yEego!
LTB FTW is design work by Leah Thomason Bromberg, a London-based artist.
Who’s LTB?
LTB is me: Leah Thomason Bromberg. LTB FTW is the design work I do to support my art practice. I work in oil paint, making paintings as a tool to figure our what home is, or where it is, or how I can make it myself. You can see that at @leahthombromart and leahthombrom.com.
Here I wanted a platform where people can see my design portfolio, why I make things, and how I make things – but with Adobe Suite, instead of with my usual (and very low tech) paint and brushes.
What’s FTW?
That stands for for the win, because I will undoubtedly and aggressively celebrate anything that anyone accomplishes. And I’ll do that yéego – that’s a Navajo amplifier that means more, diligently, seriously. (Think “harder, better, faster, stronger.”) That’s me. And that’s how I feel about beautiful things.
Ultimately, beautiful things need to exist in the world. I want to make sure that they do. And I want to make them. That means meaningful design to amplify meaningful voices.
What LTB is about
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Aoo’, Diné nishłį́: Yá’át’ééh, Shik’éí dóó shidine’é. Tábąąh nishłį́. Bilagáana bashishchiin.
Yes, I’m Navajo: Hello, my family and my people. I am Edgewater Clan, born for a Caucasian family.
…and I am still learning how to properly introduce myself in Navajo. Where I come from is very important to me. I am proud to be Navajo; I am proud to be from the American South. That means I value respecting everyone’s (ethnic, racial, national, tribal….) backgrounds and expect others around me to do the same.
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I also believe that “y’all means all” – and hopes for the universal and non-gendered inclusion “y’all” offers. Born in Fredericksburg, Virginia, I’m an aggressive ambassador for Southern hospitality, unapologetic kindness, and taking care of your own. I’m trying my best as a cishet ally to say that you are valid, that you are welcome here.
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“Where’s that accent from?”
I am asked this all the time in London. Her home is spread across the globe: she calls Fredericksburg, Virginia, San Francisco, and London all home. Globally I am taking up space, and my presence, success, and thriving is part of decolonizing a very colonized city.
Living at the seat of the actual British Empire at times is exhausting: decolonizing here means I am moving, living, running, and active. I want that safety, energy, and life for every body and everybody.
Issues close to my heart
MMIW+
An epidemic of Missing & murdered Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit persons, and other nonbinary individuals
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MMIW+ stands for Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women, and the “plus” to include girls, teens, Two-Spirit, and nonbinary genders.
The risk of rape or sexual assault is 2.5 times higher for Native women than the rest of the country. Murder is the third leading cause of death for Native women. These numbers likely underestimate the true extent of violence due to systematic racism, underreporting, misclassification, and ongoing distrust of law enforcement.
In Canada, it is described as a national crisis and a genocide. Infamous is the Highway of Tears, a 450 mile corridor as the site for MMIW since 1970. In the United States, there is little public awareness. Violence against women, girls, and Two-Spirit individuals is a legacy of racism, sexism, and colonialism, which has culminated into this human rights crisis.
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Understanding the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Crisis Beyond Individuals Acts of Violence
National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center provides historical and cultural context to understand the structures that create MMIW+Our Bodies, Our Stories
Urban Indian Health Institute provides statistics to understand the what MMIW+ is.The Red Justice Project
Indigenous true crime podcast is to bring awareness to the many cases of missing and murdered indigenous people in North America, and the way we are erased in American mediaREDress Project
An installation art project focusing on the issue of missing or murdered Aboriginal women across Canada by artist Jamie Black -
BuzzFeed, 29 March 2023: To Call Attention To The Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women Epidemic, Auli'i Cravalho Wore A Red Handprint On Her Mouth To A TV Show Premiere
The Guardian, 3 February 2023: “‘The families deserve answers’: inside the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women”
RollingStone, 3 February 2023: “Native American Women Keep Turning Up Dead. Why Is Nothing Being Done?”
Variety, 2 February 2023: “Showtime Docuseries ‘Murder in Big Horn’ Amplifies Terrifying Stories of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women: TV Review”
The Independent, 12 January 2023: “‘Her case haunts me’: These horrific murders show North America is not doing enough to help Indigenous women”
Indian Country Today, 5 January 2021: Athletes lend a hand(print) to MMIW
The Guardian, 2 May 2019: “Women are disappearing and dying in Indian country. We must act” by now Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland
New York Times, 12 April 2019: “Native American Women Are Facing a Crisis”
Los Angeles Times, 17 November 2018: “The horrific death of a Native American woman spurs action in Congress”
NPR, 15 November 2018: “Police In Many U.S. Cities Fail To Track Murdered, Missing Indigenous Women”
CBC News, last updated 26 September 2018: “Unresolved: Case closed or murder?: These are the case authorities say do not involve foul play”
Profiles of 300+ women and girls and the circumstances surrounding their caseTeen Vogue, 11 September 2018: “When the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Crisis Hits Home”
Seattle Times, 23 August 2018: “Nearly every Native American woman in Seattle survey said she was raped or coerced into sex”
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National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center
The National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, Inc. (NIWRC) is a Native-led nonprofit organization dedicated to ending violence against Native women and children. The NIWRC provides national leadership in ending gender-based violence in tribal communities by lifting up the collective voices of grassroots advocates and offering culturally grounded resources, technical assistance and training, and policy development to strengthen tribal sovereignty.Urban Indian Health Institute, a division of the Seattle Indian Health Board
Urban Indian Health Institute (UIHI) is leading the way in research and data for urban American Indian and Alaska Native communities. As a Public Health Authority and one of 12 Tribal Epidemiology Centers in the country—and the only one that serves Urban Indian Organizations nationwide—UIHI conducts research and evaluation, collects and analyzes data, and provides disease surveillance to strengthen the health of American Indian and Alaska Native communities. -
The National Sexual Assault Helpline
Strong Hearts Helpline
The Bureau of Indian Affairs Tip Line