07/18/2023
I want to share a project I've been working on.
A man who was very dear to me passed away about a year and a half ago. His name was John Ayre Key. He left behind a daughter, a son, and a wife who was also his business partner throughout the entirety of their relationship. For the last several years, his pet project had been a book entitled Thriving While Black, which serves to inspire African Americans to create their own success in modern society through hard work, activism, and religion. It takes a very spiritual approach to boosting the confidence of its readers and calls them to advocate for themselves. While the book itself may not be for everyone, its overall message is universal: Don't live your life in passivity; take the reigns and MAKE it great.
John's wife, Linda (née Pullam) Key, wishes to continue his legacy through a website offering his book as well as merchandise to share his message. I have been lucky enough to be a part of the TWB project since its beginning. I designed what eventually became the book's digital cover image, the logo, the website itself, and all the products. In addition, I design and print the marketing postcards Linda sends out periodically. It's truly a labor of love that, unfortunately, I've yet to share publicly until now.
In all honesty, I avoided sharing because the majority of my friends list-- myself included-- is not necessarily the target audience for the actual book (but hey, if you are, please go check it out!!!). Since John's passing merely a year after finally publishing his passion project, I've come to realize that the book's title may be "Thriving While Black", but its author's message is far more inclusive. We shouldn't be simply surviving. We should be thriving...
While Brown
While Blonde
While Broken, Bruised, Bold, Beautiful, Blossoming into the best versions of ourselves. We may never be perfect, but we can be great.
I suppose what I'm trying to do is take a baby step toward his vision and advocate for myself. I've worked hard on this book, this website, these products... None of it is perfect, but with more time and effort, maybe it could be great. Maybe you can check out the designs and help me get better. Maybe you know somebody who could use a small reminder to keep moving, be it a self-help book or a nice pair of slides. Whatever the case, you are appreciated for having read this far. I now present to you... Thriving While Black.