Women of color, specifically black women, have been at the forefront of countless social movements. It is black women who birthed the Black Lives Matter movement and continue to keep it alive. Black women, their culture, and their image have been the blueprint for so much of what has become considered American culture, and have had an undeniable impact on the artistic world.
Join Reverend Dr. TLC and her guest, Kira Genovese, 23 year old fashion designer from New York to talk about the significance of the influence of black women on American culture. Kira, who recently graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a B.F.A. in Fashion Design will share about the advantages and challenges growing up with a white father and dark-skinned black mother.
She will discuss how her mother guided her in finding her place within the black community as a black woman and educating her about colorism within the Black community. Kira is inspired by the power and ability of Black women to continuously affirm their place in the world and their communities, and she will tell us how she showcases that in her designs.
Tune in for this important conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.
Segment 1
Rev. Dr. TLC begins the show introducing her guest Kira Genovese. Kira is a 23 year old fashion designer. She graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design. Kira has a BAF in Fashion Design and a minor in Accessory Design. She has a passion for language and is fluent in Spanish, Mandarin and is a teacher herself Koren. Kira talks about growing up biracial and how race has been at the forefront of her life for as long as she can remember.
Segment 2
Coming back from the break Rev. Dr. TLC and her guest Kira continued the discussion on racial identity. Kira talked about her journey to feeling herself and not being defined by race. She shared the difficulties she faced from both communities in accepting her for who she is. It wasn’t until college she was able to define who she wanted to be. Kira talked about her roommate who was also biracial and how she helped her come to the realization of her identity as a black woman. Rev. Dr. TLC and Kira talked about the possible differences of growing up with a white mother versus a black mother. Kira shared her experiences growing up with a black mother and grandmother and how they shaped her into the woman she is today.
Segment 3
Coming back from the break, Kira talked about her passion and how she always knew she wanted to be a fashion designer. Kira used fashion as a way to pay homage to the black women in her life. She spoke on personal stories relating to her classwork and how her sketches of black models were always brought to her attention. Rev. Dr. TLC and Kira talked about how her professor’s reactions to her work perpetuated the white standard that we are accustomed to follow. Before the break Kira discussed her senior thesis and how she got her inspiration.
Segment 4
In the last segment, Rev. Dr. TLC and Kira continue to discuss Kira’s experiences being a biracial fashion designer. Kira talks about her love of black women and how they are constantly reinventing. She shared a little more on her senior thesis. Kira expressed the confusion by her professors when she proposed a story that relates King Richard II to modern day black women. In the end her work was accepted because she was committed to her conviction.
