ORLANDO, Florida–A mixed-race entrepreneur on a mission to empower black women has partnered with Orlando-based BGI Studios to launch a set of 10,000 Black Queen NFTs, showcasing the fact that all black women are queens regardless of their skin tone, shape or size. A native of a culturally diverse college town in Maryland who moved to rural upstate New York at seven years old, Allie Walker’s childhood was an eye-opening experience of racism, with frequent comments about her skin color and hair leading her to feeling as if she didn’t belong to any specific race. Today, as a successful marketing agency owner and Realtor, she has focused on bringing to life her vision for a Black Queen NFT set celebrating her heritage.

“Black is beautiful no matter the race or shade,” said Walker. “Growing up, I realized racism is still very prevalent when I moved from an area rich in cultural diversity to a rural area where I felt and looked different. I was never black enough or white enough, and I was sometimes even mistaken for Hispanic. I’ve also experienced sexism, as I was passed over for an executive position simply because I was female. My experiences with both racism and sexism fueled my passion to educate the world and build up black women of all shades.”

Walker’s Black Queen NFT set is based on “Keisha,” a powerful, ultra-realistic, A.I. generated woman. It was created by combining randomized facial features of a million black women, representative of the black female community across the globe. Using Keisha as the base image, Walker then created multiple sets of accessories, jewelry, hair styles, makeup and clothing across multiple themes, such as African Queens, Butterfly Queens, Natural Queens, Country Queens, Zodiac Queens and more.

The name was chosen in honor of a colleague’s late wife who died of cancer, Keisha, who beautifully represented the mothers, wives, professionals, students, activists and educators who are breaking down color barriers.  

The Black Queen NFT set is just the latest of Walker’s efforts to promote diversity and inclusion. After noticing the lack of black and brown student enrollment at her college, Walker sought ways to create exclusivity and attract more students of color to the college. She served on the school’s Diversity Task Force, became president of the Multicultural Club, and worked as the office manager for the Multicultural Affairs Office.

Despite an internship with a racist boss, she persevered to complete her bachelor’s degree, eventually going on to earn her master’s degree. She received the Graduate of the Decade award from her alma mater for entrepreneurship and community involvement, and today she sits on the Florida State University Steering Committee to develop curriculum for future entrepreneurs.  

“With this Black Queen NFT set, I’m shouting out that all black women are queens,” said Walker. “Over the years, I’ve learned to embrace who I am, including my features and my race, and I hope this new set empowers others to do the same. I’m excited to share these amazing NFTs to honor the Black Queens of the world and continue breaking down barriers and eliminating false expectations.”  

On a weekly basis, Black Queens will be featuring various black women from all over the world who exemplify excellence in the community as well as in business, entertainment, sports, media, politics, music, and education online and via the BQ Podcast.  

Walker’s set of Black Queen NFTs will begin whitelisting later this month. While the NFTs will be available online, she also plans to launch a custom line of essential oils and a merchandise line with the custom merchandize platform NamePress.com, featuring her digital artwork and furthering her mission of showcasing beautiful black women of all shades.  

To learn more, please visit:  

Black Queens: www.blackqueens.io

BGI Studios:

NamePress:

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