AphroChic Magazine: Issue No. 12

APHROCHIC
a curated lifestyle magazine
ISSUE NO. 12 \ SUMMER 2023
COLOR, CULTURE & CONSCIENCE \ FAMERJAWN PHILLY \ SUNDAY BEST
APHROCHIC.COM

Summer is in the air. Around our home in the Hudson Valley, the birds are chirping, our
garden is in bloom and we are ready to get out and explore. Inspired by the change in
seasons, this issue is full of exciting things to see and experience. First, we are happy to
celebrate the re-launch of our podcast! Now The AphroChic Podcast, every month we’ll be
sitting down with creatives, innovators and tastemakers from across the African Diaspora,
discussing Black culture, art, food, fashion, music, wellness, society and home, exploring
new paradigms that can help us all design a better world.
With a better world in mind, we are thrilled to have Christa Barfield on the cover of Issue No. 12. The woman behind
FarmerJawn is reclaiming the legacy of the Black farm in America and regenerative agricultural practices. With a newly
acquired 123 acres of land, we highlight what’s next for the FarmerJawn brand, including a new farm market, expanded educational
offerings and community-based events.
In Wellness we invite you to explore a new practice this summer — Tai Chi. The ancient art form has been proven to reduce
blood pressure, protect the body from heart disease, and can even lower blood sugar. As a community searching for self-care as
we grapple with the constant onslaughts of racism, Tai Chi can be one tool to help keep our minds and bodies strong. In Food,
Chef Adrienne Cheatham shares a recipe from her new book, Sunday Best. the Top Chef finalist engages our palates with the
dinners she cooked as a child, and feasts she’s served at her monthly dinner parties in Harlem. And in Entertaining, we take you
inside New York’s hottest supper club — To Be Hosted. Find out how you can attend one of their beautifully curated suppers,
where ice breakers include questions like, What are you passionate about? as you and other guests dine over a multi-course meal
by one of the world’s top Black chefs.
For shopping this season you’re sure to be inspired by our Mood section that’s full of deliciously hot pink pieces from some
of our favorite artists and designers. The color crush continues with Nigerian-American designer, Autumn Adeigbo’s SS23 collection,
that’s full of bright, eye-catching hues. Then we’re off to the Canary Islands for a look at the new collection of limited
edition prints by photographer Fares Micue. Created on her home island and during her travels to South Korea, the artist shares
the inspiration behind her evocative new pieces made exclusively for the AphroChic Art Shop. And in Sounds, Hip Hop grows up
again as artist Ace Clark skillfully takes us through the ups and downs of real relationships in his latest release It Ain’t All Love.
The summer season is about exploration, but also taking time out to rest, relax and edify. And you’ll find plenty of illuminating
ideas in the Reference section’s article on who possesses the African Diaspora, if possession need be the goal, and
what a collaborative African Diaspora could look like. In our Read section, you’ll find a curated collection of books from across
the Diaspora that you’ll want to add to your summer reading list. And our Hot Topic examines how we address suffering in our
society, where we tend to place blame, and the possibilities that await when we choose to see the situation another way.
Issue 12 has you covered with art, fashion, literature and so much more as you get ready to sit back and enjoy the summer.
Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason
Founders, AphroChic
Instagram: @aphrochic
editors’ letter

Subscribe and listen to The AphroChic Podcast,
available on all podcasting platforms.

SUMMER 2023
DEPARTMENTS
Read This 10
Watch List 12
Coming Up 14
The Black Family Home 16
Mood 28
FEATURES
Fashion // Color, Culture & Conscience 32
Interior Design // Quiet Respite in Brooklyn 42
Culture // FarmerJawn Philly 54
Food // Sunday Best 64
Entertaining // To Be Hosted 66
City Stories // Mexico City Travel Story 76
Wellness // Mind & Body 90
Reference // The African Continent & The African Diaspora 96
Sounds // It Ain't All Love 104
PINPOINT
Artists & Artisans 110
Hot Topic 116
Who Are You? 122

CONTRIBUTORS
Cover Photo: Christa Barfield
Photographer: Johnie Gall
Back Cover Photo: Enough protest sign by Liam
Edwards
Publishers/Editors: Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason
Creative Director: Cheminne Taylor-Smith
Editorial/Product Contact:
AphroChic
AphroChic.com
magazine@aphrochic.com
Sales Contact:
Ruby Brown
ruby@aphrochic.com
Contributors:
Chinasa Cooper
Krystle DeSantos
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READ THIS
Storytelling is at the heart of the AphroChic brand, and of course it's the central reason that we present our favorite
books to you in each issue. This issue's selections are nonfiction books that still offer that idea of telling stories —
of representation, of history, and of the African Diaspora. The Art of Ruth E. Carter showcases the stunning film
costumes designed by Carter, the first Black woman to win two Academy Awards in any category. The book offers
her sketches, photos from iconic movie sets, and Carter's stories of inspiration, passion for history, and her journey
into Afrofuturism. A group of chefs and food enthusiasts from the Bronx make up the Ghetto Gastro collective. In
Black Power Kitchen, they present recipes mixed with storytelling to craft conversations about race, history, food
inequality, and how eating well can be a pathway to personal freedom and self-empowerment. Peter Brathwaite, a
renowned opera baritone, found himself with time on his hands during the pandemic and began to research Black
portraits through history. Rediscovering Black Portraiture showcases Brathwaite's reimagining of each portrait with
a dual modern version, highlighting and retelling the stories of the original subjects who had been lost to time.
Black Power Kitchen
by Jon Gray, Pierre Serrao,
and Lester Walker
Publisher: Artisan. $23
Rediscovering Black Portraiture
by Peter Brathwaite
Publisher: Getty. $40
The Art of Ruth E. Carter
by Ruth E. Carter
Publisher: Chronicle. $36
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Celebrate Black homeownership and the
amazing diversity of the Black experience
with AphroChic’s newest book
In this powerful, visually stunning book, Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason explore
the Black family home and its role as haven, heirloom, and cornerstone of Black
culture and life. Through striking interiors, stories of family and community,
and histories of the obstacles Black homeowners have faced for generations,
AphroChic honors the journey, recognizes the struggle, and embraces the joy.
AVAILABLE WHEREVER BOOKS ARE SOLD

WATCH LIST
The groundbreaking Getty Images Photo Archives Grants for HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and
Universities), awarded for the first time in 2022, are beginning to see results. In partnership with the Getty
Family and Stand Together, the grants committed $500,000 towards the digitization of HBCU photographic
archives in order to honor the legacy and history of HBCUs and their contributions to American history. Four
universities received the first grants: Claflin University in Orangeburg, SC; North Carolina Central University
in Durham, NC; Jackson State University in Jackson, MS; and Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View,
TX. Each school has been working to digitize its archival photos, with 200,000 expected to be completed this
month. Getty Images has been working side‐by‐side with the HBCU grant recipients during the digitization
process to capture incredible photos like the ones below. HBCUs retain all copyright to the images, and
original photos are returned to the HBCUs after scanning, along with the newly digitized photos. Getty
Images is representing the digitized photos, providing a revenue source for the HBCU grant recipients. The
revenue distribution has seen 50% go to the grant recipients, 30% to a scholarship fund for the HBCUs, and the
remaining 20% reinvested to fund the Getty Images Photo Archive Grants for HBCUs each year. To learn more,
or to view the HBCU digitized photos, go to gettyimages.com/corporate-responsibility/hbcu-partnership.
North Carolina Central University's Class of 1923-24
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COMING UP
Events, exhibits, and happenings that celebrate and explore the African Diaspora.
American Black Film Festival
June 14-18 | Miami
June 19-25 | Virtual segment
The American Black Film Festival is an annual
event dedicated to empowering Black talent
and showcasing film and television content by
and about people of the African Diaspora. The
live festival opens with a Hollywood release
followed by studio premieres, independent
films, master classes, panels, talent showcases,
and networking and hospitality events.
The virtual segment follows the live festival,
featuring screenings and panels, and reaching
an audience spanning across 123 countries.
For more information, go to abff.com.
Essence Festival of Culture
June 29-July 3 | New Orleans
This year's Essence Festival will celebrate 50 years of Hip-Hop
with in-person and virtual experiences showcasing how hip-hop
has impacted every aspect of culture – from fashion, food,
men’s experiences, beauty, live performances nightly and more.
Iconic performers include Ms. Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott, Tobe
Nwigwe, Doug E. Fresh, Salt-N-Pepa, Eve, Megan Thee Stallion,
and more. The four-day event also includes the Food and Wine
Festival, programs promoting health and wellness, discussions
about love and relationships, the Essence Film Festival, Beauty-
Con, and even an Essence Spades Tournament. Learn more at
essence.com/essencefestival2023.
Harlem Festival of Culture
July 28-30 | Harlem, NY
Inspired by Questlove's award-winning documentary
Summer of Soul, the Harlem Festival of Culture will take
place this summer at Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem.
Reimagining the historic festival of 1969, HFC will deliver
experiential entertainment and economic development
programming, as well as live music and entertainment.
There will be indoor and outdoor concerts, influencer dinners,
moderated discussions, and film screenings hosted
at live music and dining venues throughout Harlem and
neighboring communities. For more information, go to
harlemfestivalofculture.com.
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BALTIMORE
S P E A K S
B L A C K
C O M M U N I T I E S
C O V I D - 1 9
A N D T H E
C O S T O F
N O T D O I N G
E N O U G H
W R I T T E N A N D D I R E C T E D B Y
B R Y A N M A S O N A N D J E A N I N E H A Y S
V I S I T O U R W E B S I T E A T B A L T I M O R E S P E A K S . C O M

