2020 was a year that will go down in history for a variety of challenging reasons, yet of all the events that were suffered it’s important to carry with us the learnings and work toward a better future. One of the most important things to come from the year was the renewed urgency around the world to stand up to and challenge racism and bias. 

As part of Black History Month, six members of Accenture’s African and Caribbean Network have teamed up with Black filmmakers, animators and crew from the creative industry to create a film series titled, ‘Black is’ designed to explore the complexity of the Black experience. 

Each film is a unique, personal story that explores what it means to be Black and highlights the shared yet unique experience focusing on relationships with identity and how the Black experience shapes both communities and individuals. The films, launched at Accenture’s ‘Black Is…’ event earlier this month, explore the power and the pride in the black community, and aim to foster wider conversations around race. 

The first of the films ‘Black Boy Fly’ explores the story of Daniel, a Technology Consulting Analyst, that explores the pressures and damaging effects of the media’s depiction of Black men. A voice over acts as a rallying cry, explaining the turmoil of trying to fight against negative stereotypes encouraging young men not to give in and rise above the media’s dismissive, debilitating portrayal. The film was co-created with award-winning London-based filmmakers 33Bound.

A second film, Black Girl Magic is an animated short celebrating Black women, the exceptional qualities they possess and their achievements. Inspired by the lived experience of Charlene, a Management Consultant at Accenture, the fable-like film was created by London-based animator, Alex Zepherin. 

All six videos, from creatives including Troy Browne and Lou Jasmine and are available on the Accenture.com page. The agency hopes that the films will help encourage open discourse and encourage organisations to identify and speak up about racism in order to drive forward positive change.