Polaroid and My Queer Blackness, My Black Queerness have joined forces to create social media challenge, Musings on Love.
In February, Polaroid teamed up with the digital project My Queer Blackness, My Black Queerness to launch a social media challenge titled ‘Musings on Love,’ where creators could post images and journal entries about what love means to them, accompanied by the hashtag #MyQueerBlackLove. MQBMBQ started in June of 2020 with a philanthropic event that raised over 12K euros by selling works by Black LGBTQIA+ artists. Through their series of collaborations with social media influencers, the movement now lives on, designed to encourage Black people in the LGBTQIA+ community to explore the many facets of their identity while denouncing racism, transphobia, and homophobia through fundraising art, writing, film, and more.
Rather than marking Valentine’s Day in the traditional romantic sense, the collaboration celebrated the many ways love manifests. The online challenge hoped to bring further representation to those in the Black Queer community; as stated in a press release to Mission, “Polaroid’s partnership with MBQMQB highlights the power of visibility, acknowledging that seeing and feeling seen can unlock within us multitudes of positive potential.”
A slew of Black Queer creators worldwide are acting as ambassadors for the Musings on Love challenge by spreading the love through social media. Basit Shittu, Banji Chona, Yves Mathieu, David Blank, Char Ellesse, and Kiddy Smile have opened up about their personal musings on love via Instagram, sharing perspectives on intimacy with oneself, family, friends, and romantic partners. TV personality and social media influencer Basit Shittu took to social media to share their thoughts, “all love is created equal…. To me love is prioritizing care for yourself knowing you will be better equipped to care for others. Love is manifesting your destiny through prayer, affirmations, setting intentions, or whatever practice that feels aligned to your spirit. Love is allowing yourself to let go of the things you do not need in order to make more room for love in abundance.”
Polaroid and MQBMBQ have awarded three participants from the community with grants to allow them to explore their chosen creative fields. Today, three Instagram users, @spitblue, @plantationofficial, and @loredane_tshilombo, were announced as the Musings on Love challenge winners for submitting the most captivating entries.
Images courtesy of Polaroid.
