>>> WELCOME BACK.
THIS MORNING WE HAVE AN
EXCLUSIVE ANNOUNCEMENT FROM
INSTAGRAM.
BEGINNING TODAY INSTAGRAM IS
INTRODUCING A NEW PERSONAL FUND
RAISER FEATURE.
IT’S A WAY TO USE THE APP TO
RAISE MONEY FOR ANYTHING THAT’S
IMPORTANT TO YOU FROM A SPECIFIC
CAUSE TO A BUSINESS THAT PERHAPS
NEEDS HELP.
EVEN IF IT’S JUST A FRIEND THAT
YOU KNOW IN NEED.
>> AND ONE OF THE FIRST TO USE
THE FEATURE IS INFLUENCE-HER
DANI COKE WORKING TO HAVE HER
WORK IN CLASSROOMS IN SUPPORT OF
RACIAL AND SOCIAL JUSTICE.
IT’S NICE TO HAVE YOU WITH US.
>> GOOD MORNING.
I’M SO EXCITED TO BE HERE.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> WELL, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR
INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT.
IT’S JUST EXPLODING.
SO BEFORE WE GET TO THIS FUND
RAISER YOU’RE LAUNCHING TODAY,
LET’S GET TO YOUR ILLUSTRATIONS
THAT GRABBED SO MUCH ATTENTION.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WORK
AND ITS GOAL AS WE LOOK AT SOME
OF THE PICTURES?
>> YES.
SO THE GOAL BEHIND ALL OF MY
WORK IS TO REALLY ENCOURAGE
ACTION AND INSPIRE JUSTICE
THROUGH GUIDING PEOPLE ON HOW TO
LOVE THEIR NEIGHBOR WELL.
SO A BIG PART OF ME STEPPING
INTO THIS SPACE WAS NOTICING A
GAP WITH NOT ONLY ILLUSTRATION
THAT IS REPRESENTATIVE AND
INCLUSIVE, BUT ALSO ART THAT
WORKS TO ILLUSTRATE COMPLEX
IDEAS AND MAKE THINGS THAT MAY
SEEM COMPLEX A LITTLE BIT MORE
SIMPLE AND EASIER TO DIGEST AND
UNDERSTAND.
I SET OUT TO USE MY
ILLUSTRATIONS NOT ONLY TO
EXPLAIN AND EXPRESS THESE
THINGS, BUT ALSO TO SHED LIGHT
ON A DIFFICULT TOPIC IN HOPES
OTHERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ENGAGE.
>> AND I THINK YOU’RE CERTAINLY
DOING THAT CONSIDERING YOU
PICKED UP MORE THAN HALF A
MILLION FOLLOWERS IN JUST SIX
MONTHS.
SO ONE OF YOUR EARLY PIECES WAS
IN HONOR OF MARTIN LUTHER KING
JR.
AND FROM THERE YOU BEGAN, LIKE,
REALLY LEANING INTO CREATING
ARTWORK THAT HELPS INFORM THE
CONVERSATION ABOUT RACE.
SO WHAT KIND OF FEEDBACK ARE YOU
HEARING AND WHAT REACTIONS ARE
YOU SEEING FROM PEOPLE ONLINE?
>> YES.
SO IT’S ACTUALLY PRETTY UNREAL.
MOSTLY HEARING FROM PEOPLE WHO
NEVER FELT LIKE THEY HAD THE
RIGHT WORD OR KNEW EXACTLY WHAT
TO SAY OR DO IN REFERENCE TO
THIS CONVERSATION.
AND THEY FELT WELCOME AND
INVITED INTO THE CONVERSATION
BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT I CHOSE
TO APPROACH THE TOPICS THROUGH
MY ART.
AND IT’S BEEN ABSOLUTELY INSANE
TO WITNESS.
IN ONE WEEK, I SAW 300,000 NEW
PEOPLE JOIN ME IN THAT SPACE.
IT’S ONLY GROWN FROM THERE.
