ILA Creative Studio

Happy Juneteenth! 🖤

Today we reflect on the long and ongoing journey toward true freedom for Black people in this country. A freedom that was delayed, withheld, and has always required the collective power of community to sustain.

This year’s BALA theme, FOR FREE?, was rooted in this same truth. That Black creativity, Black labor, and Black gifts have long been taken and exploited without fair reciprocity. And that freely redistributing what has been withheld is not just generosity. It is an act of liberation.

We believe that investing in Black artists is investing in freedom itself. Because when Black artists are resourced, supported, and celebrated they create work that moves culture forward, heals communities, and builds something lasting for generations to come.

Thank you to everyone who showed up for BALA this year and invested in that vision.

Keep building. Keep creating. Keep claiming what is yours. 🖤