Our blog’s just like any other, except it’s useful, nice to look at, and fun to read.

"Joy" is defined as a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. "Black joy,” similarly, is living unapologetically in your skin. It’s the conscious decision to choose what makes you happy despite personal or collective challenges you may face being Black in America.

Brands in America have a strained history with thoughtful representation of non-white cultures and consumers, and the historical mistreatment of Lunar New Year is no different. Often referred to exclusively as Chinese New Year, brands often misrepresent the diversity of Asian cultures that celebrate the holiday. Whether it’s Burberry’s slightlytooobscure and superficial Asian elements incorporated in designs or the widely adopted habit (and casual laziness) of throwing on a red outfit, it all falls flat.

Black History Month is well underway, which means it is not the time to start planning a Black History Month activation (...you’d be surprised how often we see this in the industry). Campaigns that successfully engage the Black community during this month will avoid performative activism, be action-oriented and most importantly, planned well in advance. Consider this your cue to start thinking about next year today.

The sound of Dolly’s iconic acrylic nails on a typewriter inspired the clacking baseline. Elizabeth Warren embraced it as the soundtrack to her campaign. The ethos of class conflict, populism, and feminism extends far beyond the era of shoulder pads and perms.

Self-care begins with nurturing sound mental health, and sustaining mental health can be challenging in our multi-sensory existence. In celebration of Black History Month, we wanted to share a few ideas, practices, and resources contributing to mental health and wellness in the Black community and beyond, in hopes these spark inspiration and vigor as you move forward in your mental wellness journey.

What began in 1926 as “Negro History Week,” Black History Month has evolved as a time to celebrate and recognize the central role of Blacks in U.S. history. This February, it continues to evolve, as BEACON is reclaiming this time and choosing to focus on Joy.

Our annual retreat Camp Praytell has become somewhat of a spring break for the Praytell crew. Starting six years ago at a retreat into the Catskills to get offline and hang out, growing from 20 people to 50 to 150 with our Camps following suit—from a tiny house to a lodge to last year’s full resort with a bouncy castle party...always with the intention of celebrating our team of people. (And hardcore hanging out together in the woods for a few days.)

Twitch, Amazon's live-streaming giant that they purchased in 2014, is a platform primarily for users to consume gaming-related and adjacent content. Creators typically interact with their fans while simultaneously playing video games and tend to cultivate a loyal following due to the intimacy of their interaction with each other.

Two cultural moments of recognition are fast approaching: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (January 18) and Black History Month (February). With the stakes high this year, we’ve developed a POV to help guide you through plans around brand participation — and most importantly, to help counsel on what meets the mark, and what doesn’t.