WHAT INSPIRES ME TO CONTINUE IS
SEEING THE FACT THAT PEOPLE NOT
ONLY WANT TO CONTINUE THEIR
CONVERSATION, BUT WANT TO LEARN
MORE TO BE ABLE TO APPLY ALL
THAT THEY’RE LEARNING AND
UNDERSTANDING TO THEIR DIRECT
INFLUENCE WHICH IS THE GOAL FOR
ME FOR SURE.
>> YOUR ILLUSTRATIONS ARE
BEAUTIFUL.
WE’RE LOOKING AT THEM NOW.
I KNOW IN MAY YOU FACED AN ISSUE
WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE
REPOSTING YOUR WORK WITHOUT
GIVING YOU ANY CREDIT.
AND YOU HIT IT HEAD ON.
THERE ARE A LOT OF INFLUENCERS
ESPECIALLY AFRICAN-AMERICANS WHO
SEE THAT HAPPENING AND THEY GO
AFTER IT.
THEY FEEL LIKE OTHER PEOPLE ARE
TAKING IT AND OTHER PEOPLE GET
THE CREDIT.
HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT THAT?
WHAT MESSAGE WERE YOU TRYING TO
EXPLAIN?
>> YES.
SO BASICALLY I’M VERY OPEN TO
THE IDEA OF SHARING MY CONTENT.
I CREATE IT SO THAT IT IS
SHARED.
BUT WHAT I WAS UNDERSTANDING AND
NOTING WAS THAT DUE TO THE
SUBJECT MATTER, NOT A LOT OF
INFLUENCERS ESPECIALLY WHITE
INFLUENCERS KNEW WHAT TO SAY OR
DO WHEN IT CAME TO THIS
CONVERSATION.
SO A LOT WERE USING MY ARTWORK
AS A WAY TO OPEN THE DOOR TO
CONVERSATION WITH THEIR
FOLLOWING.
IT WAS GREAT UNTIL IT TURNED
INTO PEOPLE CROSSING OUT MY NAME
OR ADDING A HEAVY FILTER OR
REALLY TRYING TO TAKE CREDIT FOR
THE WORK ITSELF.
IN AN EFFORT TO MAYBE APPEAL TO
THEIR AUDIENCE AND MAKE THEM
APPEAR TO BE MORE INTO THE
CONVERSATION THAN THEY ACTUALLY
WERE.
MY GOAL BEHIND ADDRESSING IT
HEAD ON WAS TO SAY, HEY, I LOVE
YOU’RE SHARING.
BUT IF YOU’RE A INFLUENCER,
ESPECIALLY A WHITE INFLUENCER IN
THIS SPACE DEALING WITH RACIAL
INJUSTICE IN AMERICA, IT’S
IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO KNOW WHEN
YOU’RE TAKING CONTROL OF THE
CONVERSATION INSTEAD OF
AMPLIFYING BLACK VOICES, YOU’RE
AFFIRMING THE SAME SYSTEM WE’RE
SEEKING TO DISMANTLE.
YOU’RE CENTERING YOURSELF.
AFTER I PUT THAT STATEMENT OUT
THERE, I GOT REALLY POSITIVE
REACTION ESPECIALLY FROM
INFLUENCERS WHO DID NOT REALIZE
THAT THAT’S WHAT THEY WERE
DOING.
AND IT REALLY HELPED TO CHANGE
THAT CONVERSATION.
>> AND REAL QUICK BECAUSE WE’RE
JUST ABOUT OUT OF TIME, BUT WITH
INSTAGRAM’S NEW CROWD FUNDING
FEATURE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH
THAT?
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TODAY?
>> YES.
SO WE’RE LAUNCHING A FUND RAISER
TO GET POSTERS OF MY ALLEYSHIP
AND ANTIRACISM ARTWORK INTO THE
HANDS OF 200 TEACHERS ACROSS
AMERICA.
I WANT TO MAKE THIS INFORMATION
MORE ACCESSIBLE, INCREASE
REPRESENTATION IN THE CLASSROOM,
AND AID IN THE CONVERSATION AT
LARGE.
>> WELL, IT CERTAINLY WILL AID
IN THE CONVERSATION.
DANI, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
JOINING US.