*Black Gold received a grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund through Global Ties U.S. More information can be found here. It was also fiscally sponsored through The Field's Social Justice Pracitioners program for a year.
Black Gold aimed to celebrate the Black entrepreneurs and creatives in Japan whose success stories often go untold, inspire Black youth to study abroad and raise the current abysmal rate of 5.5%, and strengthen relationships with the Black and Japanese communities in Japan. This project has gained immense support from the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Tokyo Embassy, the National Association for Black Engagement with Asia, many famous creatives including Baye McNeil and Matthew Jordan Smith, and many more organizations and individuals. We completed exhibitions in Yamaguchi and Yokohama as well as an exhibition-show in Tokyo. In America exhibitions were held at Wright State University, The Ohio State University, University of Delaware, and Western Washington University. Black Gold was covered in various forms of press including The Japan Times, CONNECT Magazine, and various interviews. Black Gold was also highlighted for a Black History Month campaign through the U.S. Department of State (2024).