THE BLACK FAMILY HOME
The Blue Room: Designing a Space for Reading,
Reflecting and Being in the AphroFarmhouse
Every room in a home should be designed with life in mind. Not just the nuts and bolts, but the
feel. For us, the point of designing a home is to feel at home in every room, at any time. And while some
rooms will always be more functional than comfortable, every home should make space for finding
the peace you need, doing the things you love, and ultimately, just being.
To give us that feel at the AphroFarmhouse, every room is also a story-telling space. They
have been designed as an expression of our story together, a gathering of a lifetime of moments —
places we’ve lived, traveled to, passed by — any place where we’ve just been together. The Blue Room,
our home library, is a collection of 27 years of moments. It’s also a reflection of one of Bryan’s most
enduring loves — books. More than anything else, the Blue Room is a space for literature, classics,
tomes that edify, and the conversations that follow.
The goal for the Blue Room was to create a space that we could lounge in all day long, surrounded
by our favorite books. We’ve been building our collection for almost as long as we’ve been together.
Left over from classes, scrounged from flea markets and gathered from every book store we can find.
And while more than one of our favorites has been worn out, loaned out, or simply lost along the way,
we were delighted to find that the collection we have now — comprised mainly of books by authors of
the African Diaspora — is enough to fill a room. Even better, it now has room to grow.
The Blue Room is where we go to study the philosophies of Martin Luther King, Jr., admire the
prose of W.E.B. DuBois’s Souls of Black Folk, dig into the rhythmic poetry of Nikki Giovani, marvel at
the insight and honesty of James Baldwin, or spend a day wrestling with the first printing of Richard
Wright’s Black Power, the oldest book in our collection. It’s where we go to understand what’s been
done and figure out what to do next.
We always knew we wanted a library, if we could find the space. The first room we saw in the
AphroFarmhouse was perfect, but getting it to be what we imagined was going to be a journey. The
layout of the room then left something to be desired. At that moment, the space was a largely empty
The Black Family Home is an
ongoing series focusing on the
history and future of what home
means for Black families.
This series inspired the new book
AphroChic: Celebrating the Legacy
of the Black Family Home.
Words by Jeanine Hays
Photos by Patrick Cline and Bryan Mason
Inchyra Blue paint by Farrow & Ball
$120, selection of art books from
Rizzoli and Taschen.
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THE BLACK FAMILY HOME
sitting room. A desk faced the wall while
sparsely placed chairs were oriented
vaguely towards a wall-mounted television.
An awkwardly large electric fireplace
dominated the wall and the room. At the
same time, undersized furniture made
the room feel small and cramped. But all
of that just meant that transforming it was
going to be fun.
We began by putting together a
moodboard, reflecting on some of our
favorite libraries for inspiration. As much
as we love our country home, we’re city
folks at heart, so we try to bring the vibe of
the city with us — starting with Brooklyn.
The library room at Dumbo House, the
same room where we launched AphroChic
magazine, was an obvious choice. A perfect
gentlemen’s room, with moody blue walls,
deep club chairs, and large tables to work
from, it was one of our favorite places to
work when we were at the House — which
was almost daily — and our favorite place
to relax when the day was done. Memories
of that vibe set the tone for what we wanted
in this space.
The Ett Home Hotel by Studioilse in
Stockholm, Sweden, was another source
of inspiration. More of a bucket-list destination
than a favorite hangout, the library
features a large, modern shelving unit
mounted to a wall. More than a spacesaver,
the unit is a place for play, housing
books, art, and sculpture alike. It was an
attractive idea as we pondered the living
space for our art collection, as well. The
work of blending books and art — our respective
passions — came to highlight the
theme that defines the room: the balance
of masculine and feminine sustained
through the room’s many elements.
A final touch of inspiration came
from the NoMad hotel’s Library Bar. Now
closed, the former Manhattan chill spot
was decidedly moody, surrounding guests
with walls lined with hundreds of classic
books. It was that sense of intimacy and
warmth that makes you feel like can sink
into a room, and we wanted it.
Inspiration acquired, we redefined
the space with a new floor plan, dividing
the open plan room into two distinct
areas. One area would became a lounge.
Expected to house most of the books, it
would pair shelving with generous seating,
the perfect area for stretching out, reading
by the window, or just reaching up from
the sofa to grab a book off the shelf.
Every good library has a reference
section for big projects, the kind that
spread books and papers everywhere
while the laptop shifts from one end of the
table to the other. To make that happen, we
brought in a large dining table that also fit
8-10 people. In addition to providing more
than ample workspace, when not being
used as an office space, this size of the
table allows the room to double as a dining
room for holidays and family gatherings.
To make the two spaces feel even more
cohesive, we decided to cover the entire
room in Farrow & Ball’s Inchyra Blue.
Chosen to complement and contrast
the pink undertones of our living room, the
pink and blue mix between rooms is a larger
example of the equal blend of masculine
and feminine elements that is woven into
the design of the home as a whole. Painted
on the walls, ceiling and trim, the color
is reminiscent of the wall color at Dumbo
House, itself inspired by the Manhattan
Bridge. Blue can be a challenging color to
design with. Too much can feel too cool and
icy, and layering with it can have bad results
if the shades feel unrelated. To avoid these
pitfalls, we spent time with the Farrow
& Ball team finding just the right shade.
Inchyra was perfect. Deep and soulful,
packed with pigment, it works in all types
of light, which is important when a room
tends be dark. It has notes of brown which
help to create a cozy feel in the evenings.
Color was the key to tying the space
together. But to make the room a library,
what we really needed was shelving large
enough to ground the space and showcase
the books and art. Once the shade was
decided, we worked with our friends at
Resource Furniture to design the custom
shelving. We worked closely with Resource’s
Manhattan showroom, designing
an open-shelf library system, similar
to the Ett Home Hotel. Every detail was
custom. The shelves were designed to have
height and depth to them for housing large
art books, and artworks, vertically. The
dark, melamine Oak Moro that we chose
for the unit went perfectly with the deep
Inchyra Blue covering the walls. Ensuring
that the library vibe extended from one
end of the room to the other, shelves were
placed in each area. As a finishing touch,
Resource offered one last idea: matte
lacquer panels in blue, made in Italy to
match our wall color perfectly, making
the shelving feel even more like part of
the room. It was an amazing idea, and we
decided to add a media unit under the television
in the shade, to hold remotes, wires
and any other tech.
With the layout decided, our attention
turned to the many furnishings and accessories
that would bring the space to
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efore
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THE BLACK FAMILY HOME
before
Custom shelving unit by
Resource Furniture, contact
for price.
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Custom drapery by The Shade Store
in Luxe Linen in Midnight Blue, Woven
Shades in Oak, contact for prices.
issue twelve 21

THE BLACK FAMILY HOME
before
Alana Upholstered Swivel
Barrel Chair by Bernhardt
Furniture, $1625,
customized in AphroChic
Batik Fabric Linen Blend,
$110; Delaney Rectangular
Marble Coffee Table
from Pottery Barn, $599;
Malkia Chess Set by
Keseki World, $190.87;
Callie Table Lamp by
Mitzi, $194.
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Highland Park Dining Table by Bernhardt,
$3063; Celine Bench from West
Elm, $699; Whit Floor Lamp by Mitzi,
$474; Cambria Rattan Pendant from
Pottery Barn, $649; Miro rug by Revival
Rugs, $994; Samurai Princess by Tim
Okamura; The Honesty of Bronze by
Fares Micue; Pourquoi Naître Esclave?
candle from Trudon, $246; custom
frames by Framebridge.
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THE BLACK FAMILY HOME
life. Working with Bernhardt, we found a pair of blue
settees that went well with the blue wall shade and
upholstered two of their barrel chairs with our own
AphroChic blue Batik linen fabric. Oriented to give
everyone a clear view of the television — still on the
wall — the space now seats 6-8 people comfortably.
Midnight blue custom drapery in The Shade
Store’s Luxe Linen fabric further complemented
the wall color. And to lift the room up, we found
a one-of-a-kind vintage Moroccan rug in shades
of purple with flecks of blue that reflected the wall
color. Another colorful Moroccan rug defines the
reference/dining room area, fitting beneath the
large table. To bring a little coziness to the reference
area, we created a seating nook by a corner window
with an inviting boucle bench. Once it was all in
place, it was time to bring in the books, the art, and
all of the finishing touches.
Books are art, and sometimes the covers reflect
that. So we arranged the books with some of our
favorite covers facing out to showcase them as works
of art. Sharing the shelf spaces are pieces from some
of our favorite artists including Damien Davis and
John Goodman, along with sculptures from Ghana
and Gabon. On the walls hang two of our most loved
works: an original by Spanish photographer, Fares
Micue (who now has an exclusive collection with
AphroChic) and Samurai Princess, a gorgeous work
by our friend Tim Okamura. Both odes to Black
women, evincing beauty, femininity, and power,
they balance the masculinity of the room with the
presence of female guardians.
Lighting provided the final jewelry for the
space. No library is complete without a variety of
lighting sources setting the mood. From a modern
black and brass chandelier, to an oversized rattan
pendant over the reference table, we had fun
exploring a number of different lighting choices
for the space. Each with its own unique, sculptural
element, the lighting became the perfect finishing
touch for our library.
The Blue Room is everything that Bryan
dreamed of and more. From end to end, a room
dedicated to our Diaspora, with written works
ranging from timeless classics to just-printed
graphic novels. Full of comforts, it’s a space where
we can spend the day exploring, talking and relaxing
all at once. A perfect place to just be. AC
Whit Chandelier by Mitzi, $1070; Irmentraud rug
from Revival Rugs, $1094; Alexandra Round Marble
End Table from Pottery Barn, $599; Punu masks from
Gabon available at Global Attic.
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MOOD
HOT PINK SUMMER
This summer the mood is all about embracing bold, loud,
colorful pieces that invite you to be you. Hot pink is popping
up everywhere this season. The bright fuchsia shade is
making an appearance in collectible pop art, luxury fashion
pieces and fresh new furnishings for the great outdoors.
From London to Harlem to backyard barbecues in Newark,
these pieces show that it’s definitely going to be a hot pink
summer.
AphroChic Silhouette
Pillow $149
perigold.com
Hebru Brantley Flynamic
Duo - Batboy & Sparrow Set
of 2 Sculptures $1,800
stockx.com
Medium Telfar Duffle
in Azalea $350
telfar.net
Hazel and Shirley:
The Yard #3
$500
nextofkimbeauty.com
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If You Can Dream Anything
Is Possible Notebook by
Yinka Ilori $39
shop.yinkailori.com
The Barkley L. Hendricks
Collection, Victory at 23
Enamel Earrings $78
store.studiomuseum.org
Maude Metallic
Fuchsia Deco Silk
Jacquard Coat
$425
lisou.co.uk
Kente Skateboard Deck
$70
propergnar.com
Flo Jo Wooden Kokeshi
Doll by Sketch.inc for
lucie kaas $74
vertigohome.us
Good Luck Charm
by Derrick Adams
artsy.com
Contact for price
issue twelve 29

FEATURES
Color, Culture & Conscience | Quiet Respite in Brooklyn | FarmerJawn
Philly | Sunday Best | To Be Hosted | Mexico Ciy Travel Story | Mind &
Body | The African Continent & The African Diaspora | It Ain’t All Love

Fashion
Color, Culture
& Conscience
Autumn Adeigbo’s SS 23 Collection Is a Fashion
Story of Faith, Integrity, and Perseverance
From construction to fashion, Autumn
Adeigbo's creative journey in design and
entrepreneurship has been an atypical
one. Her story, shaped by faith, integrity,
trust, and perseverance is resulting in
looks that are turning heads in a fashion
industry where Black designers are often
marginalized.” Her story is shaped by
faith, integrity, trust, and perseverance.
Words by Krystle DeSantos
Images furnished by Autumn Adeigbo
Designer Autumn Adeigbo in her New York studio
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Fashion
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issue twelve 35

