Holiday Gifts for BIPOC Youth Impacted by COVID
Donation protected
ORGANIZED BY: Salomée (@chromae .s), Jahdi (@jahdi _), & Jenn (@jnthkg)
As we're all aware, the holidays are already a difficult time for BIPOC families. Adding the disproportionate rate in which COVID is affecting those families is insurmountable.
Black people are dying from COVID-19 at nearly 2.5 times the rate of white people (61.6 deaths compared to 26.2 deaths per 100,000 people).
Because of this, Salomée, Jahdi, and Jenn are coming together to hopefully raise enough money to provide supplies and gifts for Black and Brown youth who are passionate about art, and whose parents have been affected by COVID. Whether that means they lost their job, contracted COVID, have had to take care of a family member who has contracted COVID, etc.
We want to make sure the youth have the means to keep inspired and continue creating. Especially when COVID makes it so that students are required to learn online, we want to give them the tools to learn in other ways.
Therefore, we will be focusing on 15 kids, age ranged from 7-17 to gift with the following supplies:
- A computer for accessible education
- Books written by Black & Brown authors for inspiration and motivation.
- Art supplies (eg. paint, sketchbooks, brushes, etc) for the creative minds.
As the three of us have been heavily involved in the Black Lives Matter movement, we have seen many folks who have had the intentions of being an ally, utilize their efforts in performative ways. We hope this fundraiser can be recognized as a way that folks can give back to Black & Brown communities, and inspire Black & Brown youth.
Please utilize contributing to our fundraiser as a form of being an effective ally!
A little bit more about each of us below.
Salomée (@chromae .s):
Salomée is a muralist, designer, and creative, who holds Peruvian and Algerian ancestors. She is originally from Switzerland, where French was her first language, and she is currently an immigrant living in Portland, Oregon. She prides herself in being proud of her culture and continues to encourage people to step outside of the box society has created for them.
She has shifted from the corporate advertising world to fully immersing herself in the push for a revolution.
She sees herself as two different people: a designer that creates provocative art that motivates people to reimagine a new world, and a painter that creates murals that celebrates Black, Brown & Indigenous womxn.
She curates revolutionary work to give power to the people, the youth, and to creatives, with the intention of taking up space and reclaiming space. She hopes to not only give back to Black & Brown communities, but to inspire them to feel like they can inspire others as well.
Venmo/Cashapp: @/$takeupspace
Jahdi (@jahdi _):
Jahdi is a Black man born in Chicago, who grew up in the Pacific Northwest and currently lives in Portland, Oregon. He spends a majority of his time organizing community events, attending protests, creating revolutionary art, and still finds time to curate music.
Since the George Floyd protests began, he has consistently put himself out on the frontlines protesting for the Black Lives Matter movement, amplifying Black voices, including his own. He recently took himself out of the corporate world to devote his time, effort, and energy into the movement, full time. He continues to find avenues to educate folks around him, while putting his identity on the line.
Venmo/Cashapp: @/$JahdiBLM
Jenn (@jnthkg ):
Jenn is a graphic designer, social media professional, and event producer who identifies as Hong Kong-nese, as she was born, adopted, and raised in Hong Kong until she graduated high school. She grew up in a melting pot of a family; raised by a father from America and a mother from Taiwan, giving her the opportunity to speak English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. She has lived in Portland, Oregon, for 5 years and has shifted from the corporate/non-profit world to invest herself into work within BIPOC communities, BIPOC artists, and BIPOC revolutionaries.
As a non-Black woman of color, she regularly re-evaluates her intentions to ensure that she is consistently prioritizing Black lives, while still pushing for the fight for Hong Kong's freedom.
Her graphic design work has centered the Black Lives Matter movement, whilst educating non-Black folks about their intentions and how they can best impact the Black community. She makes it her prerogative to show up on the frontlines of protests to fight for Black lives by utilizing her body and voice to protect the Black activists around her, while also organizing events alongside other BIPOC organizers.
