This Is What Toronto's 2018 AfroChic Festival Looked Like
Photo by Anthony Gebrehiwot.
One of my favorite acts of the night had to be Trap Yoga Bae, who walked us through various ratchet affirmations and VERY Black yoga poses such as how to "back that ass up like Juvenile into a downward facing dog pose" or the "secure the bag pose." She was entertaining and I felt represented in so many ways.
The hosts for the evening were none other than, Femi Lawson and Amanda Parris. They are staple voices in the city and it was a proud moment for all of us to watch them introduce a star-studded line up and the festival's headliner, DJ Lo Down Loretta Brown a.k.a Erykah Badu. The artists who took the stage have been carving out their own lanes both locally and internationally. We saw performances from Shi Wisdom, 11:11, Jayd Ink and then Ms. Badu played a DJ set that really made us all feel present. As I looked around there wasn't a single person standing still.
Day two of the festival consisted of the most beautiful weather, a panoramic view of the city, a panel discussion and an intimate conversation with Ms. Erykah Badu. Yes—she spent two full days with us. The panel discussion covered so many things. My notebook was filled with resources and companies I will surely be looking into. The panelists were diverse in terms of the type of work they do, but one of my favorites was Lauren Simmons, who recently took social media by storm with her story of being the youngest black woman to work for the New York Stock Exchange. She was very sweet, articulate and wise beyond her years. I still cannot believe she is 23 years old.
The room was attentive and calm. Everyone showed up to learn something new about building generational wealth, themselves or the community as a whole. Some guests greeted friends with emphasized shrieks of happiness and hugs filled with love. I think I saw a softer side to the city on this day. There was honesty and a lot of vulnerability. I saw young black men thank Erykah Badu for her contributions, a few women shared their personal stories and many sat within the stillness that could only be felt if you were really tapped into the moment. Ms. Badu reminded us that we are all human. What is for us will present itself when the time is right. She is a nurturer and I felt as though parts of me were healed simply by being in her presence.
That said, AfroChic is a festival you do not want to miss! See you next year?