Fashion
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issue twelve 37

Fashion
Autumn originally began sewing at the tender age of 19.
With her mother guiding and cultivating her skills, by 2009
was designing dresses, which eventually led to the launch
of her eponymous brand. It would take her almost a decade
to present her first official collection in 2019 and, similar to
stories of many creative entrepreneurs and designers from
the Diaspora, her path to success has been an uphill battle,
particularly related to securing capital required to start the
brand.
According to a recent study by McKinsey & Company,
only 3% of Black women entrepreneurs in the fashion
industry have access to capital. That is significantly lower
than the percentage of white women entrepreneurs (12%)
and Hispanic women entrepreneurs (8%). This challenge,
though great, did not deter Autumn and, while it took her
a much longer time to accomplish her dreams, she persevered;
learning how to write an effective business plan,
creating a solid pitch deck and building a strong network
of people who believed in what she was creating and were
willing to fund her business.
What creates intrigue with Adeigbo's work is the synergistic
combination of classic styles, retro silhouettes,
and modern aesthetics executed in a way that is bold and
embodies her Nigerian roots while embracing numerous
global cultures as well. Autumn is dedicated to positively
impacting the lives of women across cultures and utilizes
production facilities in the U.S that provide artisans with
worthwhile employment and fair wages. Her collections are
eco-friendly and utilize sustainable practices by producing
made-to-order pieces, minimizing fabric waste, excessive
manufacturing, and surplus stock.
In the Spring/Summer 2023 Ready-To-Wear Collection,
Autumn's colorful, print-filled, and fashion-forward
designs illuminate; creating a type of nostalgia for the '50s,
'60s and '70s fashion eras while staying refreshingly current,
on trend, and suitable for individuals of all ethnicities
shapes, and sizes. The styles are for those who appreciate
inclusivity of community while expressing uniqueness and
their desire to stand out from a crowd.
Autumn's story serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration
for so many whose journeys aren't linear and far from
typical. One of her favorite quotes reads,"The bird sitting on
the tree is never afraid of the branch breaking. Her trust is
not in the branch, but in her wings." AC
Shop the collection at AutumnAdeigbo.com.
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Fashion
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issue twelve 41

Interior Design
Quiet Respite
in Brooklyn
Step Inside the Home of Somewhere Good's
CEO, Naj Austin
Naj Austin loves building community. The founder of Ethel’s Club
and CEO of Somewhere Good, Naj has been working to build offline
and online spaces around community and creative engagement
for the past three years. Her newest venture is a social media app
without likes or follows, that’s been designed to be a safe space
for Black and queer communities. Located in the buzzing Brooklyn
neighborhood of Crown Heights, not far from Somewhere Good’s
headquarters in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Naj is also creating a good
space to call home. “It's definitely an oasis from the bustling
Brooklyn streets,” she says.
Words by Bryan Mason and Jeanine Hays
Photographs by Melanie Reiders and Sean Pressley
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Interior Design
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Interior Design
It’s imperative for the woman whose startup
is taking flight to have a restful retreat to call
home. Backed by angel investors such as actress,
Gabrielle Union, Somewhere Good curates online
conversations with thousands of new users
around a range of topics from "How do you sit
with your challenging/difficult emotions?" to "Tell
us about your favorite podcast." Users reply to
these queries — and each other — with recorded
audio responses. An intentional social media app
designed with personal connection, creativity,
and inclusivity in mind, it’s no surprise that Naj
brings that same sense of intentionality to the
decor of her home.
“I had to design around all of the beautiful red
wood in the apartment, which felt daunting at first,”
says Naj. “I learned to lean in and embrace its texture
and warmth.” The 1,000-square-foot one-bedroom
apartment that she’s been living in for a little over
two years marries historic bones with Naj’s modern
aesthetic. It’s the historic touches in the space that
stand out most to her. “You see it in the pocket
doors, the shutters, the stained glass windows, and
the original hardwood floors.”
As a contrast to the home’s pre-war architecture,
which includes some stunning builtins,
Naj has brought in modern furnishings and
a growing collection of art and artisan pieces
by coveted Black designers, curated with help
from friends. “Shannon Maldonado from YOWIE
sourced a lot of the items in my apartment,” she
says. She also sourced items from artists and
curators, including Saeed Akil Ferguson, Kiyanna
Stewart, and Jannah Handy of BLK MKT Vintage
as well as Jared Blake and Ed Be of Lichen. The
pieces, including vases, bowls, and hand-carved
objet d’art, are displayed among her collection of
books.
“My home is a reminder of all the places I’ve
lived, loved, and visited. [It’s] eclectic and cozy.” In
the kitchen is another showcase of Naj’s effortless
mix of modern and historic pieces. A cozy corner
has been carved out for a work-from-home office,
featuring a sleek black desk met with a natural
wishbone chair for another bit of contrast.
Beyond the work space, Naj has embraced the
kitchen’s warm wood tones and added to them.
A woodgrain island feels just right among the
oak cabinetry and original wood moulding. And a
dash of greenery is the final touch, enlivening the
space. “I have a lot of plants everywhere, which
adds a breath of fresh air.”
With large bay windows that are original to
the Brooklyn brownstone, light fills her bedroom
perfectly, filtering onto the bed and providing
plenty of sunlight for the collection of plants there
as well. Cream walls and a white upholstered bed
complete the restful environment. “The bedroom
is designed for rest and ease. It’s a cozy respite
with gorgeous light in the morning that gently
wakes me up,” says Naj.
When not at home, Naj is building positive
community spaces. Somewhere Good now even
hosts offline gatherings in their Brooklyn office.
A space where anything from a bell hooks book
club meeting, to a music-filled trap yoga class, or
a neighborhood hang can take place. At the end of
every full day her quiet Crown Heights apartment
awaits her. “Warm and familial…when people
walk in they let out a sigh of relief.” AC
48 aphrochic

issue twelve 53

FarmerJawn P

hilly

Culture
Christa Barfield Is Here to Remind Us
that Agriculture Is Part of the Culture
Just a few years ago, Christa Barfield was working as a
healthcare administrator in Philadelphia. “It was 10 years
into my career when I realized my work-life balance was
unhealthy,” she says. “I resigned from my job just weeks
before I turned 30. It was important for me to take back
my life, health, and happiness not only for myself but for
my family as well.” Following a solo trip to Martinique in
January 2018, Christa returned home inspired and with
an urge to connect with the land and plant life. Christa’s
new perspective quickly connected her to the social
issues that surround Black and Brown communities
around the perceptions, prices, and quality of the food
available to them.
Words by Jeanine Hays
Images provided by FarmerJawn Philly
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Culture
With a career change already taking shape in
front of her, Christa took on the challenge of urban
farming and horticulture, producing organic and
natural fruits and vegetables under the brand name,
FarmerJawn. The term jawn is a shoutout to her
birthplace, Philadelphia, where Christa has lived all
her life. One of the English language’s few all-purpose
nouns, Philadelphians are famous for using the
word in place of just about any thing, person, place,
or event. For Christa, the name is at once an ode to
where she’s from and an affirmation of her chosen
profession. It’s also just what she is — that "jawn" that
farms. As her motto succinctly states, “Agriculture is
the culture.”
Christa’s work could not be more important
or timely, particularly in the community where she
operates. Out of the 10 U.S. cities with the largest
populations, Philadelphia has the highest prevalence
of diabetes with more than 15% of those over
18 diagnosed as diabetic. The rate represents a 50%
increase since 2004, ranking diabetes with other
co-morbidities, such as heart disease, among the
leading causes of death in the city. In particular,
Black Philadelphians are 60% more likely to die from
the disease, a rate one-and-half times higher than
the national average. Increasing the availability of
affordable and healthy food is one of the main strategies
that the city is using to combat the health crisis,
and organizations like FarmerJawn, with a focus on
community health, nutrition, and education, are a
major help to that initiative.
In service to her cause, Christa leads an
expansive brand with a retail and garden learning
center in Northwest Philadelphia, a Community
Supported Agriculture (CSA) business, and five acres
of farmland in Elkins Park. The jawn with the green
thumb took another major step at the start of 2023,
acquiring 123 acres of land in West Chester. Farmer-
Jawn will farm the land and use it to stock the farm
market already located on the premises that will
eventually include a CSA, organic prepared foods,
and other locally grown and sourced products.
The remaining acreage will become a food and
farming incubator, engaging a host of cooperative
farms operated by a cohort of Black farmers who
will be chosen and trained through FarmerJawn’s
non-profit arm. For members of the inaugural
cohort, FarmerJawn will offer educational development
opportunities and a pathway to entrepreneurship.
Christa is quick to state that the work she does
is about more than the rows of tomatoes, turnips,
and arugula growing on her farm. She sees farming
as an important building block for Black and Brown
communities and recognizes that she is upholding a
proud yet unremembered legacy of Black farmers.
Included in that legacy is the invention of the nation’s
first CSA model by Booker T. Whatley in the 1960s. An
agricultural professor at Tuskeegee University in
Alabama during the Civil Rights Movement, Whatley,
a horticulturist, advocated for regenerative agriculture
and worked with Black farmers to develop
“pick-your-own farms” and “clientele membership
clubs,” where customers paid in advance for
the season of produce, guaranteeing business for
the farm. The idea was a direct response to Black
farmers being routinely denied loans from the
federal government and forced off of their lands
through discriminatory practices by the USDA. Yet
despite the efforts of Whatley and others, from 1910
to 1997, Black farmers in America lost 90% of their
land to those same practices. Today, while American
farms grossed over $601 billion in 2022 alone, just
1.4% of America’s farms are Black-owned."
“The whole CSA movement grows out of this
recognition that there’s not going to be support
from above from the government,” explained writer,
Clyde Ford, to Smithsonian Magazine, “you have to
find the support within the community,” The author
of Of Blood and Sweat: Black Lives and the Making of
White Power and Wealth, Ford continued, “Buy local
wasn’t just to support your community; buy local
was survival for Black folks. It was the only way, in
many instances, that they were able to survive.”
With FarmerJawn, Christa continues the legacy
of regenerative agriculture, a holistic approach to
growing that focuses on the integration of farming
systems, the local ecology as a whole, and the community-focused
economics of Whatley’s CSA model.
At FarmerJawn, CSA members can get a $400 membership
for the season and receive 14 weeks of fruits,
organic vegetables, herbs, tea, and honey.
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Culture
With community at the center of the work
being done at FarmerJawn, Christa is embracing
this next phase of the brand and inviting community
members to be part of it. To celebrate the brand’s
new acreage, FarmerJawn launched with a
community event on Earth Day in West Chester. Activities
included hot air balloon rides, custom t-shirt
printmaking, storytelling, group planting, a land
blessing, and an opportunity to learn the history
of the Lenape land that the farm sits upon. Seeing
the beauty of the connection between the land and
the people who care for it, and showing it clearly to
the community that it supports, Christa is one of a
growing number of Black farmers working to reinvigorate
the spirit of Black farming culture, reclaiming
the work our people have done for centuries,
while laying a foundation for generations to come.
Learn more about FarmerJawn's initiatives at Farmer-
JawnPhilly.com.
More African American Farmers to Follow
Instagram is our favorite source for
finding and following Black farmers. Here are
just a few of our favorites.
@farmerkenofficial Ken Sparks, aka
Farmer Ken, is an organic farmer, gardening
consultant, and educator. We love seeing the
fruit, herbs, vegetables, and flowers that he
grows on his farm. You can catch him on the
weekends at the Prosperity Market, a Black
farmers market in Los Angeles.
@greenheffafarm A certified B corporation
located in North Carolina, Green
Heffa Farms is led by Clarence “Cee” Stanley.
Farmer Cee’s organic farm produces loose
leaf herbal teas and single source herbs.
Featuring packaging with rich, vibrant
patterns, an homage to Gee’s Bend Quilts,
Green Heffa Farms offers a range of classic
blends, including RICH AUNTEA for beautifying,
a SANITEA blend for calming, and the
BLACKITEA blend for energizing.
@smithpoultry Kyle Smith owns a
farm in Williamstown, NJ, where he raises
chickens, hogs, and turkey. Smith Poultry
supplies high-quality meats and vegetables
from their farm to the South Jersey and Philadelphia
community. Continuing the legacy
of whole-hog cooking, Kyle can also be found
manning a pit and smoking a whole pig on
the barbecue around town. On his website
you can order eggs from the farm, his house
scrapple, and put a deposit down for a whole
hog barbecue.
Resources for African American Farmers
The Northeast Farmers of Color Network
(NEFOC Network) is an informal alliance of
Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and Asian farmers
making their lives on land in the country’s
Northeast region. The organization focuses
on breaking the isolation of farmers of color
in the Northeast by building relationships,
sharing skills and resources, building collaborative
projects and initiatives, and coordinating
policy demands, including reparations
for Black-Indigenous-POC farmers and land
stewards.
Black Farmers’ Network (BFN) is a site for
rural, African American farmers. The network
also documents the agribusiness successes of
farmers who have had to confront a discriminatory
history for centuries in America’s Black
Belt Region. BFN provides marketing and
branding strategies to help these rural enterprises
grow and sustain.
The National Black Farmers Association
is a non-profit organization representing
African American farmers and their
families in the United States. The association
serves tens of thousands of members
nationwide. AC
62 aphrochic

