Black Artist - Aid for School and Supplies

Sekoi Cooper is organizing this fundraiser.

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Hi, my name is Sekoi, I am an artist turned fashion designer, born in Washington, D.C. I am currently completing my Bachelors of Fine Arts at Parsons School of Design. My art leans in on the subjectivities of societies Global perceptions of Black people. My life's ambition includes unpacking the surveillance of Black bodies as I create literal spaces that reflects tangible memories of collective childhood experience, but also always addressing Black People.

This is my final year - which means senior thesis is my focal point. I will be working through my process and making a blueprint from my ideologies. I have worked tirelessly these four years for this moment, In preparation I took major steps to be financially sound. The cost of being creative; buying necessary materials and tools as well as finding a means to pay for my tuition for a private institution was a struggle.

My mother (a single mother) has been the sole provider for me most of my life. My father was taken by murder while I was a young girl leaving my mother and I, heartbroken and financially unstable. Nevertheless, Mom has helped me as much as she can over the last four years. Taking out parent plus-loans and sending cash to supplement my needs while I worked as an RA.

Though I was a full time student working as an RA solved my living situation. It was also a small employment opportunity. However, during this fall/spring 2019/2020 semesters I moved a total of four times to completely different dormitories across the city. With no added financial support from Parsons. With the disruption of packing and moving to multiple spaces around Manhattan, it took me out of my studio hours. It also caused me to lose-out on opportunities to set rituals and have organization. The last move was right before COVID-19. I stayed in that space for a single month before Parsons housing evicted all of their students and laid off most of their Resident Advisors. By March, I made the quick decision to pack it up for another move - back home to Washington D.C. Parsons did not fund or reimburse me for moving vehicles, boxes, or any of the items I had to leave behind due the lack of space in the vehicle I used. The emotional and mental toll of it all, during a time of blatant violence against bodies that looked like mine is continuously depleting and has been harmful to say the least.

With 3 of 4 years at school complete and no additional financial aid or scholarship in sight I felt ready to give up on my dreams of a degree and being a first generation college grad. Nevertheless, while settling back home, I awaited knowledge of grants and scholarships I applied for to try and regain hope of finishing out the school term. Good news came in and I was awarded the Gucci Change-makers scholarship. Over this summer I worked vigorously in their fellowship. I was thankful and relieved that some of my funding would be taken care of while I worked from home.

However, with school back in swing this week - I became aware that Parsons confiscated all of the funds from the Change-Makers scholarship using it towards my tuition. Taking away the initial government funding I was previously offered that covers the cost of my education. Leaving me with zero money for thesis supplies and no machines to work on from home. I've called numerous times to Parsons Bursar and financial aid to remedy this but no one is helping me, and no one is willing to aid confiscation of my outside scholarship.

So i am attempting to create some mutual aid for my tuition, knitting (Dubied knitting machine or Brother Double Bed Knitting Machine), Sewing machinery (Pearl Stitch and Overlook), Yarn, furniture building tools/supplies, Fabric (Rolls of Muslin and other rolls of Fabrics), Fees for traveling back and forth to NYC and Washington D.C.,Software for Digital Knitting, Dressing Form/Mannequin (Size 14,16, or 18), etc. I am in hopes that this will not only support my thesis and tuition but the start of my business post-grad.