Hey—are you a digital whiz? With experience running paid, organic and emergent digital programs for brands and organizations in a cause-based space? Cool. Please apply.

We are hiring: Digital Analyst

Regular

We Are Hiring: Social Media and Content Manager (Closed)

Hey—are you a social media whiz? With experience writing, crafting and producing social media content for brands and organizations in a cause-based space? Cool. Please apply.

We are hiring: Social Media and Content Manager

A government official outreach guide for student activsts

How do I contact elected officials?

A student activist’s guide to making connections that create social change.

The jingle? Dead? Not in 2020—not if you think about it.

Now Is the Time for Jingles

Back in September, I witnessed something that jogged some much-lodged information out of my skull. 

As COVID-19 has driven us apart, online community hubs, like Ethel's Club, are finding ways to safely bring us back together and redefine an online experience.

Connecting in Crisis

The last eight months have redefined the word “community” for all of us. 

With the election behind us and much to happen these upcoming weeks, it's important to take a mental moment for ourselves. Here's a playlist to help keep it chill.  

Keep it chill

My iPhone screen time was up last week by 86%. 

Manifestation doesn’t just come in the form of furniture you need showing up near an oversized trash can. Manifestation is bringing something tangible into your life through attraction and belief. If you think it, it will come.

The Magical Dumpster and Manifestation

Amanda Oleander's paintings encourage us to take a second and appreciate the little things. Let it ground you, let it feel special. Then wholeheartedly soak it in.

Grounded by the Little Things

In efforts to encourage the let’s-all be-happy-and-ignore-the-chaos-for-a-little-bit ways, this’ll be short and sweet.

If you are feeling overwhelmed right now, you are not alone. Let this year's World Mental Health Day be both a celebration of those invisible milestones and a reminder that help is out there and there is no shame in seeking it out.

Have You Considered Therapy?

There’s a meme circulating that says something along the lines of: When I tell you to go to therapy, I don’t mean that I think you’re crazy. I mean that I think you deserve someone to listen to you, without judgment, and help you process your feelings.

WE ARE HIRING CREATIVE DIRECTOR (Now Closed)

Calling all creative brains—we're hiring for a Creative Director. Learn more about this latest opening in the flock and see if you're right for the role.

We are hiring: Creative Director

NSL Bites: Yvonne Force Villareal on the Power of Public Art

Yvonne’s statements on public art providing accessibility inspires work that can guide humanity and create opportunities for pause in new ways as we enter this new creative period.

The Power of Public Art

I’ve been thinking about this clip of Yvonne Force Villareal and what she said about the power of public art leading up to my trip to Marfa last week:

Ruth Bader Ginsburg paved the way for women across the country to become architects of their own success—and encouraged us all to never give up on a good fight.

Here's to a Heroic Fight

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a hero of ours at Black Sheep, for obvious reasons. Without her work, quite frankly, who knows if Black Sheep would exist. 

Why Originality is Wildly Unpopular (According to Neuroscience)

Originality is the courage to oppose and the insight to see how that opposition can change what we see in front of us.

When we think of the word “originality,” we think of the act of creation.

It's time to step back and envision all of the ways we’ve mirrored our beloved plants and adapted this year.

Phototropism

There’s not a single person on Earth who would call me a green thumb. I’ve never been able to keep a plant alive for more than a week, and that includes succulents. 

We Are Hiring Chief of Staff (Now Closed)

New role for a visionary Chief of Staff at The Black Sheep Agency

Now hiring at Black Sheep in Houston for Chief of Staff

Because a lot has happened (and not happened) since 1971.

Alarmed (But Resolute)

Due to our country’s most recent events, I’ve been considerably more aware of time (specifically what feels like the lack thereof).

Take your (socially constructed) time.

Due to our country’s most recent events, I’ve been considerably more aware of time (specifically what feels like the lack thereof). 

Adriano Celentano - Prisencolinensinainciusol

Adriano Celentano's song, "Prisencolinensinainciusol,” perfectly captures what American English sounds like to Italians. Something else to uncover from this nonsensical tune: Celentano’s intention to break down language barriers and inspire people to communicate more.

