Billie Holiday - "Strange Fruit" Live 1959 [Reelin' In The Years Archives]

Kendrick Lamar - Alright

Les Amazones d'Afrique chantent "I Play The Kora"

In the United States, protest music dates back to the 18th century and the American Revolutionary War. During the 19th century, songs were expressions of protest against topics such as poverty, the Civil War, and slavery with African-American spirituals like “Oh, Freedom” defining this time.

A short history of protest music

My knees gettin' weak and my gun might blow

-Pre-chorus from Kendrick Lamar’s "Alright"

Regular

Murals. Drawings. Paintings. Following George Floyd’s death in 2020, the world saw him globally immortalized by countless artists who created works dedicated to his memory, and pleading for his killers to be brought to justice. George Floyd has become an icon, both in a personal and artistic sense.

A Short History of American Protest Art

As long as America has existed, art has been used in all forms to challenge the status-quo.

2020 has kept us plugged in all year, scrolling through news feeds, texts, emails, you name it. So to celebrate the passing of 2020, we thought we’d share a playlist of the tunes that got us through this SPECTACULAR year.

2020: At Least the Music Was Good

This is a rally cry. A shout into the digital universe. A signal for the restless who cannot stop.

Calling All Digital Misfits

This is a rally cry. A shout into the digital universe. A signal for the restless who cannot stop exploring, experimenting, testing and trying to break the rules. An invitation to those creative bandits who want to surprise the world with new ideas and even newer ways of delivering them.  

In the Key of Ecosystems

Let’s take our Sundays and use them as the reset buttons they were meant to be.

Sundays and Silver Linings

Vote Every Day Campaign Video

B Before C: A designer's insight on purpose-driven companies

We support Houston women: a map to March On all year long 

The rush and feeling of community empowerment from walking with Houston Women March On* is still going strong in our office.

We support Houston women: a map to March On all year long

Condensed

Black Sheep’s interview with Minal Patel Davis, Special Advisor to the Houston Mayor's Office on Human Trafficking

A Hidden Crime

We’re hiring for a Concierge/Task Master/Office Parent/General Getter of Things Done. And, hey, you can even help us pick your title.

Are you the match we're missing?

We are no longer accepting applications, but want to stay connected! Sign up for our newsletter or send us a note to be the first to know when we're hiring. 

Are you the match we're missing? (CLOSED)

A Decade of Discourse: Our Best Blogs from the First 10 Years

A list of our top 10 best blogs over the last decade.

Everyone loves to count backwards from 10. The growing volume of the crowd. The anticipation. The promise of something unmissable at the end. And whether it’s a rocket launch or the clock ticking its way into a new year, hitting zero is always exhilarating.

Hello, World. Here are our newest Black Sheep.

Hey there. These are our newest Black Sheep.

The Black Sheep Agency Manifesto

The Change You Can Make with 10

Happy National Book Lovers Day. From, The Flock.

Today, The Flock is celebrating National Book Lovers Day.

At Black Sheep, activating people around things that matter looks different every day.

Make America Dinner Again

At Black Sheep, activating people around things that matter looks different every day. Sometimes we’re rallying big crowds for an event. Sometimes we’re championing our clients’ causes by counting impressions and reach. Lately, we’re sitting down for dinner with a few strangers in our space to talk politics.

If the idea of inviting a bunch of people you don’t know to dinner and immediately bringing up the last election sounds like a twisted nightmare to you, there are a couple of ladies you should meet.

In 2017, following a heated presidential election (you know the one), two women created Make America Dinner Again (MADA), exploring the idea that dinner and thoughtful conversation could bring people together… again.

No lip, all heart: We are an Inc. Best Workplace 2019

The only way to truly be the best at what you do is to know that being “the best” isn’t static. It’s a measure that rises and falls.

Leading the conversation about women’s health starts with you—the new Digital and Social Media Strategist for Own Every Piece at the UTHealth School of Public Health.

WORK: Social Media Strategist Needed

The Miami Vice AJ1. An MTO handcrafted with white and pink crocodile leather as well as turquoise and black python. Lined with Japanese plonge leather liner.  Inspired by the vibrancy of Miami.

@levis x @jumpman23 IV . I’ll be dropping these somewhere in Paris . You find em you keep em . Stay tuned ✌🏽

We live in a high culture of customization—our diets, hair color, movie recommendations, travel experiences.

Customize this

We’re hiring for an Administrative Concierge/Jack of All Trades/Task Master/Office Mom/General Getter of Things Done. And, hey, you can even help us pick your title.

Are you the match we’re missing?

Four Black Sheep move up making this a real “Promoted Post”

When it comes to our agency, we don’t beat around the bush about how important the people are.

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.

The Black Sheep Agency | Social impact and nonprofit blog

We like to type as much as we like to listen.

We're not shy.

The Politics of Food Access

A Short History of Protest Music

A Short History of American Protest Art

2020: At Least the Music Was Good

Calling All Digital Misfits

In the Key of Ecosystems

Sundays and Silver Linings

B Before C: A designer's insight on purpose-driven companies

We support Houston women: a map to March On all year long

A Hidden Crime

Are you the match we're missing? (CLOSED)

A Decade of Discourse: Our Best Blogs from the First 10 Years

Hello, World. Here are our newest Black Sheep.

The Change You Can Make with 10

Happy National Book Lovers Day. From, The Flock.

Make America Dinner Again

No lip, all heart: We are an Inc. Best Workplace 2019

WORK: Social Media Strategist Needed

Customize this

Are you the match we’re missing?

Four Black Sheep move up making this a real “Promoted Post”