. It’s not a big deal to vote. You check off a bunch of boxes and submit a piece of paper. Getting tear gassed by the police is way harder than voting. If you truly believe administrations don’t matter, then you need to do some more research.
Leeky Da Bike God, Bike Rider
When did the virus start affecting your life?
As much as anyone can, I have been trying not to let the virus affect me. I’ve been focused on my family and my friends being as safe as possible, so if they’re good, I’m good. Plus I can still ride my bike, which is social distancing at its best haha. Truthfully, I try not to think of it.
What changes did you have to make to your work, personal and social life?
Funny enough, a little common sense goes a long way. I listen to what the experts say and apply it to my life the best I can. I’ve gotten more focused on my craft and just been working through the pandemic. The hustle continues and I’m not going let anything slow my process down.
How did you first hear about the tragedies of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor?
Like most of us, I found out through social media and the internet. It’s messed up that bad news is so easily shared across social media, but it keeps us informed and we need truthful information now more than ever. It’s just really sad how people of color are constantly being treated and abused.
What was your response and how did you act?
I was mad. I am mad. I’ve been mad. They weren’t the first or the last to suffer at the hands of the police, but we as a country are getting more and more tired of it. That’s why the reaction was so strong across the country. I even went so far as to create a shirt that speaks out against police brutality.
What changes do you want to see happen in this country going forward?
I wanna see every one treated equally, no matter their race. But honestly, I am doubtful that it will ever happen, at least not in my lifetime. But I’ll keep fighting for it.
How will you look back on 2020 and who should be leading the country in 2021?
I’ll look back on 2020 like “that was one crazy year” lol. I mean since they are letting anyone lead the country the days, Bike God for president.
Moonbear, Skater
When did the virus start affecting your life?
The virus started affecting my life mid March.
What changes did you have to make to your work, personal and social life?
My work, personal and social life had to come to a halt and the way I mentally and emotionally went through this was by re-watching Gossip Girl for a month then slowly adding productive and routine activities to my schedule again.
How did you first hear about the tragedies of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor?
I first heard about these lives being taken through the internet.
What was your response and how did you act?
I wasn't surprised by the murders. The way black people have been getting treated horribly has been going on for the entire history of America. I felt more overwhelmed because I was already having to adjust to a new way of living, being and doing because of the virus. Another wave of anxiety washed over me.
What changes do you want to see happen in this country going forward?
I want to see people continuing to accept the truth and doing better. I want to see the voting system for presidential elections change because as long as the electoral votes are the ones that decide who the next president is, the majority of people aren't getting the president they asked for. I also want to see more accountability checks at the top. When you have too much power and not enough people checking you, things can go horribly wrong as they have been in America.
How will you look back on 2020 and who should be leading the country in 2021?
2020 was a horrible year in terms of all the wrongdoings, lack of empathy and stupidity demonstrated by people in political power positions. But it is a moment of awakening for the country and the world. Everyone should be leading with their actions to make the world better in 2021 and for future generations to come.
Marc Esannason, Entrepreneur, 53
When did the virus start affecting your life?
March 16th is when the situation became real. I began helping my daughter with her online classes for school. This was the first day of New York City on pause.
What changes did you have to make to your work, personal and social life?
Throughout this ordeal is has allowed me to segment some of my energies and focus to both my family and my community. Being a business owner, with varying levels of success over the years, I felt a new level of obligation to help build up the next generation, which is why I embarked on a new venture called Freestyle by Making. A Brand. It’s a very personal project that focuses on mentoring college students that wish to learn about business in an entrepreneurial way. My social life was transformed into the new way of seeing your friends and family through video conferencing apps. My family surprised me with a video conference for my birthday.
How did you first hear about the tragedies of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor?
Watching CNN. It seemed like a racial tragedy happened once a week during the lockdown.
What was your response and how did you act?
I was angered to see these repetitive injustices happen throughout the country. I didn’t go protest because our people have been protesting for years and nothing has come from it. These tragic stories are proof that nothing has changed.
What changes do you want to see happen in this country going forward?
Along with taking down monuments that symbolize racism we need to re-write the Constitution of the United States since it was written by a majority of slave owners. Now that the U.S. Supreme Court is in the real estate business, issuing land to our Native American brothers, they should consider giving land to us African American’s, that we solely control and govern along with an overall discounted tax structure for those who live in the territory.
How will you look back on 2020 and who should be leading the country in 2021?
2020 is such a pivotal year. This could be a year for tremendous opportunity for African Americans if the mind set changes. We have great power financially over this country. We have to stop financially supporting companies and brands that don’t support us. Spend your money with those who are going to help uplift your community instead of tearing it down. The next leader for our country in 2021 should have the ability to comprehend and enact the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. Making sure “justice for all” is well suited in the Department of Justice.
Alvina Bokhari, Jewelry Designer
When did the virus start affecting your life?
I noticed a change in pace with everything. Parties, restaurants, work and social gathering were slow. I also was abroad while traveling was becoming more strict. I remember just landing in pakistan, getting my temperature taken and then becoming extremely paranoid that I might have contacted something along the whole process. Soon work trips/meetings were being pushed or canceled and eventually we were all quarantined.
What changes did you have to make to your work, personal and social life?