issue twelve 63

Food
Sunday Best
The Dish That Started It All
This is a version of the very first dish I learned
how to cook on my own, when I was about
12 years old. When my mom left for work
one morning, she realized she’d forgotten to
marinate the chicken she’d pulled from the
freezer to defrost the night before. Since she
was going to be working especially late that
evening, she called me before I left for school,
full of instructions. She had me sprinkle salt
on that chicken, pour a beer in a big plastic
bag, stick the chicken in the bag along with
some bay leaves and celery, and stand the bag
in a bowl in the fridge to keep it upright.
When I got home from school, I was so proud
GET THE BOOK
Reprinted from Sunday Best. Copyright © 2022
Adrienne Cheatham with Sarah Zorn. Published by
Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Random House.
of myself. I said, “I marinated this chicken,
and now I’m going to cook it!” I had my dad
turn on the oven for me, and I roasted that
chicken, so it was ready by the time my mom
returned from work. Of course, I’ve played
with the rubs and marinades since then, but
this is definitely the dish that started it all.
Words by Adrienne Cheatham
Photographs copyright © 2022 Kelly Marshall
64 aphrochic

Stout-and-Soy-Roasted Chicken
(serves 3 or 4)
INGREDIENTS
1 (3- to 4-pound) whole chicken
1 cup soy sauce or tamari (wheat-free soy sauce)
1 12-ounce bottle stout beer (such as Guinness or Old Rasputin)
1 tablespoon fish sauce or Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon ground white pepper (black works, too)
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 large white onions, sliced into rounds
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1. Using kitchen shears or a sturdy knife, cut out the backbone of the chicken and set it aside. Cut the chicken in half
lengthwise, between the breasts.
2. Combine the soy sauce, beer, fish sauce, pepper, and ½ cup of water in a large bowl. Add the garlic, half of the onions,
the backbone, and the chicken halves, skinside down. Marinate for 2 hours or up to 8 hours, stirring occasionally.
3. Preheat the oven to 450°F and position a rack in the upper third of the oven.
4. Arrange the unmarinated sliced onions on a baking sheet. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade, pat them
dry, and place them skin-side up in the center of the sheet, on top of the onions. Rub the butter over the chicken skin,
getting it into all those hard-to-reach places!
5. Add ⅓ cup of water to the baking sheet and transfer it to the oven. Roast for 20 minutes, then baste the chicken with
its juices and continue cooking until the skin is deep brown and crispy, 10 to 20 minutes more.
6. I suggest eating the super-crispy skin and tender morsels from the backbone immediately (I firmly believe in
rewarding yourself for your hard work), then plating and serving the rest!
EASY UPGRADE
To make this a one-pan meal, toss sliced mushrooms, halved brussels sprouts, split carrots, or other smallish
vegetables in a little oil and salt and add them to the sheet to roast along with the chicken.
issue twelve 65

Entertaining
To Be
Hosted
The New York Supper Club That Offers
More Than Just a Seat at the Table
“Our dinner parties are about ownership, belonging,
leisure, and community,” says Amber Mayfield,
founder of To Be Hosted, an innovative supper club
that hosts dinners focused on highlighting Black
food culture and building community. “We gather
at one table, share a family-style meal, and have
meaningful conversation.”
Words by Jeanine Hays
Images Courtesy of To Be Hosted
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issue twelve 67

Entertaining
Amber is a master curator. The Forbes
Under 30 alum who came from the world of television,
started the supper club as a side hustle.
The first events were held wherever space
could be found — the basement of a brownstone
in Harlem, a coffee shop, or a co-working
space after hours. Six years later, the brand has
grown considerably, holding pop-ups across
the country and producing events for Netflix,
Pinterest, and YouTube.
For each dinner, Amber features delicious
food from a rotating line-up of Black chefs.
Dinners in New York, Atlanta, and Los Angeles
have featured cuisine from across the African
Diaspora, including African American and
Caribbean food cultures. Each evening’s events
are guided by a perfect menu with several
courses, beginning with starters and ending
with a stunning dessert. But it’s not just about
the food. “With each gathering, we aim to
build community, spark meaningful dialogue,
and inspire our guests far beyond our dinner
tables,” says Amber.
To attend a To Be Hosted supper club
dinner, interested diners are asked to complete
a profile on the website. The questions are interesting,
inviting, and introspective: What do you do
for love? What are you passionate about? What type
of media do you enjoy? What art do you regularly
enjoy? And they don’t stop at the initial survey. As
a dinner guest, menu cards embossed with the
To Be Hosted logo include a series of questions
to help guide discussion around the evening’s
theme.
At a recent dinner around the theme
of A Return, guests were asked: Where are
you from? And how often do you return to your
childhood home? How do you re-connect with
your inner child? What do you do to re-center?
Far from the typical ice breakers at a dinner
party, the thoughtful questions, paired with
equally thoughtful design, invite guests to
enjoy dinner as an experience, where they can
feel cared for, enriched through meaningful
dialogue, and free to be themselves, even
amongst strangers.
Through food that celebrates the diversity
of Black culture and a gathering curated with
intention, Amber has taken entertaining to an
artistic level, making the dinner table a place
to nourish the body and feed the soul. At a To
Be Hosted dinner, guests are made to feel the
truth of the brand’s mission: You deserve to
be here. You deserve to be seen and heard. You
deserve to be nourished. You deserve to take the
night off. You deserve to be handled with great
care. You deserve the nice things, the good wine,
the good time (and the long time). You deserve the
seat and the table. You deserve To Be Hosted.
Visit tobehosted.com to sign up for their
next dinner that will take place in New York City
on Sept. 19, featuring a Trinidadian feast by Chef
Leigh-Ann Martin. AC
70 aphrochic

Travel

Entertaining
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issue twelve 75

City Stories
Mexico City
Travel Story
One of the main reasons I traveled to Mexico City instead of Mexico’s beach
regions was to have the chance to visit Casa Azul also known as Museo Frida
Kahlo. The city was originally founded by the Aztecs in 1325 on a series of
islands in Lake Texcoco and was later conquered by the Spanish in 1521 and
renamed Ciudad de México. Today, Mexico City is the capital of Mexico and
one of the largest cities in the world. It is a vibrant and cosmopolitan city
with a diverse population and a rich cultural heritage that I would experience
during my visit.
Words and Photos By Krystle DeSantos
Krystle DeSantos with
her friend Naomi
Abrams in Mexico City
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City Stories
78 aphrochic

Where to Stay
Airbnb - Juárez
Airbnb in Mexico City is quite popular and this loft, located in
the Juarez neighborhood was selected based on location, aesthetics,
reviews and pricing. Everything was as pictured/described and
the owners were nice enough to let me check in early. The location
was central and I loved the thoughtful decor, bright pink terrace with
neon signs and carefully curated guide of things to do nearby and
around Mexico City.
What to See
Museo Frida Kahlo - Casa Azul/Museo Frida Kahlo was by far
my favorite experience and the main reason I chose to visit that part
of Mexico over one of the beach regions. Located in Coyoacán (one
of the oldest and most gorgeous neighborhoods in Mexico City) the
house of Frida Kahlo turned museum is immaculate and filled with so
much beauty & history.
Xochimilco - My second favorite activity while in Mexico City
was the boat ride through the canals of Xochimilco. I booked it via
Airbnb Experiences and this one operated by the friendly crew of We
Are All Trajineros was so much fun! I enjoyed authentic homemade
Mexican food, mezcal and tequila tastings, danced to tunes, and
listened to historical stories about the area. I even sang along to a live
Mariachi band; an add-on for a few extra pesos.
La Cuidadela - Whenever I travel, I usually visit the local
markets to source unique handmade accessories, clothing, artwork
or home decor items. It’s a great way to support local artisans while
obtaining something to remember your trip for years to come. Pesos
are only accepted at the market and only a few vendors take cards so
be sure to walk with enough cash and buy all the things!
Teotihuacán Pyramids - Visiting the Pyramids was an unforgettable
activity that was booked through Airbnb Experiences. I was
picked up by a driver early in the morning, along with other guests,
and we ventured to the the site for a guided tour, history lesson, and
climb of the pyramids.
Vintage/Thrift Shopping - While wandering around the Roma
neighborhood I checked out Vintage Hoe and The Ere Vintage Co.
Both shops had a small mix of vintage, secondhand and curated
items. I came away with some goodies.
Museo Frida Kahlo
issue twelve 79