Venmo/Cashapp: @/$jnthkg
As we're all aware, the holidays are already a difficult time for BIPOC families. Adding the disproportionate rate in which COVID is affecting those families is insurmountable.
Black people are dying from COVID-19 at nearly 2.5 times the rate of white people (61.6 deaths compared to 26.2 deaths per 100,000 people).
Because of this, Salomée, Jahdi, and Jenn are coming together to hopefully raise enough money to provide supplies and gifts for Black and Brown youth who are passionate about art, and whose parents have been affected by COVID. Whether that means they lost their job, contracted COVID, have had to take care of a family member who has contracted COVID, etc.
We want to make sure the youth have the means to keep inspired and continue creating. Especially when COVID makes it so that students are required to learn online, we want to give them the tools to learn in other ways.
Therefore, we will be focusing on 15 kids, age ranged from 7-17 to gift with the following supplies:
- A computer for accessible education
- Books written by Black & Brown authors for inspiration and motivation.
- Art supplies (eg. paint, sketchbooks, brushes, etc) for the creative minds.
As the three of us have been heavily involved in the Black Lives Matter movement, we have seen many folks who have had the intentions of being an ally, utilize their efforts in performative ways. We hope this fundraiser can be recognized as a way that folks can give back to Black & Brown communities, and inspire Black & Brown youth.
Please utilize contributing to our fundraiser as a form of being an effective ally!
A little bit more about each of us below.
Salomée (@chromae .s):
Salomée is a muralist, designer, and creative, who holds Peruvian and Algerian ancestors. She is originally from Switzerland, where French was her first language, and she is currently an immigrant living in Portland, Oregon. She prides herself in being proud of her culture and continues to encourage people to step outside of the box society has created for them.
She has shifted from the corporate advertising world to fully immersing herself in the push for a revolution.
She sees herself as two different people: a designer that creates provocative art that motivates people to reimagine a new world, and a painter that creates murals that celebrates Black, Brown & Indigenous womxn.
She curates revolutionary work to give power to the people, the youth, and to creatives, with the intention of taking up space and reclaiming space. She hopes to not only give back to Black & Brown communities, but to inspire them to feel like they can inspire others as well.
Venmo/Cashapp: @/$takeupspace
Jahdi (@jahdi _):
Jahdi is a Black man born in Chicago, who grew up in the Pacific Northwest and currently lives in Portland, Oregon. He spends a majority of his time organizing community events, attending protests, creating revolutionary art, and still finds time to curate music.
Since the George Floyd protests began, he has consistently put himself out on the frontlines protesting for the Black Lives Matter movement, amplifying Black voices, including his own. He recently took himself out of the corporate world to devote his time, effort, and energy into the movement, full time. He continues to find avenues to educate folks around him, while putting his identity on the line.
Venmo/Cashapp: @/$JahdiBLM
Jenn (@jnthkg ):
Jenn is a graphic designer, social media professional, and event producer who identifies as Hong Kong-nese, as she was born, adopted, and raised in Hong Kong until she graduated high school. She grew up in a melting pot of a family; raised by a father from America and a mother from Taiwan, giving her the opportunity to speak English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. She has lived in Portland, Oregon, for 5 years and has shifted from the corporate/non-profit world to invest herself into work within BIPOC communities, BIPOC artists, and BIPOC revolutionaries.
As a non-Black woman of color, she regularly re-evaluates her intentions to ensure that she is consistently prioritizing Black lives, while still pushing for the fight for Hong Kong's freedom.
Her graphic design work has centered the Black Lives Matter movement, whilst educating non-Black folks about their intentions and how they can best impact the Black community. She makes it her prerogative to show up on the frontlines of protests to fight for Black lives by utilizing her body and voice to protect the Black activists around her, while also organizing events alongside other BIPOC organizers.
Venmo/Cashapp: @/$jnthkg
Fundraising team (3)
Salomée Souag
Organizer
Portland, OR
Jah'di Levvi
Team member
Jenn Thompson
Team member