These three illustrations all use the color yellow and some imagery of the sun. I personally identify with what the sun represents, light, joy, energy, life, and I try to carry the spirit of the sun with me everywhere I go. This energy empowers me to lead with an open heart and try to meet people where they’re at. This mentality has served me well, especially in my travels internationally, and has allowed me to make friends with people all around the world. The sun, its light, and its warmth is a unifying tool in antiracist community building for me. It reminds me that I’ve been gifted another day, and that I should use that day to spread joy and kindness the best I’m able.

The Potluck

So many of my friendships are generous, multicultural, and revolve around sharing food … a LOT of food. At any potluck I host, you can always expect to see dishes from cultures all around – whether it’s dumplings from Japan, Caribbean jerk chicken, or mac and cheese prepared like it’s done down in Bessemer, Alabama. Food is an important conduit for culture sharing and one that fills us with life, energy, and appreciation for the lands and histories we come from.

Seeds of Kindness

When I first moved to Glendale, Queens, I was initially concerned. Being one of the few Black people in my area and seeing bumper stickers and flags that didn’t comfortably reflect my politics, it made me worried that I wouldn’t be able to connect and get to know my neighbors. For me as a Southerner, this is a necessity. It wasn’t until I started asking my neighbors about their plants that I really started to break the ice and feel at home in my neighborhood. Through blackberry bushes, I connected with my Albanian landlord who stops by to admire my backyard garden and offer tips. Through geraniums, I connected with my old Italian neighbor who greets me on my way to work as he smokes a cigarette on his porch every morning. Through sunflowers, I found myself cracking jokes with the retired cop down the road. And through exchanges of spinach and cucumbers, I’ve traversed language barriers with my Chinese neighbor who grows all sorts of wonderful plants just across the fence. It is through these seeds of kindness that I’ve found comfort in the diversity and difference of my neighborhood and my place in it.

Songs of Community

Music will always connect us. And it’s been a wonderful tool in cultivating unlikely friendships. This illustration is inspired by a visit I took to Massachusetts with my boyfriend to visit his best friend, a shy guy who is very much the opposite of me in many ways, culturally and personality-wise. In the first year of knowing him, I really struggled on how to engage, but I knew that he was an important friend to my partner, so I wanted to try and put my best foot forward. I quickly realized that a great way to get to know him was through music. And let me tell you, this guy has incredible taste in music and a record collection that makes you want to dance for hours. And just as I suspected, it was through engaging his music and sharing some of my own that I grew to understand him more and appreciate having him in my community as a friend and loved one.