City Stories
Where to Eat
Mexico City offers a number of diverse food
options. Here are a few of my favorite spots that I enjoyed
during my visit:
Maximo Bistrot - I highly recommend this spot.
This sustainable restaurant brings fresh produce from
the fields and the sea directly to your table, reviving
ancestral cooking traditions. Everything made by hand,
guests are invited to enjoy authentic Mexican cuisine.
Niddo - Try the cafe’s assortment of hot beverages,
including coffee, green tea and hot chocolate, with a slice
from their assortment of handmade cakes topped with
fresh fruit and rose petals.
Licoreria Limantour - Enjoy beautifully crafted
cocktails in Mexico City in a restaurant that welcomes
exploring and restless minds and classic palates.
Nivería Roxy - An ice cream parlor and soda
fountain founded in 1946 by husband-and-wife duo Don
Carlos and Doña María. Try the delicious passion fruit
and chocolate!
Contramar - Serving fresh food daily, enjoy their
homemade bread and tortillas.
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City Stories

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issue twelve 85

City Stories
Teotihuacan
86 aphrochic

issue twelve 87

City Stories
A Few Quick Tips Before You Go
1. Check the weather for the period you’ll be in the country. You might
assume the weather is always hot in Mexico City but the average temperature
changes depending on the season in which you’re traveling
so it’s best to check before your trip. If you visit during their winter
season you’ll need to pack a light coat or jacket and will most likely
use it during early mornings and evenings since it heats up around
midday.
2. Some restaurants offer menus in English, you just have to ask “en
Ingles, por favor”
3. Uber is readily available. Getting around Mexico City is easy and
fairly inexpensive for visitors with the average cost being approximately
$2.00 USD per ride. The most expensive ride taken for an hour
drive to a tourist site cost around $17.00 USD
4. Pay by credit card or with local currency. The local currency is the
peso and you can exchange your money for a good rate at the airport
or locally approved Cambio. Many restaurants also take cards and the
exchange rate was better when I used mine for payments. I kept my
pesos for things like the markets and local activities.
88 aphrochic

THE AMUR
SCONCE
W A Y F A I R . C O M

90 aphrochic

Wellness
Mind & Body
What Tai Chi Can Do for
the Black Community
It’s no secret that in America the likelihood of a long and healthy
life depends largely on the color of your skin. Searching the
internet for terms like, “racial health disparity,” or “health
desert,” will quickly produce a long list of articles, fact sheets,
papers, declarations and mission statements cataloging the
illnesses that plague our community and the reasons and
rationales behind them. Some of these end by laying out
optimistic steps towards health equity, while others offer
the written equivalent of a helpless shrug. However long or
short or hopeful or ambivalent these writings may be, they
collectively point to a simple conclusion: that American
racism kills Black people in a variety of ways, but none so
comprehensive as the wide variety of health issues that it
produces in us.
Words by Bryan Mason
Images by Jeanine Hays
issue twelve 91

Wellness
92 aphrochic

The Office of Minority Health, a branch
of the Department of Health and Human
Services, offered a brief survey of the damage
in 2021, acknowledging higher death rates for
African Americans from, “COVID-19, heart
disease, stroke, cancer, asthma, influenza and
pneumonia, diabetes and HIV/AIDS,” when
compared to white Americans. Meanwhile,
that same year the Centers for Disease Control
(CDC) was waking up to the fact that, “centuries
of racism in this country has had a profound and
negative impact on communities of color.”
Hidden within these statements are the
connections between social realities and health
outcomes. Though heart disease continues to
be a leading killer of all Americans, the fact that
Black Americans are 30% - 50% more likely to die
from a cardiac event than white Americans is attributable,
in part, to the fact that more than 16.8
million Black Americans live in so-called, “cardiology
deserts,” — counties with limited or no
access to cardiology specialists — part of a wider
epidemic of “health deserts,” which often lack
so much as a local pharmacy. Similarly, asthma,
which is also disproportionately high among
Black Americans is linked to issues of environmental
justice, food justice and more. And a
whole library of issues directly stem from or
are adversely impacted by the levels of chronic
stress under which communities of color are
habitually forced to operate.
While in the long run there is significant
work to be done in holding American medical,
governmental and economic institutions to
account for the shocking disparities in physical
and mental health outcomes for Black people in
America, there are also things that we can do to
improve the situation for ourselves in the short
term. Though it may seem cliché, the oft-cited
binary of health-and-exercise is a powerful
force for increasing, preserving or recovering
health. At the same time, new perspectives
on the importance of mental health, rest and
self-care for Black people are urging radical
commitment to our own wellbeing through
therapy, meditation, yoga and other practices
that have long been a part of our community
(Rosa Parks was a yogi).
One practice which seems to be climbing
the charts as a must-have for better health is
Tai Chi. Studies have shown that for all of the
illnesses affecting Americans nationwide —
heart disease and high blood pressure, diabetes
and asthma, stroke, and stress — consistent
Tai Chi practice can have a range of beneficial
effects, improving motor function, reducing inflammation
and more. For Black people, who
suffer higher rates of incidence and mortality
than other groups for these conditions, Tai Chi
can be an essential part of a wellness routine.
But like any practice, the first step to benefitting
from Tai Chi is knowing what it is, what it does,
and where to find it.
What is Tai Chi?
In 1644 AD, the Ming Dynasty ended in
China, replaced by the Qing. In the process,
Ming general Chen Wangting quickly went from
being a celebrated officer to a wanted fugitive.
While little is known of the general’s life — there
are many exciting legends and few verified
facts — it is known that he eventually retired to
his family’s land, Chenjiagou, literally, “Chen
Family Village,” located in Wen County, which
was also home to the famed Shaolin Temple.
There he combined his years of military experience
with his studies in Taoist (or Daoist) theory
to create what is now known as T’ai Chi Ch’uan
(or Taijiquan), the “Supreme Ultimate Fist.”
Originally a battlefield martial art and
protected secret of the Chen family, in the
last three and a half centuries it has become
more associated with elderly people and
parks than warriors and combat. Nevertheless,
the site where Wangting first introduced
his art still stands and is a popular pilgrimage
and study destination for students of the Chen
family’s version of the art. And while there are
theories suggesting longer histories or different
founders for the system, the fact remains that of
the 5 major styles of Tai Chi — Chen, Yang, Hao,
Wu and Sun — all trace their origins to the art of
Chen Wangting.
The physical practice of Tai Chi is
generally characterized by slow movements
organized into forms of different lengths and
points of emphasis. A focus on breathing and
weight distribution along with coordinated
folding and unfolding of the joints further typify
the practice, while other aspects, such as high
or low stances, the prevalence of fast and hard
movements within the softness or the study of
classical Chinese weapons, can vary from style
to style or school to school.
In its youth, Tai Chi was the secret of one
family. As it spread it became a tool of imperial
guards and noted scholars before spreading to
the wider population. As the focus on combat
faded, practitioners found the practice of the art
to be as effective in improving their own health
as the application of it had once been for diminishing
the health of others. Today, medical researchers
are finding evidence that practicing
Tai Chi can be a powerful aid in dealing with
or preventing a number of illnesses, including
those which most impact Black communities in
America.
Tai Chi Is Good For Your Heart
According to a 2022 article by the American
Heart Association (AHA), cardiovascular disease
(CVD) takes the lives of 650,000 Americans every
year. Within that number, Black Americans
are more than twice as likely to die from CVD,
which, caused by blood clots or the hardening
of the arteries, can take the form of coronary
heart disease, peripheral arterial disease, aortic
disease or stroke. High rates of hypertension
among African Americans are a key CVD risk
factor. The AHA cites Tai Chi as a “promising
exercise option for patients with coronary heart
disease,” showing that even 6 months of consistent
practice at a low level of intensity can
improve a patient’s weight, physical activity and
quality of life.
issue twelve 93

Wellness
Tai Chi has been shown to reduce
systolic and diastolic blood pressure and has
been found by researchers to be an effective
means of preventing CVD. And the benefits of
a regular Tai Chi practice may not only be preventative.
Among adults with chronic heart
failure, consistent practice of the art, even at
low intensity, has been shown to be beneficial
by improving movement, breath capacity, and
state of mind in patients.
Similarly, while there is insufficient
research to confirm that Tai Chi can be effective
in preventing a stroke, it has been shown to be
effective for facilitating recovery and improving
outcomes following one. Weakness or paralysis
are frequent aftereffects of a stroke, which can
decrease activity and physical conditioning
while increasing the risk of a fall. Focusing on
gentle movements originating from the center
of gravity and achieved through coordinated
actions of the limbs, Tai Chi has been found to
have, “an overall beneficial effect on ADL [Activities
of Daily Life], balance, limb motor function,
and walking ability among stroke survivors…and
may also improve sleep quality, mood, mental
health, and other motor function,” according to
a 2018 article appearing in Frontiers in Physiology.
The AHA concurs, finding that even seated Tai
Chi routines can promote better outcomes for
stroke survivors. The potential benefits of Tai Chi
in these areas alone are enough to suggest taking
up the practice, but the promise of this classical
art extends beyond lowering blood pressure — it
can affect blood sugar as well.
Tai Chi and Diabetes
In 2018, the CDC listed diabetes as the
number 6 killer of Black men, and the number
4 killer of Black women. With 12.1% of our population
among the 37.3 million Americans with
diabetes — and more among the 96 million who
are pre-diabetic — what some of our older loved
ones refer to affectionately as, “the sugars,” is a
problem that too many African Americans have.
Born of the body’s decrease in production
or reaction to insulin and the resulting
buildup of sugar in the blood (hyperglycemia),
diabetes can lead to heart disease, vision loss
and kidney disease as well as immunocompromise,
amputation and more. The best option for
Type 2 diabetes is to avoid it through diet and
exercise. When that isn’t possible, though diet
and exercise are still important components of
controlling diabetes, Tai Chi can also help.
In a preliminary evaluation of the effectiveness
of Tai Chi as both a potential preventative
and a control measure for adults with
elevated glucose levels, a 2010 article published
in the British Journal of Sports Medicine followed
11 participants over a 36-hour Tai Chi course.
Classes were spread across a period of 12 weeks
while researchers monitored seven indicators
of metabolic syndrome — a suite of conditions
such as high glucose or cholesterol and excess
body fat around the midriff that can increase the
likelihood of diabetes, heart disease or stroke.
The study found that regular Tai Chi practice
affected four indicators, reducing waist circumference,
blood pressure, glucose levels and
chronic stress.
A more recent 2018 study found that Tai
Chi was effective at lowering average blood
sugar levels (HbA1c), performing slightly better
than aerobic exercise. Tai Chi has been shown
even to improve immune function in diabetics.
Another article in the British Journal of Sports
Medicine found that 12 weeks of Tai Chi practice
produced significant improvements in cell activities
related to immune defense.
Tai Chi and Stress Management
Perhaps the best way that Tai Chi can help
us individually on a day-to-day basis is as an
ally against stress. The American Psychological
Association (APA) notes that stress can have an
effect on a variety of bodily systems including
the “musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular,
endocrine, gastrointestinal, nervous, and
reproductive.” Pointing out as well the connection
between race, health disparities and stress,
the organization pays specific attention to what
it terms “perceived discrimination.”
While the root of our community’s
chronics stress is clearly not our perception of
being discriminated against, but the actions of
those who discriminate against us, Tai Chi can
help us better manage that stress while keeping
it from hurting us further. A 2019 review of 15
separate studies on Tai Chi found that practice
“appears to be associated with improvements
in psychological well-being including reduced
stress, anxiety, depression and mood disturbance,
and increased self-esteem.” And proving
that the art’s benefits aren’t reserved solely for
the elderly, a review of 10 separate databases
published in 2021 suggested that Tai Chi was
effective for creating similar benefits in adolescents
as well as reducing cortisol levels.
Tai Chi and the Black Community
Tai Chi is not a cure-all for every health
condition, and it won’t undo the impact of
centuries of systematic racism on our community’s
health, but it can be a beneficial part of our
wellness practices. Like yoga, Tai Chi has been
in our community for a long time. The art has
been passed on through a number of high level
practitioners, many of them among the O.G.’s
of Black kung-fu teachers, including Roberto
Sharpe, Oso Tayari Casel, the late and lamented
Nganga Tolo Naa, and the venerable Dennis
Brown to name just a few.
While we continue to live through illnesses
and fight injustices, Tai Chi can help us to live
a little longer and fight a little better, giving us
a single practice to fit into our busy lives that
can strengthen our muscles, improve our lung
function, lower blood pressure and the sugars,
all while easing our minds. AC
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Tai Chi Tips to Get Started
One of the most important steps to getting the most out of your
Tai Chi is finding the right place to learn. Here’s a couple of things to
consider while you search:
Style: The benefits of Tai Chi are the same regardless of style.
But there are a lot of different versions out there, with some designed
for competition rather than health. The main styles of Tai Chi are the
Chen, Yang, Hao, Wu and Sun. The Chen Man-ch'ing variant of the
Yang style is also highly regarded. Each has their own characteristics.
Chen is the oldest, with deep stances and explosive movements. Yang
is the most popular and easiest to find, and so on. More important
than the specific style for health is the depth of what’s being taught.
Curriculum: There’s more to Tai Chi than just the form. A full
Tai Chi practice might also include stance training, breathwork,
qigong and forms with weapons. These aren’t completely mandatory
though, and so long as your instructor focuses on the elements of
breathing, alignment and qigong in the form, you’ll get everything
you need.
Certification: Certification is helpful, but not completely
necessary. Traditionally, Chinese martial arts are less bureaucratic
than some others, so there are plenty of qualified instructors without
an organizational backing or certifications on the wall. But there are
several good organizations to check out, like Yang Jwing Ming’s YMAA
or the International Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan Federation. Organizations
like these have pages listing certified instructors to help you
find a school in your area.
Environment: Just like Tai Chi doesn’t require belts or certificates
to be good, it doesn’t even require a school. Some of the best
Tai Chi classes are in parks and on playgrounds. What a teacher has
to offer might be more important than where s/he offers it. But a roof
might be nice when it rains.
issue twelve 95

