Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Erica Baker. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Erica, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with education – we’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career

As a former educator, I would change what students learn and how they learn. Black & Bilingual was created to show the world the linguistic and cultural diversity of the African Diaspora. School needs to be done differently. We need to get rid of the “Assembly Line”, and move more toward specialized teaching. Whether it be to mix up ages in a classroom, or go to a 4-day school week with 1 day as “real time learning” or mini-internships, something needs to change! We need to prepare our future leaders to be able to play in the global marketplace. Language learning is a great way to begin this. Bilingualism is great for the brain, and it is a marketable skill for all.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

Black & Bilingual is an apparel and accessory line founded in January 2017. In 2005, I was introduced to Spanish language in the 10th grade by Sra. D. Riquelme. I loved Spanish so much that I have been a student of the language for 17+ years.

Hence, the idea for Black & Bilingual was born.

Black & Bilingual’s mission is to dispel the stereotype that Black people worldwide are one dimensional. Black people all around the world speak a multitude of languages from French to Spanish, from Twi to Creole. You name it, we speak it! Black & Bilingual aims to give light to this area of the Black diaspora. Additionally, Black & Bilingual strives to encourage Black people to learn a new language, and/or bring awareness to the diverse diaspora across the world.

Black & Bilingual is currently in a phase of rebranding. New products coming in 2023!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I am currently in a moment of pivoting my business. I was “booked and busy” prior to the COVID-19 Global Pandemic. However, once everything shut down, I found it harder to keep an apparel line afloat. The supply chain was all messed up. Shipping times were backed up. I became exhausted, and I decided to take 2 years to rest. During this time, a new idea came about and I have decided to scale back on apparel to produce this new idea. I will debut a new product in 2023!

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Being a walking billboard has been the best way to bring in new clients. I was told years ago to become my brand. Prior to the Pandemic, I would wear Black & Bilingual shirts almost everyday (yes, I have that many!). I’ve been working from home since March 2020, so it’s not the same anymore. However, this is my advice. If you make earrings, wear them anytime you’re in public. If you make skincare products, make a shirt with your logo and always have samples on hand. Basically, be intentional on how you interact with your brand in public,

Contact Info:

• Website: blackbilingual.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/blackandbilingual1
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackandbilingual
• Other: @blackandbilingual1 on TikTok