CLAIMA JOINS FORCES WITH SPERRY TO LAUNCH NEW DOCUSERIES “RECLAIM YOUR WATER”
Claima, a podcast and creative content company committed to inspiring the next generation of BIPOC creatives and entrepreneurs, in partnership with Sperry, the iconic American footwear brand, has announced a limited three-part docuseries, “Reclaim Your Water.” Directed by prominent filmmaker and outdoor enthusiast, Faith E. Briggs, “Reclaim Your Water” spotlights three Black and Brown entrepreneurs connected to and inspired by water and how each reclaims what was once weaponized to build community and create change.
The partnership is a part of Sperry’s purpose platform “All For Water. Water For All.” The initiative expresses the brand’s commitment to protecting our waterways and its declaration that all people are welcome on the water and should have access and the ability to enjoy it. Claima worked with the leading footwear brand to place the Black experience with water on a national stage and create storytelling that would educate and inspire a more equitable environment in the water space. “Reclaim Your Water” poignantly highlights how communities of color can reclaim water as a healing and enjoyable experience for all through the lens of each subject.
“Throughout history, water has long been weaponized against Black communities, from slavery and segregation to Hurricane Katrina and the Flint water crisis,” said Claima Co-Founder Bimma Williams. “We were honored to work with Sperry in their commitment to equity and inclusion to not only bring awareness to this historical structural racism, consciously and subconsciously, surrounding water but also to empower and inspire people of color to embrace and reclaim its cultural value.”
“At Sperry, we believe in the power of water and its ability to help people feel balanced, energized, and calm,” said Sperry Chief Marketing Officer Elizabeth Drori. “As we aspire to unlock these feelings and experiences for everyone, we know that the water has not been an equitable place. It has been a privilege to partner with Claima and Faith Briggs on this groundbreaking docuseries. By sharing these important stories, we hope to spark new dialogue and understanding, and ultimately work towards creating an environment where everyone, everywhere, feels welcome on the water.”
The docuseries, which takes place throughout the country, includes an intimate look inside the lives of cofounders Thurman and Torrence Thomas of Tankproof, a Louisiana-based organization that gives under-served youth the lifesaving gift of swimming; Jahmicah Dawes, the owner of SlimPickins Outfitters, the first ever Black-owned gear shop, and Natasha Smith, a community leader and surf trainer who has played a role in teaching the founders of Ebony Beach Club how to surf.
“The ‘Reclaim Your Water’ project celebrates the hard-won resilience of individuals who, in spite of longstanding systemic obstacles, choose to make a life and seek joy around water,” said Briggs. “We hope that this docuseries inspires and invites others to follow a similar path and amplifies the work these communities are doing to rewrite the narrative of Black people in a space weaponized against us. We are delighted to share their seemingly nondimmable light with our audiences.”
In addition to the multi-dimensional “Reclaim Your Water” docuseries, Sperry has offered three $15,000 grants to initiatives that provide a more equitable environment in the water space, including Tankproof, a non-profit organization that gives youth in under-served communities education and essentials to navigate life’s currents, alongside donations to both Slim Pickins and Ebony Beach Club to fund events that teach people of color how to surf and fish.
The first video of the docuseries debuted on Sperry’s YouTube channel on Friday, July 22nd. Find more information on the video series at www.sperry.com/waterforall.