Thread about #BlackArt and growing up as a member of the #GenX cohort.

Heroes will fall, but the “good” they did will still have some level of influence. This thread is *not* about Bill Cosby (he’s guilty and should be in prison), but it is about The Cosby Show. 1/12

As a young biracial kid who was raised fully in white culture, I found such great comfort in The Cosby Show. Like most of my generation, I thought Theo was cool, Denise was dope, Claire was a bad-ass, and Rudy was wise beyond her years. 2/12

But it was the family’s love of art and music, as well as the way the whole family got involved in both, that really stood out. Whether it was Claire finding a work by her great uncle Ellis and Cliff buying it auction to proudly hang in the home, or the jazz music... 3/12

...or the unforgettable dance numbers the kids did, #BlackArt was part of the Huxtables’ lives. They used their middle class means to support the arts and proudly display the arts. 4/12

It’s really not until now that I see how that show influenced me and my desire to support Black artists. Culture, stories, activism, hopes, frustrations, and much more are capture by Black art. 5/12

Additionally, buying Black art, supports the Black community. It keeps money within the Black economy. 6/12

#BlackArtists in my collection: @de_nichols, @heartacheNpaint, #BasilKincaid, #KhalilIrving, #WorkPlay, #LolaOgbara, @kennwadiogbu, @MarleyBillieD_, @hbcreative, @AoctaviusW, @AmberAThomas_, @cbabibayoc, @2cent_bmike, #DemondMeek, @solvmist, @honestari, #LilianaRae 7/12

During #COVID, I’ve made a deeper commitment to support Black artists. 90% of all art I add to what I’m calling my #COVIDcollection, is by Black artists. 8/12

If COVID disproportionately impacts the Black community, then I am going to disproportionately support the Black community. 9/12

Like the Huxtables, I am privileged to live a relatively comfortable middle class life. That wasn’t the case growing up, as my family was incredibly poor. But something I committed to a long time agora this: if you have capacity, use it to enhance someone else’s capacity. 10/12

Black art helps me better understand a big part of my culture that was missing when I grew up. So, in that regard, Black artists are using their capacity to add to my capacity. 11/12

So, thank you The Cosby Show, for the early influence (eff you, Bill), and thank you Black artists for the ongoing inspiration. 12/12