BLACK x ASIAN AF BLOCK PARTY
The Inspiration + Moodboard
The Event Logos + RSVPs
There was no point of return - we were going to make this event happen in a span of 6 months time. We spread the word through our creative channel and received creative pro-bono help from Swift Agency for our event branding. Swift designed all our event logo and social assets.
Sticking with our original creative concept, the final assets hit perfectly on that street style, 80s to early 90s vibes we envisioned.
The Impact + Press
Featured on Portland Monthly: “The Best Photos from Sneaker Week PDX 2022”
It started with a 3a.m. idea and thread of incoherent text messages. My Program Director was droning on about throwing a block party. She imagined it to be 80’s/90’s hip-hop themed, with a mix of familiar vibes and icons from our own childhood. She also demanded we shut down an entire city block to do this. So we got to brainstorming on the theme with the mood board (left) to coin our event name.
After hours of Fresh Prince memes, Sunday school stories, and latchkey kid memories, we arrived at: “Black x Asian AF Block Party.”
Community:
A Block Party isn’t complete without calling all the homies to come through. From Deadstock to the City of Portland, the Block Party wouldn’t have been a success without the support of our local and national partners:
Sneakerweek PDX, The City of Portland, Concourse Coffee, Deadstock Coffee, MATTAPDX, Baon Kainan, Swift Agency (VML), 100 Roses from Concrete, Marks (fka SGK Inc.), Aria Nails Tanasbourne, The Numberz FM, Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), White Lotus Lion Dance, Portland Action Tables, American Rescue Plan, Wheelhouse DMG, Schoolhouse Supplies, IX Brand, Sidewalk PDX
Impact:
From pre-planning to actual event day, we achieved record-breaking numbers that positively impacted the sneaker, creative, and Portland community. The following numbers proved that our event was not just a spectacle but a necessary moment that brought the collective community together post-COVID:
🫂 250+ Attendees on event day, 📚 150+ Free K-12 books given away, 🍳 250+ plates of exclusive Black x Asian Fusion menu sold, 🆓 125+ hours of creative pro-bono time from our partners, 💸 $10,000+ local donations to BAAF, 👟 100+ pairs of sneakers donated to local youth programs
Press:
Our talented designer friends over at SGK Inc. laser cut and recreated an Air Force shoe made from leftover pegboards. The giant shoe became a beloved event photo op that Portland Weekly used the image as Sneakerweek’s hero image for the entire article. Peek at the full article here.
WOKEPDX’s programming halted due to the pandemic. So how could the organization build momentum again in a post-quarantine world and bring community together?
We know sneaker culture is a HUGE thing in Portland with Nike HQ stationed in the city’s backyard. And we also know the two biggest ethnic cultures and communities who rally around sneaker culture are the Asian & Black community. So when SneakerweekPDX 2022 rolled around, it was the perfect opportunity to bring both sneakers and the two community groups - via a block party, of course.
I helped bring alive and host a Block Party, shutting down a whole city street in Portland, Oregon for a Lion Dance, live art installation, kids’ activities, Black & Asian AF fusion food, & our version of a bodega with our fav childhood snacks.