By & For: Our Communities – Page 3

On The Boat in Victoria Harbor; A Comic by Anna Nguyen

Trigger Warning: This comic contains references to sexual assault and explores a survivor’s emotional journey. This piece is part of Breakthrough’s program By & For; An initiative to amplify the lived experiences of creative girls and gender non-conforming youth of color in authentic, nuanced, and respectful ways, and provide them with platforms to share their…

Tree Girl’s Budding Thoughts by Caela Collins (Part 2)

Part 2 I had to lose my identity in order to find myself. As a Tree, I was only worried aboutmy own growth; I didn’t care about the trees around me, I just wanted to be big andtall but in order to grow like that, you need strong roots. The joke was on mebecause the…

Tree Girl’s Budding Thoughts by Caela Collins (Part 1)

Part 1 By Caela Collins Like Trunks We stand tall and Like their stumps, sometimes we fall short. In moments of despair, we bow our heads deep down into our shoulder blades and weep Like Willows. Like blowing leaves, We shiver in the frigid wind when it grazes our epidermis. We stretch to the morning…

Meet By & For Artist: Anna Nguyen

Anna Nguyen is a young artist, Breakthrough youth ambassador, and monthly contributor to Mixed Mag, a digital multimedia publication dedicated to uplifting creatives of color, celebrating multicultural/multiethnic identities, and featuring intersectional perspectives in various areas. Anna uses art as an outlet to speak about the intersection of social justice and mental health and transforming her…

By & For: Powerful Women in Activism

Everyone has an active role to play in addressing society’s injustices. For activists that make this work a primary focus of their lives, that responsibility can sometimes be greater, challenging even, but evermore rewarding. These women women explain what their activism work means to them, the process of that work, and how they take time to recover.

A Woman: Poem for International Women’s Day

Poem Kai Adia Women have the audacity to birth new worlds With passion and honey on their tongues. This world would not move without women, They hold up half the sky. Reaching with their arms, they shout FREEDOM Into the heavens Raising unsung heroes From history’s sullen shadows. What is a Woman? Intuitive Connecter Emotional…

Meet Nia Asemota: Artist Contributor to By & For

Cover art by Nia Asemota Nia Asemota is a young artist, technical instructor for Black Girls CODE, and contributor to By & For. “My artwork is the epitome of my inner personality- bold lines and bright colors. Through my cartoon realistic pieces, I seek to pay tribute to my dynamic cultural heritage as an Afro-Latina…

Back Hair Matters And Cultivates Joy

A conversation about Black hair and Black joy with Dr. Kari Williams, a passionate hair stylist and Trichologist.

Why Black Joy is Important According to 10 Young People

To demonstrate the power of Black joy, here are 9 Black people explaining what brings them joy and why Black joy is important to them; all participants answered the question: “What brings you joy right now? Why is joy important to you?”

A Look Back at Representation in 2020: 8 Ways Black Hair Matters

Today, Black women are loving their hair unapologetically. We are creating and buying our own products from brands made “By and for Us.” Black hair is a story of resilience and the story has continued as a key topic of conversation throughout 2020. Yes, our twist outs, fros and low cuts are taking center stage as a representation of independence and strength. And yet, centuries of race-based hair discrimination has sparked the saying, “Black hair is not just hair.” Why?