The African Continent
and the
African Diaspora

Yemanjá celebration
in Bahia, Brazil,
by Tiago Celestino

Reference
A Question of Ownership
Africa and its diaspora is an old phrase and often used. One of
the many places it appears is in the work of Joseph Harris, as he
writes to explain a model of the inner workings of the African
Diaspora that he describes as “triadic.” In it, Africa exists, among
other things, as the central hub and main focus of the Diaspora,
connecting its disparate and otherwise disconnected cultures.
For generations, the African continent played a central symbolic
role in the minds of Pan-Africanist thinkers, a role it maintains
in Harris’ triad. In both cases, Africa is posited as not only the
point of origin for African Diaspora cultures, but the main point
of connection as well. Imagined structurally, this image of the
Diaspora resembles a large wheel, with Africa at its center and the
cultures of the Diaspora emanating out from it as if on spokes.
Words by Bryan Mason
Drummers in Nairobi,
Kenya, by Wanyoike
Mbugua
issue twelve 99

Reference
While Harris does not specifically
propose a “wheel model,” to describe the connection
between Diaspora cultures and the
African continent itself, it is presented here as
an accurate depiction of the relationship as it
is commonly imagined in many constructions
of the Diaspora, including Harris’. And though
this model is easily intuited and not without its
degree of accuracy, the proprietary sentiment
it conveys through such constructions as Africa
and its diaspora, are at the root of several
perspectives that construe the cultures and
peoples of the African Diaspora, not only as descendants
of the African continent but as derivatives
and ultimately possessions.
These suppositions, if not by themselves
openly problematic, at the very least raise
several important questions. Of the various
issues to consider in the proposition of "Africa
and its diaspora," three present themselves
as the most pressing: possession, construction
and position. The first of these, possession,
asks simply, to whom does the African
Diaspora belong?
The African Diaspora or Africa’s Diaspora?
No one contends the description, The
African Diaspora and no one should, because
that is what we are. However, there is a subtle
paternalism to the phrase Africa and its
diaspora, born, like the idea of the underlying
African self, of the belief that Africa somehow
holds within it an original culture, of which all
cultures of the external Diaspora are simple
derivatives.
By this logic we may, like all derivatives,
be judged and arranged in order of quality by
the extent to which we display an appropriate
resemblance to our source material — and
we have been, often by ourselves. Arguments
about which cultures are more or less
African have been all too common throughout
the years, fueling, among other things, the
important work of scholars such as Melville
Herskovits, Zora Neale Hurston, and W.E.B.
DuBois, among many others who investigated
connections between various New World
Diaspora and West African cultures in the early
20th century.
Beyond this important work, however,
the paternalistic streak to traditional definitions
of Diaspora has played out in a variety of
ways, most notably economically. For instance,
the definition offered by the African Union describing
the Diaspora as we of African origin
who, regardless of citizenship or nationality,
live outside the continent, goes on to stipulate
our willingness to, “contribute to the development
of the continent and the building of the
African Union,” as part of what qualifies us as
part of the Diaspora. Similarly, in 2010, when
Margaret Kilo, then head of Fragile States
Unit of the African Development Bank was interviewed
about the outcomes of a seminar
entitled, Mobilizing the African Diaspora for
Capacity Building and Development: Focus on
Fragile States, she defined the Diaspora as, “a
human and investment capital pool that can
strongly contribute to the continent’s development.”
Other organizations, such as the African
Diaspora Group, a non-profit focused on
strengthening financial ties between the
Diaspora and the Continent, roots the impetus
for a financial relationship in the cultural need
of those born away from the continent. Like
Harris, this group views the African Diaspora
as stateless, and without a common country of
origin, language, religion, or culture. “Mother
Africa,” The African Diaspora Group thereby
offers, “will help to restore what was lost, [vital
roots, history, and culture,] and the children of
the diaspora will reciprocate by providing the
knowledge and resources that were gained while
away.” Another section of the website suggests
that, “[it] is time for Africans in the diaspora to
break free from their manufactured identities,
and return to knowledge of self as an African.”
As these groups all seek to enact or at least
envision a particular future for the Diaspora, it
is worth interrogating the ways in which they
are constructing the idea, and how they mean
to employ it.
Like a Motherless Child
In each of the examples presented
above, a Triadic Model, similar if not identical
to Harris’ is being employed to envision the
Diaspora as a 3-part relationship between the
Continent, the (descendants of the) dispersed
and their countries of residence — with references
to both family and hierarchy as part of
the structure. The kind of parent-child relationship
these constructions envision between
Africa and the Diaspora makes a certain
amount of intuitive sense. However, “parent-child”
is a hierarchy, and any hierarchical
model of Diaspora must entail a concerning
sense of ethnocentrism while presenting a host
of other problems.
There is a lurking sense of eurocentrism
both in the way the The African Diaspora Group
offers to “restore what was lost,” for people of
the Diaspora — sometimes called “diasporans”
or “diasporeans,” — and its presentment of
“Mother Africa” as a monolithic whole. The first
upholds the European myth of Africa as ahistorical,
suggesting that African culture as it
exists today represents an original from which
Diaspora cultures are derived and to which
they can return. Yet many hundreds of years
have passed between the first dispersions and
where we all are today. “History,” as Stuart
Hall noted, “has intervened,” changing us from
what we were then to what we are now. While
there are many things that contemporary
Africa can offer the Diaspora and vice versa,
going back in time is not among them.
Further, Africa as we know is not a single
entity. It has many nations, languages and ethnicities,
and whether genetically or culturally,
many of us, as diasporeans, are made up of
quite a few of them. Therefore when presented
with the African Diaspora Group’s offer to shed
our, “manufactured identities,” (all identities
are manufactured) “and return to knowledge
of self as an African,” it would be fair of us to
ask, “what type of African should we return to
being? From what nations? Speaking which
languages?” We can further question whether
simply moving to Africa is enough to remake
us as Africans. Do we lose the distinction
of being born in another place and formed
in another culture as soon as we become
residents of an African state? And even if so, is
that something we want? Does the Diaspora,
African Americans, Caribbeans, et al. value its
100 aphrochic

Fulani woman in
Zaria, Nigeria, by
Muhammad-taha
Ibrahim
Playing capoeira in the
streets of Pelourinho,
Salvador, Brazil, by Nigel
SB Photography
issue twelve 101

