Stapledon Arts: Melanin Series

Did you know that just 9.8% of art teachers in the United States are Black? That means that in schools nationwide, Black and brown children learning how to express themselves through art don’t have someone at the front of the classroom who looks like them. 

Charlecia Joy—an accomplished art educator—knew she couldn’t fix that problem on her own, but she did want to do something about it. So she created Stapledon Arts and unveiled its first product: the Melanin Series. This set of paints was made with people of color in mind and features 12 inclusive skin tone colors so that kids can paint themselves into classrooms where role models are missing. 

With her Awesome Without Borders grant, Charlecia will be able to donate paint sets to under-resourced classrooms and non-profit organizations that provide accessible art education. Now that’s thinking big picture.