Celebrating what Black History means to you: Tell, shine, fly

The best way to honor black culture is to highlight black culture. At Bloomberg, we partnered with illustrator Andrea Pippins to create original artwork to convey the central themes of black culture and how it positively impacts our communities and business.

This collection is about celebrating one another’s stories, differences, and experiences – and being curious about the people you encounter in your day-to-day, inviting the audience to see themselves as part of black heritage. Read Pippins’ inspiration behind each artwork and the voices of our employees in how they embody black culture.

‘Tell’

When working on ‘Tell,’ Pippins was exploring the idea of how our histories, our stories, and experiences can influence or inform our future. It visualizes the idea of how stories are told and how we in turn become storytellers, just like Jordyn Holman of Bloomberg News as she shared stories of where she came from and how it has guided her journey. Holman explains, “When you are unapologetically you, the stories you write will be different. The conversations you hold with people will be more memorable and the way you leave your mark will be unmatched.”

‘Shine’

“The idea behind ‘Shine’ was to encourage people to shine brightly, celebrating each other every day. We are all ordinary people capable of doing extraordinary things – and this should be celebrated,” says Pippins. A diverse workplace and open culture are the heart of Bloomberg; Shaun Waters on the Enterprise Products Quality Assurance team describes how celebrating our own heritage enables diverse teams to add their unique value. “When organizations embrace the idea that everyone brings a different perspective to the workplace, it leads to more effective collaboration and invites people to openly share ideas without the expectation of cohesion,” says Waters.

‘Fly’

In the ‘Fly’ piece, Pippins is highlighting the importance of pulling each other up and remembering that when we are given opportunities we should offer the same to others.

“Hard work is the backbone of my black heritage; it has equipped me for success and the reason why I got to where I am today,” says Akin Mousse of the Data Analytics and Integration team in the Bloomberg San Francisco office. Because our success is built on community, creativity, and innovation, Mousse lives out these values by working hard to improve his local community such as leading the San Francisco Black Professional Community at Bloomberg to foster diverse discussions.

This month and every month, Bloomberg and our employees are proud to put our values on display and celebrate U.S. Black History.

Andrea Pippins is an American illustrator, designer, and author whose mission is to create visual stories that inspire and empower people of color.