Today’s winning Google Doodle invoking Black Lives Matter was designed by high school sophomore

[demmiblue]

Source: Washington Post

“My Afrocentric Life,” by Akilah Johnson (courtesy of Google 2016)

<snip>

This year’s contest theme was: “What makes me…me.” Akilah drew a box-braided Doodle, titled “My Afrocentric Life,” using color pencils, black crayons and Sharpie markers. The Doodle includes symbols of black heritage and signs representing the Black Lives Matter movement.

“Although it felt like forever making this picture, it only took me about two weeks,” Akilah told Comic Riffs last month.

“I based this picture off my lifestyle,” she stated as part of her entry, which is featured today on Google’s home page.

“As a child, I attended Roots [Public Charter School] and Roots [Activity Learning Center], so I was raised in the ‘Afrocentric lifestyle,’ ” Akilah told The Post, referring to educational institutions in Northwest Washington that tout “culturally relevant curriculum” and the aim to serve “the specific needs of children of African heritage.”

“One of my teachers from Roots, Baba Camera, is really [who] made me look at art in a different way,” Akilah said. “As I grew older, I … realized that the black people [who] came before us … made us into what we are today, so of course I had to include them in some way.” (“Of all the things I chose to include,” Akilah writes on Google’s site, “the six most special to me are the Symbol of Life [the ankh], the African continent, where everything began for me and my ancestors, the Eye of Horus, the word ‘power’ drawn in black, the woman’s fist based on one of my favorite artist’s works, and the D.C. flag — because I’m a Washingtonian at heart and I love my city with everything in me!”)

<snip>

Akilah’s composition reflects bright childhood themes on the left, then moves into more serious reflections on society. “Just as we read from left to right, my goal was to make the picture turn heads from the color to the meaning,” Akilah told Comic Riffs last month. “I have a book that I use that’s full [of] quotes, and the one I went by for this picture was: ‘Be the type of person [who] not only turns heads, but turns souls.’ ”

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2016/03/21/d-c-student-wins-national-google-doodle-contest-with-art-that-invokes-black-lives-matter/

[brer cat]

1. Beautiful.

“I have a book that I use that’s full {of} quotes, and the one I went by for this picture was: ‘Be the type of person {who} not only turns heads, but turns souls.’ ”

I would say she succeeded!

[mountain grammy]

2. K & R

Beautiful!

[Heeeeers Johnny]

3. Hmmmm...

what was she thinking?

[img][/img]

[demmiblue]

4. Interesting that you would focus on that. Hmmm...