Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, made a declaration that February would now be known as Black Future Month. In an effort to make the notion a reality, he met with culturally significant figures over brunch and discussed some potential avenues for advancement.
February was a tempestuous month for Ye, as family issues and his dating life made continuous headlines on a daily basis. On top of home issues, Kanye has been working on new music in the form of DONDA 2. Not only was the project's conception a massive undertaking, he's been spotted working on art with a variety of other musical acts and producing tracks for their newest efforts (see: The Game). On an entirely different note, the jeen-yuhs documentary has been releasing in segments, ramping Ye's streaming numbers up significantly.
The reason for bringing these things up is that with all of this going on, Ye still made it a priority to speak on the future of Black creatives. This moment and message should be spoken on with the same vigor as reporting on his name in gossip articles and tabloids.
The Sunday Service Brunch, held on the first Sunday of February, doubled as a collective conversation in the realm that is the Black future. Media organizations, artists, performers, and curators were in attendance – many speaking on their respective journeys towards success, and the lessons gleaned along the way. Recent posts on the dondaofficial Instagram page show some of the attendees delivering prose of the aforementioned nature.
To further display his Black future intentions, Ye had the event fully documented. He released the footage under the title The Future Month: Controlling Our Narratives. Shared via Facebook, the happenings of the Black Future Brunch were shown in detail, serving to bolster Ye's dedication to the cause. Black reporters, media members, space creators and organizers explicated upon how difficult it is to get into a multitude of rooms and spaces. Maneuvering in a space made by us, but never held for us, requires ingenuity and community. With this event, Kanye made it a point to get these stories heard.
You can watch The Future Month: Controlling Our Narratives here.
