Durham's Queen Curator, Crystal Taylor honored with Prestigious Bimbe Award
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Durham Parks and Recreation is proud to announce Crystal Taylor as a recipients of the prestigious Homegrown Hero Award. This recognition is bestowed upon individuals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to their local community through acts of bravery, leadership, philanthropy, and innovation that positively impact the lives of others. Crystal Taylor wears many hats and has been instrumental in preserving and promoting Black music, culture, arts, and humanities in Durham. She is the Founder and CEO of The Underground Collective and Beats n Bars Festival, and through her nonprofit organization, Get Happy, she works tirelessly to enhance the quality of life for people of color by advocating for health and wellness initiatives, innovative education, and community-driven engagement. Her dedication to empowering communities and addressing social issues has earned her widespread recognition and admiration. Born and raised in Clinton, North Caroline, Crystal is a 4th generation farmer and a co-founder of The Black Farmers Market and Black August in the Park.
With immense pride, Durham Parks and Recreation celebrates Crystal Taylor as one of the recipients of the esteemed Homegrown Hero Award. We caught up with Clinton native discussing her extraordinary journey and the profound impact of her community-driven endeavors.
Q&A with Crystal Taylor
What inspired you to found or co-found The Underground Collective, Beats n Bars Festival, Get Happy, The Black Farmers Market, and Black August in the Park?
I was inspired to start The Underground Collective (UGC) in 2012 because of the lack of events happening in Raleigh and Durham that supported Hip Hop. At the time there was only club events on Friday/Saturday nights. I attended a beat battle that 9th Wonder hosted in Raleigh and was intrigued to host my own battles. Probably a year later I curated my first battle at The Black Flower in Raleigh. Shortly after that artists hit me up to listen to their music and I was then again intrigued to curate shows for them to perform since the music was actually really good. Then, Yo! NC Raps was created. In 2016 Beats n Bars Festival was a dream that came to me. Having so many resources and connections in hip hop...why didn't NC have a large platform for hip hop music? So BNB was born to put all the elements together since I had been building and connecting within the circuit for a while. Get Happy was started simply because during my early time of motherhood, I simply wasn't happy with my life and myself. I was nursing my son Mansa and said to God, I want to be happy, how do I get happy and it hit me - that's going to be my mission to find ways to be happy and help others get happy at the same time. Get Happy is to help support people of color find ways to heal non traditionally through community engagement, health and wellness and innovative education methods. Black August in the Park (BAP) and Black Farmers Market (2015) are collaborative partnerships with Moses Ochola, JaNell Henry, Joshua Gunn, and Derrick Bealsey, as we all are co-founders of these events. We started BAP because of the lack of spaces in the city that supported Black Joy and provided food support in communities that suffered from food apartheid.
How do you see your work impacting the community, and what changes or improvements have you witnessed as a result?
I am inspired by the growing support of my events and work. It's great to see that when people see something I've done, not only do they attend and have a great time, but they're inspired to do their own events for their own mission and things they want to see in the city. I've seen people appreciate events having more culture, structure and organization around them for a deeper purpose than just having a party. They are organizing...their way for a great purpose.
What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced in your endeavors, and how have you overcome them?
Being a black woman in a male dominated industry - killing it. I never thought it would be as hard as it's been for me. To get the financial support needed to keep the cultural events happening and thriving. I've been curating in the area for 13 years, and just recently this past year was the start of recognition for that work. The work is still going and magazine covers don't revert to dollars. Last year was the first year the City of Durham sponsored BNB, this year the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources sponsored the event. I'm making traction but it's still not a fair playing field for a community based minority music festival. Just like my grandparents, who were farmers who worked to provide and maintain their farm, they did what they had to do and I share the same sentiment. With the festival, I work all year to make money to make sure I have enough to execute the festival regardless of what sponsors decide to do. The show will go on. I think seeing that is what causes folks (within the city and companies) to now jump on and support. "She's going to do it regardless if we support her or not..." And I will.
As a homegrown hero, what advice would you give to others who aspire to make a positive impact in their communities?
Stay true to your core mission and purpose in life. Don't fold or change up for likes and attention. That's just a smoke screen and distraction, nobody really cares. Do what you love and do it for the people you want to see impacted by it. I do what I do because I want me and my friends to have cool dope things to do...not for status and likes. The ones who like your post or whatever aren't even the ones who typically come.... lol. Do work because it's the right thing, because it's a need for community, because it's a dope thing to do and because you love it.
Join Durham Parks and Recreation in celebrating DJ N.A.B.S as he is honored with the Homegrown Hero Award at the 54th annual Bimbé Cultural Arts Festival, on May 18, 2024, at Rock Quarry Park. The festival is free for all ages and begins at 1 pm until 7 pm. Let us come together to recognize and celebrate their incredible contributions to our community.