#BlackGirlMagic: 10 Patreon Creators Who Encourage Us Each day

In case you’ve spent a while scrolling by way of Instagram or Twitter, you’ve in all probability stumbled throughout the hashtag #BlackGirlMagic and questioned what it meant. Effectively, it began again in 2013 when feminist author CaShawn Thompson began utilizing the hashtag to spotlight the achievements and total awesomeness of black ladies.

“I say ‘magic’ as a result of it’s one thing that individuals don’t at all times perceive,” Thompson mentioned in an interview with the Los Angeles Occasions. “Generally our accomplishments might sound to return out of skinny air, as a result of a number of occasions, the one folks supporting us are different black ladies.”

Since then, #BlackGirlMagic has changed into a motion, full with merch and movie star assist from the likes of Amandla Stenberg and Solange Knowles. In line with the spirit of #BlackGirlMagic and celebrating dope, inspirational black ladies, we thought we’d put our personal spin on it by highlighting some black, female-identifying Patreon creators who’re making waves proper on this very platform.

1. Issa Rae

Immediately, Issa Rae is a bonafide star with a profitable HBO present (that she produces, writes, and stars in), Golden Globe and Emmy nominations, and a best-selling e book below her belt. Nonetheless, she first gained recognition together with her internet sequence, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Woman, which was supported partly by her Patreon membership enterprise. Immediately, Issa Rae Productions leverages Patreon to placed on networking occasions and assist different gifted creators make nice content material by way of her COLOR CREATIVE initiative.

2. Sassy Latte

Like each lady, Sassy Latte accommodates multitudes. She’s a physique and sex-positive feminist, a mom, and an activist. She can be making beautiful content material (that may be NSFW, so click on with care). As a Patreon creator, she’s utilizing the platform to “facilitate open discussions about socio-politics in secure areas juxtaposed in opposition to dope ass selfies.”

If that’s not a mic drop of a profile description, we don’t know what’s. Along with her “timeless love and gratitude,” Sassy Latte patrons get entry to her movies, vlogs, dialogue polls and extra – however you do should be 18+ to subscribe to her work. You too can get a really feel for her type and artistic imaginative and prescient on her beautiful (and likewise NSFW) Instagram at @sassy_latte.

3. N. Okay. Jemisin

N.Okay. Jemisin is an award-winning creator of science fiction, fantasy novels and brief tales. She’s so badass, “award-winning” is nearly promoting her brief. In 2018, she turned the primary creator to win three Hugos in a row for her Damaged Earth sequence of novels. You may take a look at extra of her work right here.

When Jemisin began her Patreon, she had a full-time job and a writing profession and was struggling to stability the 2. Now, because of her patrons, she’s been in a position to stop her day job and stay her greatest life as a full-time author.

4. Layla F. Saad

Layla Saad is a broadly learn author, a globally sought speaker and a well-liked podcast host. As a black Muslim lady, a lot of her work explores the intersections of race, spirituality, feminism and management. “My work is pushed by a strong want to change into a ‘good ancestor’; to stay and work in ways in which go away a legacy of therapeutic and liberation for individuals who will come after I’m gone,” she explains on her Patreon web page.

Via the assist of her patrons, Saad has been in a position to deliver on knowledgeable producer and transcription service for her podcast, present donations to financially insecure ladies and gender-non-conforming people, and pursue her writing and different inventive endeavours full-time.

5. Tanya C. DePass

Relating to variety, the online game business will get a failing grade. The truth is, a latest examine from the Worldwide Sport Builders Affiliation discovered that 74% of staff are cis males, 61% are white/Caucasian/European and 81% are heterosexual.

Tanya DePass is attempting to vary that. She began her non-profit, I Want Various Video games, to raise up the underrepresented folks in gaming by highlighting their work, serving to them attend conventions and conferences, and talking at conventions on problems with variety. In case you assist her work on Patreon, you possibly can achieve early entry to articles, select subjects for video weblog posts and extra.

6. Shay Stewart-Bouley (aka Black Woman in Maine)

By day, Shay Stewart-Boulet is a self-described “non-profit admin extraordinaire,” heading up the oldest constantly working anti-racist group in the USA, Neighborhood Change Inc. By evening, she’s the digital creator behind Black Woman in Maine, an award-winning inventive enterprise that features a digital area for in-depth discussions on racism and white supremacy, a weblog and public talks. Her Patreon membership enterprise has helped her to develop and maintain her enterprise; permitting her to deliver on paid freelance writers and canopy the prices of her lately launched podcast, “You Don’t Know the Half”.

7. Nerds of Prey

Nerds of Prey podcast began as a labor of affection for its creators, Shannon, Cameron, Lauren and Mel – 4 black ladies with a ardour for all issues nerdy. Since 2016, the 4 have been bringing their viewers a contemporary perspective on comics, gaming, anime, motion pictures, tv, cosplay, and extra on a biweekly foundation.

Immediately, they’re trying to take their model to new heights. Sooner or later, they hope to create extra content material and add paid contributors to the crew. They’re additionally trying to journey to extra conventions, produce merchandise, and even host occasions. And due to Patreon, they’re getting near attaining their targets.

8. Mikki Kendall

Mikki Kendall is a prolific author, variety guide and “occasional feminist” whose work covers a large of subjects together with media illustration, police brutality, meals insecurity and different points impacting marginalized folks. Her fiction writing has proven up in comics, books and even on tv.

At present, she’s engaged on a fairly dope challenge: a feminist comedian e book historical past of girls’s rights, from the traditional world to trendy occasions. Sooner or later, she plans to launch a month-to-month fiction podcast and publish an annual e book of collected tales. P.S. for those who change into a patron of hers, you’ll get sneak peeks of the art work for her upcoming e book, in addition to entry to recipes, flash fiction and other forms of content material.

9. QueerWOC

QueerWOC: The Podcast began as a Tumblr web page again in 2013. Now it has grown right into a group area for lesbians, bisexual, queer and trans ladies of coloration to return collectively and have a good time their “lives, loves, and laughs”.

Hosted by Cash and Nikeeta, a household therapist and group organizer respectively, the 2 hope to leverage Patreon to maintain the podcast and likewise develop the model by producing merchandise and internet hosting in-person meetups.

10. NIGHTLIGHT

With the success of Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” and “Us”, black horror has been thrust into the highlight. Whereas his identify has change into virtually synonymous with the style, there’s loads of different black writers on the market who’re creating unbelievable work.

That’s the place NIGHTLIGHT is available in. This podcast options horror written solely by black authors. They use Patreon to boost cash to pay the writers and voice actors who deliver the work to life.

From movie to fiction, podcasts to socio-political vlogs, these are only a few of the various unbelievable black ladies producing wonderful initiatives and platforms. And with the assist of Patreon and their communities of supporters, they’ve been in a position to flip their inventive endeavours into sustainable companies and finally, put just a little extra #BlackGirlMagic into the world.