Meet the members of Black People Reddit

Black People Reddit (BPR) is one of our employee resource groups (ERG) created by Black employees. In the words of the ERG’s leads, “BPR aims to foster spaces to support and empower Black Snoos. Through our programming and initiatives, we strive to create opportunities for Black individuals to connect, grow, and find joy.”

Get to know our BPR members, Takunda Jora, Nancy Minyanou, Gordon Patterson, Christina Duren, and Chloe Jenkins, through the lens of this year’s Black History Month theme: African American and the Arts. We’ve asked employees to share how art has influenced the way they express themselves and connect to their cultures.

What is something you've worked on recently that you're proud of?

I recently worked on the detection and removal of crypto scams on the platform. Some bad actors target unwitting users trying to make money so it’s rewarding to catch and remove these policy-violating scammers from the platform before they target users. 

How do you express yourself creatively, and/or which art forms help you feel most connected to your culture?

I collect artifacts from Zimbabwe like mbira, gourds, and wood masks and keep them displayed around my house to always remind me of where I'm from. I also love everything Afrobeats, especially Amapiano. 

What is something you've worked on recently that you're proud of?

I designed and implemented server-side business logic for Reddit Recap 2023 and r/place. This included designing contracts between services and logic for push notifications.

How do you express yourself creatively, and/or which art forms help you feel most connected to your culture?

Working with my hands helps me feel most connected; I can incorporate a lot of myself by making things from scratch. I am a busy and curious home cook, food is love and I am generous. I garden to fuel my cooking and sew to make cosplay costumes.

What is something you've worked on recently that you're proud of?

I worked on Reddit for Business and Business Manager. The impact of this work brought redditors closer to the brands and products that they love in a more organic way. We achieved this by providing businesses with what they need to be successful in Reddit’s ecosystem. It was cool to design for this space because the primary users I was shipping for ranged from small/medium mom-and-pop shop brands all the way up to large instantly recognizable brands. 

How do you express yourself creatively, and/or which art forms help you feel most connected to your culture?

I play several instruments and I marched in the band at my HBCU (Hampton University). I am also a roller skater who is currently learning JB style skating out of Chicago, prominently found in the southside of Chicago.

What is something you've worked on recently that you're proud of?

I manage the Reddit for Business organic social channels, involving strategic content creation, audience engagement, and data-driven analysis to amplify our brand's voice and drive meaningful interactions. My role is pivotal in helping businesses and brands understand how to make Reddit work to serve their goals through thought leadership, education, and nurtured interactions on Reddit's social channels. 

How do you express yourself creatively, and/or which art forms help you feel most connected to your culture?

I find my deepest connection to my culture through the visual arts, particularly in dynamic expressions like those of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Their performances, which blend traditional African dance with contemporary movements, resonate with me, offering a powerful reflection of the Black experience. Additionally, visiting institutions like the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC, deepens my understanding and appreciation of our rich heritage. These experiences through dance and museum exhibitions not only celebrate the past but also inspire a continued creative expression of our identity and history.

What is something you've worked on recently that you're proud of?

I am proud to have helped close one of the largest advertising deals at Reddit to date. This is a direct result of a growing partnership and committed client engagement.

How do you express yourself creatively, and/or which art forms help you feel most connected to your culture?

I take great pride and joy in expressing my artistic creativity through nail art, a practice that holds significant importance in the history of Black culture and expression. For decades, Black women have not only embraced but also celebrated their distinctive nail aesthetics, transforming them into a profound form of artistic expression. My nail art serves as a vibrant tribute to the Black women in history who fearlessly embodied their unapologetic Black identity. I wear my nails as a symbol of pride, paying respects to the rich history of long, colorful nails adorned by Black women who paved the way before me.