Reference
cultures — the art, music, fashion, literature, rituals, traditions,
holidays and more — that our ancestors labored for centuries to
build in hostile lands and which we now carry forward? Or are
they as worthless as they’re made to sound — cheap knock-offs
cobbled together just to be cast aside for the genuine article?
if that heritage is truly something that we must purchase or
earn through service, or if our heritage is ours simply because it
is ours? Because if the latter, then no entity, not even Africa, has
the power to grant or deny it to us — and certainly not to hold it
out to us in trade.
Cash-for-Heritage
Perhaps it is because Harris’ Triadic Model so resembles
the specifically commercial “Triangular Trade” that Eric
Williams introduced in his 1944 classic Capitalism and Slavery
that the models presented here all envision the relationship
between Africa and Diaspora in such solidly economic (as
opposed to cultural or even political) terms — or perhaps it’s
just a coincidence. In Williams’ construction, enslaved Africans
were forced to work in New World agriculture to produce raw
materials. Those materials were then shipped to Europe to
become finished goods that were then sold back to European
colonies. Money from the sale of goods was then used to
purchase and enslave more Africans, and so on.
With so much of the history of the Diaspora bound to the
cruel exploitation of Black bodies as both labor and commodities,
it is understandably alarming to those descended from
Africans enslaved for centuries to know that they are regarded
on the one hand by the African Development Bank as “human
and investment capital,” while the African Union regards
Diaspora status as being contingent on our willingness and
ability to contribute to the development of the continent and
the African Union.
While Kilo posits the relationship unilaterally, with the
Diaspora strictly representing a resource for the Continent,
both the African Union and the African Diaspora Group present
it as an exchange — cash-for-heritage — in which contributions
to the Continent are repaid, either with membership in
the Diaspora, and by extension, Africa, or with the recovery of
culture. Both are tantamount to being granted access to one’s
heritage and culture. As before, it’s a position that invites
questions — ones, this time, that we must all, continental or diasporean,
ask ourselves.
Reflecting on Kilo’s statement, we must ask ourselves
if, after all this time, labor and commodities are still all that
the millions of descendants of the trans-Atlantic slave trade
represent to what is being held out as our ostensible homeland?
Or should any version of the relationship between the Diaspora
and the continent take into account the immeasurable amount
of cultural inspiration and intellectual support that has gone
both ways? And should the Diaspora be willing to enter into this
relationship when it is strictly tributary?
Responding to those who would barter with the Diaspora
for its African heritage, diasporeans must likewise ask ourselves
Questions and Non-Questions
None of this is to say that a strong relationship between
the many countries of the African continent and the rest of the
African Diaspora does not, or should not exist, or that that relationship
cannot or should not include financial support to the
continent from without. Moreover, the purpose of these queries
is not to suggest any sense of exploitative intent, ill will or bad
faith on the part of Africa or any governments, financial institutions
or individuals therein. The work of organizations like
the African Diaspora Group and the African Development Bank
is both laudable and vital. These are worthy goals, as suitable
a basis for international cooperation today as they were in the
days of Henry Sylvester Williams and W.E.B. DuBois.
What is in question however is how we choose to see these relationships,
the basis from which we construct them, and whether
they promote unity and shared benefit or offer yet another form of
division and exploitation. Do the constructs of the Diaspora-Continental
relationship presented in these examples truly value the
people, culture, history, contributions and full potential of the
African Diaspora, or are they simply perpetuating old cycles of exploitation?
Are we going to choose to see the cultures and people
of the Diaspora merely as children, derivatives and property of the
African continent, or do we recognize all African and Africa-descended
cultures as equals? And which version is most likely to
benefit all groups moving forward?
Africa (by Itself) Is Not the Answer
The danger of answering these questions incorrectly, or
of these constructions as they currently stand, is that they risk
putting us on sides — Africa and the Diaspora — which can
easily become Africa versus the Diaspora. It’s a situation that
doesn’t benefit any of us and yet it’s one that we already find
ourselves in too often, just as we find one part of the Diaspora
versus another, and almost always around some false notion of
hierarchy, authenticity or ownership.
Whether fully internalized or spurred on by outside
interests, it’s never anything more than an unwillingness to
value one another. As we continue to explore our relationships
and what they mean, and Diaspora continues to evolve, we must
learn to move beyond the notions of hierarchy, ownership and
commodification that are even now threatening to tear us apart.
So does the Diaspora “belong” to the Continent? Yes it does. But
the Continent must also belong to the Diaspora. AC
Guitar player in Puerto Rico by Christian Crocker
issue twelve 103

SOUNDS
It Ain’t All Love: Ace Clark’s Tertiary Release Is
a Vision of Hip Hop All Grown Up
Once upon a time, Hip-Hop was a many layered thing. It had its
gangstas and its Ruff Ryders, conscious Afrikans and poets, choppers
and crooners, its Bad Boys and its empowered women. From sampled
R&B beats to jazz quartets, the wide world and deep history of Black
music could be heard behind nearly every verse. There seemed to be
room for every style and every story, and love stories were no exception.
But eras pass, and for a time it seemed like R&B powered reflections on
the soft sides and hard truths of relationships were part of the genre’s
past. Then came Ace Clark.
It Ain’t All Love, Clark’s 2022 release is an 8-track
exploration of the ups and downs of real relationships.
Missing the prideful facades and misogynist undertones
that are typically cited as characteristic of Hip-Hop and
Black men alike, Clark spends each track examining experiences
as if they were diamonds, holding each side
up to the light, hoping to see it a little more clearly. The
perspective isn’t perfect, and that, in part, is the point.
Mistakes, miscommunications, hurt feelings and bittersweet
memories all make appearances, with the artist’s
narrative voice landing on both the right and wrong side
of issues as the album moves from track to track.
Words by Bryan Mason
Images furnished by Ace Clark
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SOUNDS
The album’s opener, Hold You Down, is soberly romantic, depicting love
with a happy ending while detailing the path it took to get there — from a hug
he hopes will never end to recognizing the danger pride can pose to love.
“Sometimes I’m the problem, sometimes I’m the solution,” he admits in a
later track, Sometimes, which offers a male perspective on the things that can
change in a relationship from day to day — suggesting that understanding is
best when it goes both ways. “Sometimes I want a lazy day…” he muses, “Wanna
be courted, afforded grace when I make mistakes…” From a different perspective,
in Cold Blooded, he laments, “I’ll be more careful the next time, before I
chase someone that ain’t mine.” Wherever he lands in a given song, it’s hard to
fault the honesty of his narrative.
Adding to the appeal of the storytelling is the music that supports and
uplifts the lyrics. Elements of soul, jazz, and R&B blend and mix to create a vibe
that matches the subject matter perfectly. These aren’t club joints, this is music
to vibe out to, let go, and enjoy the sounds that can happen when Hip-Hop
speaks to the rest of Black music.
A concept album at heart, It Ain’t All Love is far from a throwback. Rather,
looking forward, it paints a picture composed almost entirely of things we don’t
often see: Black men in relationships with human feelings as well as sexual
agendas; the coexistence of the acknowledgment that relationships aren’t
always easy with the belief that love and happiness are more than fantasies; and
the conviction that hip-hop can still speak affirmingly to the real, lived experiences
of our people, without caricature or IG filters, to make the simple yet
radical statement that Black life is life. In a world where we’re constantly told
that love isn’t possible, doesn’t work or can’t exist between Black couples, it’s a
moment of much-needed representation.
Listen to Ace Clark’s new album It Ain’t All Love. AC
106 aphrochic

issue twelve 107

PINPOINT
Artists & Artisans | Hot Topic | Who Are You

ARTISTS & ARTISANS
An Interview with Fares Micue: The Canary Islands Artist
Debuts An Exclusive New Collection with AphroChic
We recently launched a series of exclusive works by Spanish fine art photographer,
Fares Micue. We have long admired her surreal photographs and over the
past few years have become collectors of her work, spoken with her about her
inspirations and her process, and worked collaboratively with her to bring forth
an absolutely stunning collection of images. Created in the Canary Islands and
featuring images from her latest trip to Korea, we speak with Fares about the
new pieces and the inspiration behind each of them.
AphroChic: Take us through the new
pieces, how they were made, and what did
they each mean to you? Let’s start with
Playing Among The Stars.
Fares Micue: With Playing Among The
Stars, that tree, there’s a lot of them in
Korea. I saw that the leaves look like stars.
When I was sitting by those trees, I felt like
I was dreaming. Like I am under the sky.
Like I'm getting into the stars. I felt that I
could take that tree and create what is in
my mind and how I felt when I was under
it. It felt like the leaves were a constellation
full of stars, and I'm just among them. So I
really wanted to create that.
AC: It sounds like you had a plan to create
something you knew you wanted to do for
a long time? How about The Crown II?
FM: In all my pictures with the
flowers on my head I like to play with an
afro. I put the flowers in the shape [of]
afro hair. Sometimes the afro hair, we call
it our crown. [I] wanted to translate that
message into my image by doing it with
flowers. I always do [this], but this time
I wanted to make it clear — this is the
shape of our hair that grows as a crown
and we are proud of it.
AC: One of the things that stands out to
us is your your pose. In The Crown II you're
slightly tilted forward from your pelvis and
you have your hands over your stomach.
Is there any special significance or idea
behind that?
FM: I want to portray that I am
empowered, feeling confident in
myself. I don't need to hide anything, I
don't need to prove anything, I'm just
standing here, so you can see what
I am. So it's just a confident pose. I
wanted to convey power, pride. When
you are proud, you have to be standing
with your head up and feeling proud of
yourself.
Interview by Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason
Photos furnished by Fares Micue
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ARTISTS & ARTISANS
AC: We love your power stance. We feel
the pride that comes through in the image
itself. Like with all your imagery, [we] love
the connection to nature that is there,
putting the person back in touch with
nature. It’s really cool to see that shine
through as well. Talk to us about Dancing In
The Clouds.
FM: Dancing In The Clouds was the
first one that I did when I arrived in Korea,
actually the day [after] I arrived. I arrived
in spring and wanted to catch those
flowers because they were in a palace
and I know that people go and they touch
them and they may fall off. So I ran there
to make it. When I see flowers and plants,
I get a feeling. Even now even when I go to
shoot and see plants I want to stop and do
something with them. So when I saw that
[tree] I was like, you know, when you feel
light, like you can fly? That's how the blue
color came in. The flowers are white but a
little bit yellowish and I wanted to make it
like you're in a fluffy cloud. That you are
inside it and you can dream and you can
be whoever you want to be. My face doesn't
show, but I'm actually laughing and I'm
very happy, I'm in the clouds, I'm over the
moon I'm so happy. Like you are dancing,
and they just catch you there in the middle
of your dance just for yourself, without
thinking about anybody else. That's what
I want people to feel — like they want to
dance all the time [when] they come home
and see that picture on the wall.
AC: We love the expression of freedom
that's there in your work. Like you said -
just dancing and being who you are. I think
that was one of the things that we were
drawn to in your work. The last piece in the
collection is Divine Femininity. What was
the inspiration behind that piece?
FM: I wanted it to be an image that
exudes feminine power. I think as women,
we have some kind of sixth sense, we have
this kind of mysterious power inside us
and I wanted to convey that in one image.
I wanted to be very feminine, powerful
and empowered. I really like my images
to be feminine. I knew that I wanted it
to be in blue. I wanted to [show] a subtle
power, elegant and intoxicating. And I
really liked the moon. I think the moon is
very mysterious. I always think about the
moon like a feminine star, changing the
water and controlling the sea.
AC: One last question. Of the four pieces
that you've created for the AphroChic Art
Shop, is there a favorite?
FM: I think all of them. I love to play
among the stars, I dance among the clouds,
I wear my crown with pride, I enjoy my
divine femininity. All of them are part of
me. I put a piece of me in each. And I want
to invite people, if they are not playing
among the stars, or they are not dancing
in the clouds, to start doing it now. And if
they don't feel proud of who they are, to
be proud. And if you are a woman and you
don't feel powerful enough, know you are
divine, and connect with that part of your
femininity in order to be able to use it. I
invite [people] to explore those parts of
themselves.
See Fares Micue’s exclusive collection
for the AphroChic Art Shop at aphrochic.
com. And listen to the full interview on The
AphroChic Podcast.
112 aphrochic