Prisencolinensinainciusol

Don’t be frightened by this extremely long, non-sensical word.

A 90s therapy starter pack for those who lived through it and for those who have no idea what I’m talking about.

As If, Melancholy!

A throwback therapy session for these way harsh times. 

Privacy Concerns Fuel Executive Order, But the Real Threat Isn’t TikTok

What's really at play concerning the TikTok executive order.

No matter your impact space, the last few years have taught us that our causes are interconnected. Researchers are now dealing with what the White House calls “converging crises” across industries. As a purpose-driven organization, we’ve spent years discussing everything from environmental racism and climate change to education and housing. But until recently, we hadn’t yet looked into an issue that’s affected by all of the above: food insecurity.

Food insecurity affects millions of all ages and backgrounds across America, particularly impacting the BIPOC community and hitting kids especially hard after millions have lost access to free school lunches. 

The pandemic has only exacerbated the fragility of the inequitable American food system. In 2022, the Census Bureau reported a 41% increase in households saying they did not have enough to eat after Congress stopped pandemic relief programs. 

That's over 40 million people who are experiencing hunger—or the fear of hunger—on a regular basis. With rising food and housing costs, that number is only expected to grow. 

Food insecurity is the lack of consistent access to enough nutritious food to maintain an active and healthy life. This can include not having enough money to buy food, living in an area without access to healthy food options or experiencing disruptions in food supply due to natural disasters or other crises.

According to Feeding America, the causes of food insecurity are complex and include:

Systemic racism and racial discrimination

The devastating effects of food insecurity

Access to fresh, healthy food is a basic human need and a social determinant of health and wellness. Without equitable access, we see an impact on:

Health: Without nutritious foods, people are at an increased risk for chronic health conditions like diabetes, heart disease and mental health disorders—particularly as many turn to cheap, caloric-rich foods in lieu of fresh, prepared meals.

Education: Children who experience food insecurity are more likely to have lower academic achievement, be suspended or expelled and suffer from behavioral and emotional problems. 

Financial wellness: Food-insecure households often spend over 25% of their income on food, making it challenging to budget other expenses like housing, healthcare, education and utilities. This is more harrowing given that food-insecure households also spend more on healthcare due to their poor diet.

Words matter. Food deserts and food apartheid are related terms you have probably heard but are distinct concepts.

Food deserts refer to geographic areas where residents lack access to affordable, healthy and fresh food, often due to a lack of grocery stores or other food retailers. These food deserts can occur in both urban and rural areas and affect people of all races and income levels.

Food apartheid, on the other hand, refers to a systemic and intentional form of discrimination in the food system that leads to unequal access to healthy food based on race and income. This terminology recognizes that food access is not simply a matter of geography but a result of historical and ongoing inequities in the food system, including racism, poverty, and systemic inequality. 

There are organizations across most major cities to fight these issues, namely urban farms and dedicated neighborhood markets. However, given the multiple converging crises, issues like food insecurity are often overlooked in favor of more hot-button issues. That’s where all of us can step in.

What can social justice-minded people do to help solve food insecurity?

While food insecurity offers no easy solutions, there are many ways to get involved.

Poverty USA offers some smart systemic change recommendations:

Reduce food waste - we throw away 30% of the food we produce

Here are a few ideas you can engage with at the individual level:

Find your nearest co-op (like Plant It Forward) and volunteer and shop there

Call your representative to advocate for policies that support access to healthy, affordable food.

Support local farmers and community gardens

Educate yourself and others about the causes and consequences of food insecurity

Donate to organizations that are working to address food insecurity, such as Feeding America or the World Food Programme

Food insecurity is incredibly complex, but it’s one area we can actually make great progress on as individuals. Supporting these local, fresh food sources improves the entire community’s health—AND it means more delicious, interesting meals on your plate. That’s a win for everyone. 

What is food insecurity and what can we do about it?

Food insecurity is a complex issue affecting millions of Americans, with systemic factors like poverty, racism, and geography playing a major role, but there are steps we can take to combat it.

The Black Sheep blog is turning up the volume on community engagement, social media strategy, Houston happenings and what it means to lead a purpose-driven life.

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The Politics of Food Access