Siblings launch jigsaw puzzle business focused on Black representation
Little Elm, Texas — Jigsaw puzzles are having their moment as families stuck at home during the coronavirus pandemic look for something to pass the time. But there were a few pieces missing, until now.
William Jones and Ericka Chambers have been putting together puzzles since they were children growing up in North Texas.
"A lot of our puzzles that we ended up picking were like cartoons," Jones said. "It wasn't, like, anything particularly that represented us as you know, as people of color."
That sparked an idea — Puzzles of Color — which finds artwork depicting Black culture created by artists of color and puts them on puzzles. Corporate offices are in Chambers' garage.
Darryl Hill bought one of the puzzles for his 3-year-old son Micah. Hill lets Micah be a kid but feels it's also important for his son to see other people who look like him when he plays.
"As he is growing up, I need him to know that he is represented in culture," Hill said.
Chambers added: "It's all about that representation. You don't, you don't feel like an 'other.' You feel like you are part of the world that you live in."