Gift Culture This Holiday Season For 2019

It’s the holiday season, & you have a couple of ideas in mind for gifts; the ones you want, & the ones you want to give. You’re here on the D’IAYNU website because African inspired pieces in contemporary designs without a Eurocentric point of view are on that list, but what else would make your loved ones happy while giving them a chance to live in loving who they are?

Have you considered a cultural experience?

Before you answer that, let me explain what's meant by cultural experience. We aren't talking about a museum membership, or tickets to the ballet - although those things are nice & readers in cities like Dallas can see exemplary performances by historically black companies such as the Dallas Black Dance Theatre - we’re talking music festivals, niche empowering summits, & parties with a focus on the celebration of the beauty & creative talents of all people of the African diaspora.

As they say in Cuba, todos tenemos un poco de Africano en nosotros, we all have a little African in us, so get in on the fun, or give the gift of it, with tickets to these cultural events. More than a chance to see a concert or hear a speaker, you’ll be supporting authentic engagement with people who, despite differences, show us all the sides of ourselves. Inspiring love.

EVERYDAY PEOPLE

Featuring collaborative events with institutions like Alvin Ailey (another historically black ballet company), the Art Basel festival in Miami, the Brooklyn Museum, & west coast hotspots like the Standard, Everyday People is the party of parties.

The brainchild of a small collective of creatives including Chef Roble, formerly of Bravo fame, the first Everyday People event was thrown in 2012, & since that time, they’ve gone international, hosting parties on islands including Cartegania & the Barbados, where you can expect to dance to some of the best DJ sets you’ve ever heard.

In addition to parties filled with beautiful creatives, wellness & charitable focused initiatives are hosted by Everyday People as well - although the best cultural experiences may arguably be the parties, where fashion, style, & music, merge for a unique expression; of the time & of the people.

Afro Punk

Nearly 13 years after the founding event, & most of us are familiar with Afro Punk. More than a network of festivals taking place globally in cities including London, Paris, Johannesburg, Brooklyn, & Atlanta, Afro Punk is also a publishing platform. A space for activism & art that serves that purpose. A continuation of the stated mission of the event:

...defining culture by the collective creative actions of the individual & the group. It is a safe place, a blank space to freak out in, to construct a new reality, to live your life as you see fit, while making sense of the world around you.

The perfect place to sport a D’IYANU piece, Afro Punk is also a land of varied styling techniques & handmade design come to play. A celebration of creativity on all fronts, where the attendees are owed nearly as much as the organizers for truly coming together - acting as the individuals who make up that collective; contributing as they consume a performance by an obscure favorite group, newly discovered art - in whatever medium - or an article or podcast episode on business. 

ESSENCE Festival

Bringing people from across the country & globe to New Orleans since 1995, the party with a purpose, extends itself through free offerings such as workshops on community and culture, entertainment, entrepreneurship, & includes optional activities such as a day dedicated to community service; giving back to the city that gives so much when welcoming the crowds each year, its people watching their home turn into a basis of empowerment, even as the city’s leadership does not always make decisions that empower them.

Of course it’s the major concerts & chance to party down Bourbon St. that Essence is known for, & taking the time to be continuous doesn't mean you won't have time to turn-up. Hitmakers like Missy Elliot & Janet Jackson are rocked the crowds in 2018. Are you ready for next year?

Let us know. Will you give the gift of cultural events this year?