RAISE YOUR VOICE
In honor of the anniversary of the March on Washington, Snap teamed up with six Black artists to develop a series of “Raise Your Voice” virtual masks, a US Capitol Landmarker and Bitmoji apparel designs. The project redefined masks as a canvas for protest and self-expression in support of the ongoing fight for racial justice.
Snap partnered with Citizens for Humanity to manufacture a limited run of the virtual mask designs in physical form. These masks were sold exclusively on Snapchat with all profits benefiting Rebuild Foundation and its mission to cultivate the next generation of artists & advocates.
My Role: As Snap’s Global Director of Creative Strategy, I felt a deep responsibility to advocate for this important platform. Raise Your Voice was created by members of Snap’s resource group for Black employees, Snap Noir, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. The creators were also members of my team – experts in Marketing & Design. Together, five of us, developed Raise Your Voice from a Virtual Mask into a full-fledged platform that included physical marks, eCommerce, non-profit fundraising and local activation in DC. The entire time, my focus was to ensure the vision of my Snap Noir colleagues was honored, their voices heard and their profiles raised.
MASK COLLECTION
AR MASK
LANDMARKER AR ANIMATION
We turned the Capitol Building into a canvas for the artist Chelsea Alexander’s work using Landmarker AR technology. This created an on-the-ground experience for those able to commemorate the March on Washington safely in person.
BITMOJI
To bring this art fully into the Snapchat world, the Bitmoji team created masks for Bitmoji Selfies and shirts for users to wear in the app, on Snap Maps and show support for the wearable designs.
FEATURED ARTISTS
LACI JORDAN
ARTIST
“The mask says it all – Black Lives Matter. The design and inspiration for this piece is in support the movement and fight for Black Lives. One of the main pillars of my work is the representation of my people; creating work that shows us in an empowering + colorful light. I wanted the mask design to feel uplifting and powerful while blatantly expressing what it stands for.”
Laci Jordan is a Multi-Disciplinary designer and truly the definition of a renaissance woman. The Huntsville, Alabama native now LA-based artist focuses her work around color, pop culture, and representation of people of color. “If you try to put Laci in a box, you’ll have an incredibly difficult time.” (Essence Magazine).
BRANDON HILL
CO-FOUNDER, NO KINGS COLLECTIVE
“A protest is defined as ‘a public expression of objection, disapproval or dissent towards an idea or action, typically a political one.’
NOW, is a functional art piece aimed at understanding and accentuating the end of a protest chant, i.e. End Inequality NOW, or Justice for Breonna Taylor NOW, First Class Citizenship NOW. Whether it be unhealthy lunch, zoning, housing, labor, justice, action is almost always followed by the word ‘NOW.’ Pressing the word in super graphic text helps the wearer drive that point.
Every protest is composed of functional components: calls to action, organizing, strategy, action items, primary and secondary demands, signage, clear messaging. This design merges these ideas into one concept. Using hard shapes, cutting through a softer curvey camo-like motif laid on a pink backdrop plays with the duality of how we experience acts of brutality and kindness simultaneously. NOW brings us to the present. It is about making NOW, now.” -- Brandon Hill, No Kings Collective
No Kings Collective was founded in 2009 by Brandon Hill and Peter Chang and as an art collective, it embodies the creative energy, versatility, and community of DC. The group’s large-scale murals can be found throughout the city, and its events and interventions create unexpected public encounters that blend design and culture in extraordinary ways. The collective is a design-build studio, creative agency and events production company, all rolled into one.
THEASTER GATES
INSTALLATION ARTIST
“‘Together Even In Hard Times.’ I began using this phrase as a counterpoint to the emotional weight that I felt as a result of not being able to be close to the people I care about. In the present moment, togetherness has taken on a new meaning. Finding ways to be together and stay together has become an important part of our daily lives. On behalf of Rebuild Foundation,I wanted to share this phrase that reflects our work. The work of maintaining solid bonds between people, even in hard times, is part of the essential innovation that keeps our communities healthy. With this in mind, I hope this phrase printed on masks created by our partners at Citizens of Humanity provides a sense of critical unity during the forthcoming Black Lives Matter March in Washington.”
Theaster Gates was born in Chicago, where he lives and works. Public collections include Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Museum of Modern Art, New York; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; and Tate, London.
MARCIO LIMA
SNAPCHAT DESIGN STRATEGIST
“During unprecedented moments, figures arise and voices are intensified. This specific movement has been decentralized in order to grant justice for many but the collective outrage for Black women has been sidetracked.
The purpose of my art is to bring back more attention to these injustices, particularly for Black women. In this piece, the central figure is representative of all Black women in America with fists of others in solidarity. I believe people will resonate with the art and messaging. ”
Marcio Lima is a designer based in Los Angeles. Originally hailing from Cape Verde, Marcio has spent a significant time in New York and currently resides in Los Angeles. Marcio is a Senior Designer at Snapchat. Watch more on Marcio's creative process.
CHELSEA ALEXANDER
FOUNDER, SQWIGL STUDIO
“‘Together Even In Hard Times.’ I began using this phrase as a counterpoint to the emotional weight that I felt as a result of not being able to be close to the people I care about. In the present moment, togetherness has taken on a new meaning. Finding ways to be together and stay together has become an important part of our daily lives. On behalf of Rebuild Foundation,I wanted to share this phrase that reflects our work. The work of maintaining solid bonds between people, even in hard times, is part of the essential innovation that keeps our communities healthy. With this in mind, I hope this phrase printed on masks created by our partners at Citizens of Humanity provides a sense of critical unity during the forthcoming Black Lives Matter March in Washington.”
Theaster Gates was born in Chicago, where he lives and works. Public collections include Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Museum of Modern Art, New York; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; and Tate, London.
MIKEL PATRICK AVERY
INTERDISCIPLINARY ARTIST
“As much as we’d like it to be, progress is never a straight line. And it’s in these moments when we feel like we are taking steps backwards is exactly when we must collectively stay resilient and persistent.” -MPA
Now residing in New Orleans, interdisciplinary artist MIKEL PATRICK AVERY had been actively working out of Chicago for the past 15 years. Established as a jazz drummer, he is commonly recognized for his orchestral and melodic style of drumming that often involves the use of unconventional & “non-musical” objects. As well as being a performing musician, Avery is a dedicated filmmaker, composer, photographer, producer, and educator. Across these mediums Avery often examines the importance of adapting ‘free-play’ methods among adults that is commonly applied to children in early education.