Diverse voices are growing to become more appreciated in the arts– that is, until we step out of the bounds of our struggles and expand our artistic interests. This is not to say that our stories of overcoming aren’t significant and worth spreading to mass audiences, it just means we are capable of telling so much more. The incorporation of black stories in the film industry has been a trend I have kept up with for a while as a hopeful black animator myself. From the epics depicting centuries of our ability to overcome the most inhumane struggles, to the more recent works of directors such as Tyler Perry who replicate the more modern feats of black strength in today’s tiresome society, pain has held a strong position as the central theme to black artistry, especially in cinema. Growing up and studying the industry gave me the false notion for a while that stories of struggle are the most deserving to be heard. Yes, the ability to overcome is a characteristic of black culture and history, but there are also stories of black joy, black intelligence, and black innovation. Reaching out to topics not usually associated with diverse voices allows for the true broadening of perspectives that is crucial to great artistry. In my case, some of my recent works have revolved around the subject of environmentalism – a subject quite often untouched by black filmmakers. A lack of predecessors and the nonexistent market for environmentalism films by black voices could have easily discouraged me from exploring this topic. Expanding diversity, however, requires taking a risk and breaking the boundaries of our predecessors, and this mentality allowed me to create one of my favorite projects, a short film about a turtle fighting ocean pollution. A love for environmentalism, like many initially “non-diverse” interests, has only been limited in followers due to a history of discrimination; famous black environmentalists such as George Washington Carver to lesser-known gems like the first Black national park superintendent Charles Young have existed for ages, waiting for support that is considered “less traditional” for us to give. As a black artist, I feel like spreading these stories of environmentalism in the film industry not only impacts the much-needed growth of awareness for environmentalism itself but also pushes the boundaries of what a black voice or any diverse voice can be limited to through our art.

Although this show is a favorite to many, Avatar: The Last Airbender has had a significant impact on me. For a while, I had been used to the slapstick antics of shows like Spongebob, which amused me but failed to have deep plots and themes unless they were films. Stumbling upon Avatar randomly, I was mesmerized by the pure beauty and detail that I saw with each scene, and the beauty flowed into the writing as well. Every episode flowed together and had a purpose, which was a pretty new concept to an 8-year-old, and they developed themes of changing one's path and finding yourself that connected to me growing up. I discovered how an animated show could be so beautiful inside and out with detail, and it inspired me to become an animator myself. I wanted to recreate these powerful themes through beautiful animations as I saw with Avatar.

The crowds of mouse-eared supporters screamed as the gates opened. Rows of my colleagues like soldiers stood before me. It was a different feeling from the supposed “happiest place on Earth” as a surge of nerves came upon me. Don’t fail to recognize my happiness, however. Within the nerves emerged the joy in fulfilling a dream I held since first picking up that piece of brass. Pressing the cold metal against my lips, we marched onward, ringing joy in the ears of all of the listeners, including mine own. I felt the Disney magic from a whole new view!

The song of boundless bills, bankruptcy, and “being broke” is a heavily-played tune that unfortunately runs generations deep in my family and my culture, echoing in my ears with every hushed conversation between family members and every harsh statistic released on the dreadful financial nature of the Black race. This isn’t to say that as time goes on, the song loses repetitions and volume as we as a people become more financially responsible and strive to break this chain of generational debt. However, these grand efforts often just cover up the blatant truth: the greater Black race will have a hard time ever becoming truly “financially free”. Although growing up I was blessed financially in comparison to many who share my features thanks to the luck and efforts on my parents’ behalf, generational debt still plagued my family in the form of multiple bankruptcies and medical bills despite my parents’ decades of efforts. However, they did manage to accidentally instill a dangerous frugality in me that I hoped would lead to change and growth for future generations. From couponing to coin-saving, I became a “penny-pincher” to many of my friends and family, who’d often joke about my thrifty behavior and my inability to truly “treat myself” when allotted. To me, I felt like I was setting myself up to eventually break the cycle, as every discount or dime I obsessed over felt like a weight being lifted off my shoulders from my ancestors themselves. It turned out to be moments of anxiety in the McDonald’s line, sweat beading on my brow because my coupon code did not work, moments of hours wasted on blinding, flashing web pages to save measly dollars and cents, moments of panicking while doing obsessive calculations to get the best price on something that would mean nothing in the future. What I failed to realize was while breaking the chain does take some degree of sacrifice, the permanence of these changes requires balance and a lack of extreme actions. The “obsessive, consuming penny-pincher” was about as realistic and viable as the “grand efforts” made by rare Black millionaires in truly ending generational debt and stopping the “song” of Black poverty. For me, being financially free means breaking the cycle of struggle and finding financial peace without a life of obsession, creating a better relationship with money overall and spreading this relationship to future generations. Financial freedom does not require extravagance or endless riches, but rather security and balance, creating a foundation to grow a family on and having enough to take care of and protect them in unforeseeable circumstances without worrying about financial consequences. This balance does require some form of investment, and what I do now really sets the stage for how I achieve this in the future. For me, that start is my education, as education at the collegiate level has become highly encouraged and mandatory for people of my complexion desiring to make any change in generational debt. In addition to college, moderate daily habits such as having a savings account and being careful with splurging on random purchases will set me up for bigger goals in the future. Keeping this mindset of moderation will help me to set up investment accounts like 401Ks, college funds, and rainy-day funds little by little in the future to keep my family safe and help future generations break the cycle. However, I’d also like to work hard enough to allow for some splurging on vacations and nice things to set an example for a healthy relationship with money, which is the foundation for true financial freedom.