afropunk atl: spinthrift market, trading races

Our merchants are the heart of the festival — besides the poppin’ bands and artists, of course. Each one has a particular story that makes their craft meaningful and unique. We interviewed some of our fave brands that will be at AFROPUNK Atlanta this year. Get your wallets ready!

What is your name and where are you from?
Hey! My name is Kenyatta Forbes and I’m from Chicago, IL. I’m the creator of Trading Races.

Describe what you do and what you sell.
In short, we cultivate community, educational opportunities, and fun. Trading Races is an incisive and playful card game, in which players compete to convince one another who holds the “Blackest” card. With each ensuing hand, players dig deeper into the dynamics and complexities of race – Blackness, in particular.

What was the moment you decided: okay, I gotta turn this idea into a reality?
The decision was two-fold. I really wanted to create something that was educational but also a really fun game that I could play. I found it problematic that with the explosion of table-top game culture over the last few decades, there was only a small percentage of games for Black people. Additionally, my experience as a former educator drove my desire to create opportunities for discussions on Black history in educational spaces. From those two dynamics, Trading Races was born and it served both purposes; from learning to proving community and social opportunities for fun.

Define success.
Success for Trading Races would lie in its ability to transform conversations on race; specifically Blackness. It would mean providing spaces for people to get together, learn, and share. Success would mean increased educational opportunities for students to use the game learn about Black history. But in its simplest form, success would be laughter, good times, and community.

What’s something fest-goers should check out at your booth?
Besides playing a few rounds of Trading Races with us, fest-goers should grab a postcard and pen to contribute to our growing “My Black is…” wall. We encourage individuals to share what their Black is and display the multifaceted levels of Blackness. We hope to us the postcard in a collective project for Black History Month.