Free Tattoos For Black History Month Year 2

For the second year in a row, I am aiming to give free tattoos to my local Black community during Black History Month!

Last year, we successfully raised enough funds for me to tattoo my local Black community in Vancouver for free for the entire month of February. This experience was enriching and wonderful, and I am so excited to offer this opportunity again and hopefully for years to come. I hope to see many more initiatives like this in communities beyond Vancouver in future years!

A bit of background information on why I started this initiative:

From my own experience and from listening to the experiences of other Black folks, particularly those with deeper skin tones, I know there are barriers to getting tattooed, including pervasive racism in the industry and the steep costs of getting a tattoo. I started this fundraiser to tattoo Black folks throughout Black History Month to offer a reprieve from these barriers so Black folks can get tattooed completely free of charge by another Black person.

Black History Month can bring heavy emotions as we reflect on our past and present, our ancestry, our collective knowledge, and the knowledge of what slavery and colonial violence has and continues to take from us. This initiative aims to focus on celebrating Black History Month, along with all the beauty, variety, softness, strength and wonder of being Black.

Historically, colonial “values” condemned BIPOC worldwide for our sacred tattooing practices. They then co-opted the skill and made it extremely difficult for us to access this trade, both as tattooists and recipients. This co-opting still happens today and particularly affects Black and Brown women and queer folks.

For Black History Month 2024, I have a fundraising goal of $8,500. This amount will allow me to tattoo Black folks for free in so-called Vancouver for the entire month of February! These funds will go toward drawing and preparation, studio space, tattooing supplies, tattooing time, and some time for me to rest in March. I will be tattooing at Baohaus Collective for the second year in a row, and I am so grateful for their wonderful team for creating such an inclusive environment. I will also have access to a private studio for accessible appointments.

Tattoos are only being offered in so-called Vancouver.

If you are interested in getting a Free Black History Month tattoo, keep an eye on my stories and posts on Instagram. More details to come! You can find me at @ziencefictionart or on my website, ziencefiction.com

About Me:

My name is Zi (they/them), and I am a queer, mixed Guyanese/British settler on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and sə̓lílwətaʔɬ Nations. I am a multimedia artist whose skills include tattooing, graphic art, painting and visual journaling. I have been tattooing under the mentorship of Em Chou (@strangemmmaker) for over 2 years, and I am endlessly grateful for such an incredible mentor.

My goal as a tattooist is to create a safe, fun, and relaxed space where all folks, particularly those from marginalised communities , can come to be themselves and have the chill tattoo experience everyone deserves—especially when their body is being altered permanently.