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

Rashida, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The birth of Hue-man Expressions.

I work with kids who have Autism. So you are always researching educational material for your clients. But time and time again, it was frustrating not to see diversity with educational material depicting Black children. Positive representation in educational curricula can be helpful in increasing self-esteem, reducing stereotypes and providing validation and support. So Hue-man Expressions, LLC was born.

Rashida, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and I work in the field of Applied Behavior Analyst which is the application of scientific principles to improve behavior that means something to the individual and those around them.

I created and founded Hue-man Expressions, LLC because of the lack of diversity with educational material depicting Black children in the field of ABA. Hue-man Expressions visuals give Black children realistic and detailed images of kids who look like them, modeling everyday skills that may be difficult for them to communicate or express.

Current cards in the field of ABA do not represent Black and brown children. The benefits of representation and learning from pictures are important. Hue-man Expressions visual cards are more engaging and effective.

Hue-man Expression utilizes pictures to effectively communicate wants and needs. For example, if a child wants to request food, they will point to a picture of the food item they want. This method of communication can help children who are working to develop spoken language skills

Like I always say Representation Reflects the Beauty of Our Reality!

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Lack of diversity with educational material depicting Black children. Hue-man Expressions visuals give Black children realistic and detailed images of kids who look like them, modeling everyday skills that may be difficult for them to communicate or express.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

“You should care about what others think!

There was a need for our black and brown kids to have educational material , so as a black woman I created them. But I’ve experienced so much hate about my cards from people who don’t understand the importance of my work. People have mentioned what about us, what about other ethnicities. When Hue-man Expressions didn’t exist everything was fine, but now since black and brown kids are included now we need more diversity and inclusion. It’s crazy to me how something so positive can be turned into something so negative so quickly that people forget the intent of the content .

Contact Info:

• Website: https://huemanexpressions.com
• Instagram: huemanexpressions
• Other: Email: [email protected]