Sina Hilbert.
"black ingenuity is simply my contribution to this life.
I wanted to create something that reminded boys and girls with a similar skin color to myself that it is not their imagination; this world has created visible and invisible walls to keep them stagnant but there is something special embedded in all of us. Our resilience to persevere through oppression is unmatched."
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- Sina Hilbert
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Founder, black ingenuity.
Hailing from the south, Sina Hilbert is committed to telling the story of what it means to be black in the 21st century across the United States.
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Through photography and narratives, she showcases to the world that, despite an obscene level of poverty, racism and oppression, black people come equipped with a level of black ingenuity that bounds them indestructible.
“black ingenuity is simply my contribution to this life. I wanted to create something that reminded boys and girls with a similar skin color to myself that it is not their imagination; this world has created visible and invisible walls that keep them stagnant."
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"I’ve taken it as a personal challenge to shed light on these walls, take a sledge hammer to them and pass that sledge hammer to the younger generations.”
- Sina Hilbert,
Founder, black ingenuity.
Q&A
Question: Tell us a little about yourself and how you got into photography and writing?
I was born in Florida, raised in Georgia where I spent most of my childhood. Being a black woman living in the south taught me a lot about this country, especially as it relates to racism. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to multiple countries and gain perspective on how different societies operate and how black people are generally viewed as inferior across the world.
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In terms of photography and writing, I’ve always had a very colorful and creative side and it’s honestly something I didn’t dig into until later in life. I’m a self-taught photographer that captures things my eyes tell me to capture. I’ve always loved to write narratives, it gives me the ability to give meaning and life to the images that I capture. My hope is that someone is able to see the beauty in the things I capture.
The Creator.
Question: What exactly is black ingenuity and what’s your vision for it?
Black Ingenuity is a lifestyle, a light that is embedded in all black people around the world. Black ingenuity explains how we have survived and thrived despite centuries of oppression.
One of my favorite minds is a guy named Na’im Akbar, a psychologist who teaches at Florida State University. He published one of my favorite books: Breaking the Chains of Physiological Slavery, where he stated that the strength of black people who have survived slavery, segregation, Jim Crow era, etc. should never be understated.
Black people are remarkable. There is something special embedded in all of us. Our resilience to persevere through oppression is unmatched. You see the evidence of this in every facet of life. Whether it’s music, sports, politics, academia, fashion, etc., black people have continued to not only to survive but to thrive despite the odds.
Question: From homelessness to racism, the subject matter you touch on in your photography and writing can be viewed as controversial to some. What’s your message to people who think your narratives are provocative?
One of my favorite Maya Angelou quotes says something to the effect of... “I’ve never felt obligated to be responsible for someone else’s ignorance."
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That sentiment describes how I feel about people viewing black ingenuity as provocative or controversial.
I wish I lived in a country that treated all of its citizens equally but time and time again, whether it’s proven through educational gaps, wealth gaps, housing gaps, etc. I know that not to be the case. I don’t feel the need to justify any of my images or narratives.
For comparison, it wasn’t that long ago that individuals who believed that slavery should be abolished in this country were called radicals. Today, that idea isn’t seen as a radical one, the same can be said for my ideas. One day the world will catch up to these ideas.
Showcasing black ingenuity in the face of racism shouldn’t be viewed as controversial. It’s merely truth. A truth that the world should see and celebrate.
Question: Of your published stories, which one is your personal favorite and why?
Of course it’s difficult to pick just one, but if there’s one that sticks out in my mind it’s Monuments. The image is a mural in St. Louis that was created to honor Mike Brown.
The first lines of the story are “We create our own monuments. With the very little we have, we tell our own story. We leave clues to our children of things they should never forget and the people they should always remember.”
I think this story perfectly describes what black ingenuity is. It’s a spirit. It’s this notion that despite having virtually no resources and a society that tells us that our heroes are criminals, we find ways to celebrate them. We create our own, we build our own. I believe if we continue to do so, we can start to become self-sufficient and rely solely on ourselves.
Question: What’s next from black ingenuity? What can we expect in the future?
There’s so many different ideas and things that I want to do with black ingenuity. I want to continue to photograph and write narratives. I envision publishing a photography book in the next year or so of my recent work. I would also love to start a program teaching young black children all about photography and writing, giving them a platform to express themselves.
I want black ingenuity to be at the forefront of developing and implementing solutions to solve issues plaguing my people, I want to give us something that we can be proud of.
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