The Crown II
issue twelve 113

ARTISTS & ARTISANS
Dancing in the Clouds
114 aphrochic

Playing Among the Stars
issue twelve 115

HOT TOPIC
Deliver Us From Evil: Theodicy and the
Question of Responsibility in Why We Suffer
Just , recently, we added another name, Jordan Neely, to the list of spirits invoked
every time we hear, issue or echo the command to “Say their names.” We say this
because we need to remember. We say it because we know how much the world
wants to forget. And we say it, every time, with the hope that the list will grow no
longer, coupled with the agonizing knowledge that it probably already has. Neely
was brutally choked to death by former marine Daniel J. Penny, while another
subway rider assisted in pinning him down, and another filmed his death. As of
this writing Penny was only charged with murder due to significant public outcry.
Words by Bryan Mason
Black Lives Matter protest
in Los Angeles by Mike Von
Black Lives Matter flag in
Charlotte, NC, by Clay Banks
116 aphrochic

HOT TOPIC
In May of this year, the World Health Organization
(WHO) declared an end to the global
health emergency surrounding COVID-19. The
organization reports that so far the virus has
killed nearly 7 million people, while affecting
the health of 729 million more. In announcing
the emergency’s conclusion, Tedros
Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO’s director
general stated that in the previous week alone,
“COVID-19 claimed a life every 3 minutes —
and that’s just the deaths we know about.”
Admitting that the end of the global emergency
did not end the virus’ threat, Ghebreyesus
added that, “The worst thing any country could
do…is to let down its guard, to dismantle the
systems it has built, or to send the message to
its people that COVID-19 is nothing to worry
about.” However, with the federal government
already ceasing safeguards for vaccination and
masking across the board, and city and state
officials moving even faster, his warning seems
to be falling on deaf ears.
In March, Silicon Valley Bank became
the second largest bank failure in US history,
followed swiftly by Signature Bank with First
Republic Bank closing in May. Concurrently, a
series of crypto-crashes have erased billions
in wealth with several high-profile proponents
facing charges. All of which have accelerated
fears of an encroaching recession that
has been predicted for years. In the wake of
this fiscal uncertainty — and even before it —
companies in tech and other industries have
begun massive layoffs, leaving hundreds of
thousands without jobs this year alone and
putting an untold number of families, homes,
and futures at risk.
Unchecked illnesses, civil unrest,
financial upheaval, and violence all amount to
the same thing: suffering. When so many bad
things happen at once, it’s natural for us to
wonder why. And when we can find no single
answer to address every ill, there are a number
of different ways we choose to cope. Often we
compartmentalize, and insist on looking at
them all as isolated events — as if no one on
the train with Jordan Neely could possibly
have been affected by COVID deaths, layoffs,
financial fears, or the rising tide of hate that
has been at the root of so much violence over
the past few years. Other times, we shrug and
and say that it’s just the way the world is, the
way it’s always been, and that there’s nothing
that can be done about it. And sometimes, we
lay the blame on some unseen or abstract force
like market forces, grand conspiracies or, if
we’re really desperate — God. And while this
last answer may not be everyone’s first choice,
when examined it may yield some useful
answers about the validity of these tactics and
reveal some new options.
The God Problem
The question of why bad things happen
is called “The Problem of Evil” in Christian
theology and western philosophy. Trying to
reconcile the Problem of Evil with a belief in
God as envisioned by Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam is called “theodicy,” or “Justifying
God.” It has a long and winding history full of
positions, treatises, and schools of thought, but
the basic argument goes like this:
God is all-powerful (omnipotent); God
is all-knowing (omniscient); God is all-good
(omnibenevolent). Yet evil exists in the world.
Therefore, God is either all-good and unable
to stop evil and therefore not all-powerful,
or all-powerful and unwilling to stop evil
and therefore not all-good. Or God is simply
unaware of all evil and therefore not all-knowing.
Since evil verifiably exists, God either
cannot exist, or cannot exist in the way these
religions suggest.
Going further, theodicy divides “evil”
into Natural Evil and Moral Evil. Natural
evils cause suffering or harm within nature.
These include natural disasters, diseases, or
instances of natural violence, like a lion killing
a gazelle. Natural evils are further characterized
by a lack of intent. Hurricanes don’t target
cities, they simply occur, and cities happen to
be in their path. Similarly, a lion isn’t angry
when attacking a gazelle, it’s just hungry.
Moral evil, conversely, requires agency
and intention and is therefore unique to human
beings. Unlike tornadoes, people have agency
to decide where we go, what we do, and most
importantly why we do it. And unlike diseases,
people often intentionally inflict harm.
For many, theodicy’s basic argument
is enough to invalidate all belief in God.
Scholars on both sides have debated the point
for centuries with no end in sight. Yet even
within the basic argument there are a number
of problems that cause us to question the
concept as a whole.
The Problem of Presumption
The underlying presumption to all theodicean
arguments is that if God is perfect
then God would necessarily want to create
a “perfect” world. But what’s imperfect about
it? Nature exists in a precise balance (when we
aren’t interfering with it). And in that balance,
volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, even black
holes and supernovas all have their place; as
do food chains. That most living things on this
planet survive by eating other living things
isn’t evil, it simply is. A gazelle hunted by
lions certainly suffers, but then so do starving
lions. The relationship between them is not
imperfect but balanced. The argument comes
from presuming that God shares or, worse,
is bound to our perspective, which brings up
another problem.
The Problem of Androcentrism
The concept of natural evil is androcentric
because the natural world is only imperfect
by our standards. The cycle of creation, destruction
and rebirth is fundamental to
just about everything that exists, from people
to planets to stars. That we don’t care for
every aspect of that cycle is irrelevant. Natural
disasters are only disasters to us. To the planet
they're just things that happen. Suggesting
that the normal processes of the planet are
evil simply because they are indifferent to our
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Climate change protest by Francesca Di Pasqua
I Want to Live Sign at Black Lives Matter Protest in Paris by Thomas de Luze
Protest in Nigeria to end SARS killing by Tobi Oshinnaike
Man raising his fist during Black Lives Matter protest in Paris by Thomas de Luze
issue twelve 119

HOT TOPIC
suffering assumes that the ultimate purpose of
nature is to provide for the good and comfort
of humanity. While the planet can provide
for our good, any number of natural events —
including COVID-19 — clearly demonstrate
that it is under no constraint to do so. Therefore
theodicy’s view of nature is somewhat reductionist
— another problem.
The Problem of Reductivism
Theodicy argues that God cannot exist
as omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent
due to the existence of evil. But the God of
Abraham, Jesus, and Mohammed (chronologically
speaking) is far more complex than that,
as is the question itself. Ultimately, theodicy is
less about the presence of evil and more a consideration
of the nature of God. Specifically,
it’s a question of how God’s goodness interacts
with God’s power.
The problem with the idea that an omnibenevolent,
omnipotent, omniscient God
would, perforce, create a world without
suffering, is that an all-powerful being
doesn’t do anything “perforce.” Now anyone
who’s spent time in a Black church knows
that “God is good all the time.” But God isn’t
constrained to goodness, because that constraint
would limit God’s power. Goodness,
for God, is a choice. God is perfectly good
because God is making that choice continually,
again and again without fail. When we say that
humanity is made in God’s image (Gen 1:26), it
is not a matter of faces, fingers, and toes (and
certainly not genitalia); rather, we exist in the
image of God through our ability to — among
other things — choose. The challenge posed
by Christianity, for instance, is to choose as
God chooses; to choose goodness and choose
it perpetually (Matt. 5:48). Free will — agency
and intention — makes us responsible for our
decisions and the goodness or evil of the consequences
that follow. And for theodicy, that is
the central problem.
The Problem of Abdication
In reality, there is no such thing as natural
evil. We may not like tornadoes, earthquakes, or
pandemic viruses, but the fact that we or other
animals can suffer due to them does not make
them evil. Equally, animals cannot be blamed
for eating other animals if the morally preferable
alternative would be for them to starve.
Conflating human suffering due to
natural phenomena with human suffering
inflicted by other humans under the general
category of ‘evil,’ obscures a single, crucial fact:
that the vast majority of the time, when people
suffer, we suffer at the hands of other people. By
laying that at the feet of God or any other conveniently
intangible scapegoat, we abdicate responsibility
for our own actions, a rhetorical
move that is not only deeply immoral and
logically flawed — it just doesn’t help.
Theodicy Take 2
So let’s try this again from the top: God is
omnipotent. God is omniscient. God is omnibenevolent.
Being all of these things, God gave
people the ability to choose, and we choose, in
some instances, to put the greed of a few over
the suffering of millions; to hold the good of the
economy, an imaginary construct created by
people, more sacred than the lives of the people
whose labor and consumption make it run. And
sometimes we choose to do something even
worse — and something unthinkable happens.
Why Bad Things Happen
Jordan Neely didn’t die because God lacks
power, knowledge or goodness. He also didn’t die
because of mental illness, aggressive behavior, or
because he had it coming. He died because Daniel
J. Penny wrapped his arms around his neck
and squeezed while some assisted and others
watched for more than 15 minutes.
Similarly, after 3 years of COVID-19, the
development of vaccines and treatment drugs
and the proven effectiveness of masking and
social distance, the astonishing rate at which this
virus continues to spread, mutate, and kill is not
nature’s evil, it’s ours. Crowing to CBS News about
the end of the federal state of emergency, White
House COVID-19 Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said
that nearly every COVID-19 death is now preventable,
stating that it’s clear, “from a very large-scale
kind of cohort data … that if you're up to date on
your vaccines and you get treated, death numbers
are exceedingly low.” However, he said this while
promoting the removal of vaccine requirements
for federal employees and international travelers
while city and state rollbacks end requirements
just about everywhere else. Who then is responsible
for the surge to come? And what natural
disaster is to blame for so many nations lacking
access to vaccines for COVID-19 as well as flu,
pneumonia, and a host of other illnesses?
It’s terrible when banking crises and
economic downturns lead to slashed wages, lost
jobs and closed businesses. Though the global
economy is a beast of our own making, not every
large scale financial hiccup can be predicted
— like the advent of a global pandemic. But
the way we treat those who are hit hardest by
those events and the way we structure society
to position certain communities at the front of
every disaster are entirely up to us.
When government funds go to large
companies while families struggle and landlords
fill courts with petitions for evictions, is it so hard
to imagine that the the lack of compassion that
we show to each other might result in some of us
losing our homes, going hungry, losing hope and
becoming depressed? We might find ourselves
on a subway train, angry and ranting to a group of
people with their own problems, their own fears,
and their own reasons to be mad. And when that
happens, who is responsible for what happens
next? When we can admit that we are the only
answer to that question, and act accordingly, we
will have taken a big step towards keeping the
list of names that Jordan Neely just joined from
getting any longer. AC
Stop Asian Hate protest by Jason Leung
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WHO ARE YOU
Name: Heavenly Gaines
Based In: Brooklyn, NY
Occupation: Self-employed undergraduate admissions advisor
Currently: Excitedly curating specialized home goods including my own
creations to sell online, at festivals, and retail shops.
Black Culture Is: The vanguard. It's my lifeblood and inspiration. Through
literature, music, food, art, and style, Black culture implicitly captures
the imagination, determining what is cool, what's to be monetized, and
what's to be imitated.
Photo by Chinasa Cooper
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