About
ZOIE NOELLE BROGDON is a contemporary artist, born and raised in South Los Angeles, California. Her work reflects the perspective of a young 17-year-old Black girl who has grown up through the COVID-19 pandemic, increased homelessness, and the senseless murders of Black people such as Trayvon Martin and George Floyd. Her distinctive personal style mirrors her devotion to social impact, justice reform, and her desire to see under-represented children achieve. Zoie’s work reflects her desire to express the beauty of youth trying to navigate life through these trying times.
​
Currently, Zoie is a student at Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences, in Santa Monica, California.
ARTISTIC AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
September 2022 –
UCLA’s Young Black Changemakers (YBC) is a program that recognizes Black youth who are actively engaged in social or political change. In other words, they are civically engaged. UCLA recognized Zoie’s sketch “Black Girl” and poem “Melanin,” and both will be included in the forthcoming book “Young Black Changemakers and the Road to Racial Justice,” which will be published by Cambridge University Press in 2023. The book documents the how and why Black youth become changemakers.
June 2022 –
The NAACP Hollywood Bureau: Arts, Culture and Entertainment Festival produced a series of conversations and presentations focused on the power and impact of the arts from an African American perspective. Zoie appeared in their podcast “Youth Spotlight, Meet Zoie Brogdon” which showcased how Zoie uses her platform to elevate social justice issues.
February 2021 –
Zoie’s original artwork “Black Girl” appeared on the cover of Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences Cross-Section Magazine 2020 Black Lives Matter issue and was subsequently submitted by Crossroads to the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. “Black Girl” received SILVER for the Case District VII Award of Excellence, with over 500 entries submitted from independent high schools, colleges and universities from Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada, Northern Mariana Islands, and Utah.
January 2021 –
“Black Girl” was submitted by Crossroads for a national school Magazine Cover Design award and received GOLD for the national InspirED School Marketing Brilliance Award.
July 2020 –
Zoie’s original poem “Melanin” was featured and performed by Zoie in the ABC television special entitled 4th of July Block Party for Diverse Voices.
​
FOUNDATION SUPPORT
Zoie is a strong supporter of St. Anne’s Family Services, which provides high-quality supportive housing programs, early childhood education, mental health, and family-based services to more than 2,100 young women, children, and families annually. As the needs of Los Angeles’s most vulnerable populations have changed over the decades, St. Anne’s has evolved to meet their needs at every stage of life, doing so with the utmost respect and compassion.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
-
United States President’s Volunteer Service Award: BRONZE Level (2021)
-
Jack and Jill of America: Community Volunteer Service Award (2021)
-
NAACP Online Campaign: “Get Out and Vote” (2019)
-
Global Studies Immersion Service & Learning Program: Peru (2018), Ecuador (2017), Dominican Republic (2016)
ZOIE’S PASSION
In addition to Zoie’s artistic achievements, she is a champion equestrian in the English jumper arena. She started riding horses with the Compton Jr. Posse (now Compton Jr. Equestrians), in Compton, CA when she was 9 years old. Over time, her passionate hobby catapulted her into being a top-ranking equestrian. Zoie’s major accomplishments include CHAMPION: 2021 USHJA Zone 10 Horse of the Year Award (1.10m division), INDIVIDUAL GOLD: 2021 USHJA Zones 9 & 10 Team Championships (1.10m – 1.15m division), RESERVE CHAMPION: 2021 USHJA Nationals, and 3rd Place: 2019 USHJA Zone 10 Horse of the Year Award (1.0m division).
July 2022, Zoie was honored by Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated with the Finer Womanhood Rising Award - presented to someone who is "ascending". Zoie was recognized for her equestrian accomplishments at their 2022 Grand Boule in Philadelphia and was presented a beautiful, customized glass award (etched with a picture of Zoie and her horse jumping in a competition) by the esteemed International President Valerie Hollingsworth Baker.
In 2021, Zoie was featured in an impactful mini documentary produced by AFROPUNK + GoPro. Zoie talks about her passion for riding, her competitive spirit, and most importantly, the experience of being a young Black woman in a predominantly white sport. Zoie was featured in a Sports Illustrated article and video entitled “The Horse Girl,” and was listed in the November 2021 issue of the Financial Times as “The 10 Need-to-Know Names of International Show Jumping.”
Zoie has recently become a published author. Her article “I Do This Sport for What I Win Inside” appeared in the U.S. Equestrian Magazine Spring 2022 issue. In 2019, Zoie appeared in Beyonce’s Lemonade video for the song “Daddy’s Lessons,” and in 2022 she appeared in the opening of the Oscars, which recognized Beyonce’s nomination for “Be Alive,” the original song from the major motion picture, King Richard.