Naturally I’m a homebody, but I’m most productive when I’m out and about. Once quarantine started, it was hard to find a routine that worked for me. Like many people, I felt stuck not being able to live in other environments. But by counting my blessings it led me to a better head space.I was in a safe comfortable home with people who love me. We were all grieving and I just wanted to take my time and focus on myself. Soon I became more productive and started to communicate with friends (virtually) more. Zoom parties started to feel less awkward as well.
How did you first hear about the tragedies of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor?
Social media provided more valid info than any article I read online. For the first time, I was really proud of how social media was used as a vital tool to inform people. It provided the truthful, unskewed version of the news.
What was your response and how did you act?
When I first read the stories of Breonna Taylor, George Flloyd, Tony Mcdade, Ahmaud Arbery, and Elijah Mccain, I felt mad. To be honest, I don't know how else to explain it. I felt mad knowing this has been happening on a much larger scale. Mad that even with blatant video proof people will choose to turn a blind eye and choose gaslight victims instead of fighting for what's right.
Learn more about Asanni's mission below.
Unfortunately for the 25-year-old musician, Asanni Armon’s closest friends, two trans people existing and working in New York, were risking eviction. Sadly for many trans people, this is their reality, but the deterioration of her friend's sustainability was unforeseeable for her. Just then, the Atlanta native was sitting in her therapist’s office when she was pondering the severity and weight of the situation. She couldn't band-aid her pain unless she was able to aid in sustaining and protecting her loved ones' lives.
Inside of that therapist’s office, a captivating wave of ideas washed over her thus presenting her with a seamless solution. “I just kind of had this mental 'aha' moment where I was like, hm, maybe if I throw a party and ask people to pay at the door, people will, and we'll be able to raise money for them," explains Asanni. "And it was like a shot in the dark because I mean, I had thrown parties on the lower scale before.” She quickly mocked up and printed out a flyer basically reading, "Come here, come through to this rooftop. Pay $5, you can get in, and we'll have liquor." And in her own words, "A lot of fucking people came through, and those that couldn't donated anyways."
Her idea, yet admirable and moldable to all New York stresses, isn't original, it's historic. She claims that she sought out this idea and took inspiration from the great American poet Langston Hughes who threw parties for rent relief. "I remember Langston Hughes writing about rent parties where like Black poor people would come together in a building. Somebody in the building would be facing eviction, so the people in the building would offer up their apartment or offer up their roof and be like, 'Hey, y'all bring a dollar, $2, whatever food and liquor, and you can come party with us and we'll use this money for somebody rent." For The Gworls truly proves that the great assessment of struggle in society has a community to safeguard it, and where there's a community, there's a way.
After this one successful advance at a party and a lucky $2000 was raised, she was overtaken with an idea. Asanni was at another party when she was approached with, "Maybe you could try to do this every month to help people in our community and help other Black trans women and femmes who need help with their rent or gender-affirming surgery." Asanni explains further: "Cause you know, we're always struggling with these things in this city, and I was about to start a new job, like a nine to five that same week, so I was like, 'I don't know if I can commit to that, but I'll try.' And I decided to commit to it." This birthed the multi mutual aid fund For The Gworls. For the Gworls or "FTG" is bringing back rent parties for the greater good, but in COVID times they focus on raising money through electronic donations that prioritize Black trans folks.
From there, the initial thought of this being a full-time commitment for Asanni struck as an instant "no." But over time, the pressure of trans people's well being began to overflow in thought. "When that friend asked me, 'Hey, why don't you go do this every month,' well, my initial reaction was no. Then I was by myself the next day and was like, 'Well girl, if you didn't throw this party this past weekend you would have been on somebody else's roof getting drunk anyway. And you're going to do that every weekend anyway. So you might as well dedicate one weekend to try to do that, to help somebody else.' And so, I just feel like there were many reasons why I felt responsible to do this kind of work."
The process of mutual aid is ever-evolving in method and selection for Asanni. It started as an overwhelming call to action for many trans people who needed help. "So when we first started, it was very much so first come first serve. People would DM us, people would tweet us. People would call me, text me, friends would call me and text me and be like, 'Hey, I know this person.' And then we would have a waitlist because we were such a small platform."
The waitlist began to pile up and it rang as a sign that something about the process needed to change. It evolved into a system that was fair and had a maximum impact on the trans community. "Then June happened where we experienced this explosion of followers and donations, which I'm very thankful for. And so now it is very much so still first come first serve. But, I think what we are trying to do now is kind of pivot to only putting out asks for the really big things. And then people who come to us for smaller amounts, we can kind of just send that to them immediately."
For Asanni, For The Gworls isn't a question, it's a commitment to her community. "It's so important [to sustain Black trans sisterhood] because the world distances us from every other community, right? White trans people, white queer people wanna fetishize us and just want to fuck us. And they just want to treat us like we are subhuman. Which I mean, getting into the theory of it all to white people, we are in indeed subhuman. Black cishet people want to alienate us because they think that we are immoral, unnatural, etc. And then Black, even Black queer cis people, don't really understand Black transness. So we have no choice, but to form community within ourselves."
In a community of forgotten people, Black trans girls deserve your protection and advocacy. To support this community, it is imperative that we allocate money for trans people in need in order to sustain not only their well being but their safety.
To support and donate to For The Gworls, click here.
