To all my Dear Friends, family, people who have taught or inspired me and acquaintances that I have met through the years in the art world and throughout.
www.carolinekobinart.com was created specifically for the national crisis happening right now. It includes portraits of many powerful hip hop artists that have given a voice to and empowered underrepresented communities over the years. I have been heartbroken by the suffering and harm black people in this country have experienced and endured. While I am a white woman and a therapist, I have been heavily involved over the past 20 years in equality and rights for vulnerable populations. It is terrifying to me that so much hatred and harm continues to be directed towards people of color.
Hip hop has been a huge part of my life and also my therapeutic practice of offering some common ground to clients I have worked with. I learned that my co-author and friend, Edgar Tyson (who helped me publish a paper in 2006, "Thematic analysis of hip-hop music: Can hip-hop in therapy facilitate empathic connections when working with clients in urban settings?") passed away suddenly at age 55 in 2018. This site is dedicated to him and all the work he did with inner city youth. His legacy will live on and his kindness and brilliant mind continues to inspire people to follow in his footsteps and help at risk populations.
For the purposes of my artwork, I have added an option in the "original art" section where you can choose a non-profit to donate to. I am asking you to please share this site on all of your social media!!! to help raise money for Black Lives Matter, The Boris Henson Foundation, and Showing Up for Racial Justice. The plan is to donate all profits to these organizations. I also encourage you (if you are not interested in the artwork, to investigate the charities I have cited. You can also look at Dr. Tyson's work on the site below to help his cause and research.
Much love and kindness- let's practice and spread it.
Dedicated to DR. EDGAR TYSON - founder of Hip-Hop therapy.