NYX Professional Makeup speaks to Veronica, Femi and Valerie about creating spaces for older Black lesbians to connect through the arts
ADVERTORIAL, BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY TIFFANNIE MERSADES VIA WE ARE SOUL
After decades of powerful activism, Veronica, Femi and Valerie turned their attention together to address a pressing issue within their community: there were no spaces for older Black lesbians. Collectively, they knew this had to change. And so the Black Lesbian Warriors was born.
Headed by film producer Veronica, iconic LGBTQIA activist Femi and the award-winning author of 11 books Valerie, Black Lesbian Warriors have been putting on sessions on creativity, health and wellbeing for older lesbians aged over 40 who identify as Black or people of colour.
Their most recent event – My Sisters’ Tools – was funded by the UK Black Pride’s Community Action Fund supported by NYX Professional Makeup. Black Lesbian Warriors is one of the trailblazing organisations that have been spotlighted by NYX Professional Makeup’s Proudly Pro-You brand initiative. Partnering with UK Black Pride and Stonewall, NYX Professional Makeup’s initiative aims to platform and support LGBTQIA+ people of colour, alongside amplifying the powerful work that LGBTQIA+ people of colour are doing in our community. The initiative was launched in 2022, aiming to uplift, amplify and support LGBTQIA people of colour community in the UK.
“There wasn’t really a space for older Black lesbians to meet, to connect,” Veronica explains to NYX Professional Makeup. “There was quite a lot of isolation in our community.”
Valerie adds: “It’s really important as we’re aging to come together.”
And come together they did! Their first event, a celebration of the legacy of Audre Lorde, attracted over 100 people. Soon, the trio began to receive emails asking what was next. With the help of the Community Action Fund, they were able to provide their new project – My Sisters’ Tools.
“The quote, the source of inspiration, is: the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house,” Femi tells NYX Professional Makeup. “And we have a lot to dismantle so we need tools from somewhere else.”
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