Beads & Dreams is a prom donation project that I created for students in New York City. Despite the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling by the Supreme Court, which stated separating children in public schools on the basis of race was unconstitutional, New York City remains to be the most segregated school system in the entire country. Black and Latine students continue to be denied a well-rounded education, denied the proper tools to succeed. 

As a former student in the system, these ramifications are still felt. The system isn’t broken, it is working exactly as it was intentionally designed to work. Although I cannot change systemic oppression overnight, I can still give back to my community and expose them to the art and beauty that they are systemically denied. Thus came Beads & Dreams: A Prom Donation Project.

For roughly 8 months, I designed and beaded 10 prom purses for the Class of 2024. Each of these purses have a special story to them, all being inspired by my favorite pieces of art from the years 2013 - 2014. The Dominican Community Center NYC Inc and Riseboro Community Partnership each received 5 purses, reaching students from The Bronx, Uptown Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn.