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‘Black Out’ is a series of quick-bite online interviews, focusing on showcasing and highlighting the voices of our communities to the wider New Zealand community. By creating black-focused content by black creatives we are a space for the community to feel enabled, empowered and seen - especially when a stream of tragedies unfolding in the US have caused great concern and anxiety amongst our communities here in Aotearoa. There is power in positive representation of diverse communities and this is unlocked when given the space to showcase their own voices. With the influx of new online content, BCA wishes to activate our website and online platforms to focus on delivering support, inspiration and hope to the wider Black-NZ community.

 

Prior to this global crisis the Black community here was already experiencing social distancing as evident in the lack of inclusion experienced at different levels across society. Diversity has often been relegated to Māori, Pacific and Asian and for a community who has been here, en masse, since the 1950s it is a shame to continue to ignore our shared history, the growing presence of the Maori-Black and Pasifika-Black community and the number of mixed New Zealanders who have Black ancestry. 

 

Covid-19 has not only affected the Black community’s physical and mental health, but it has impacted the communities’ confidence and identity especially in New Zealand where we are amongst the smaller communities and often consider the other ‘others’.  

 

The Black Out Series team are delighted to be creating and presenting this work as a landmark interview series - for our community, for New Zealand and for the world.