For Juneteenth, Artist Chelsea B and BarkleyOKRP’s The HUB Reimagine the Plastic-Covered Couch as a Symbol of Protection

Safeguarding Black History and cultural legacies is the mission behind the third Juneteenth activation from The HUB, BarkleyOKRP’s Black Employee Resource Group. The initiative, titled “Protect Our Piece,” leverages the iconic plastic-covered sofa to highlight a variety of topics, issues and institutions within the Black community that need to be preserved and protected.

The HUB partnered with fiber artist Chelsea B to create the symbolic sofa, turning a shared cultural memory into a living archive. Knitted into the couch are 19 different topics and issues the team believes need to be protected: Black Joy, The Black Vote, Black Owned Businesses, The Obamas, and of course, Juneteenth itself are just some of them “protected” by the plastic.

https://vimeo.com/1201916208/a3e8b36acb?fl=tl&fe=ec

This staple of Black American households will be unveiled at the 6th Annual Juneteenth Freedom Market on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, anchoring a space where individuals can come together to share their views on other artifacts they believe need to be preserved and celebrated. Following the launch of the Protect Our Piece couch, Chelsea B will be making an appearance at the opening of the Obama Museum Juneteenth weekend, hosting her own experience.

“Unfortunately, we’ve arrived at a moment where the deliberate erasure of Black people and our contributions to this country isn’t just a threat — it’s policy! Protect Our Piece is our refusal to let that go unchecked. Black culture, Black ideas, Black ingenuity have always been the blueprint. We’re just making sure that stays on record.” said George Chapman, CD at BarkleyOKRP. He continued, “Collaborating with Chelsea B really helped to take this idea from a concept to something truly indispensable. Because while this administration works tirelessly to rewrite history, here is a physical artifact that can’t be altered. One that will travel, take up space, and demand our acknowledgement in every room it’s placed.”

The HUB is creating a variety of social films to drive interest in the sofa installation and the project. It will include teaser films, behind-the-scenes films that show the making of the sofa, interviews with Chelsea B and more. The work will be seen across social channels including Instagram, Threads, TikTok and Substack.

https://vimeo.com/1201915039/3a8f1c2a1f?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

“Black culture has always been preserved in our homes, long before the world recognized the impact it’s had on culture at large,” said Danielle Young, Art Director at BarkleyOKRP. “This campaign was inspired by the everyday objects, spaces, and traditions that quietly carry our stories forward, and by the idea that they deserve to be honored as cultural treasures worth protecting and celebrating.” 

“As Black people, we’ve become accustomed to having aspects of our culture co-opted or repackaged altogether. There is an undeniable sense of pride I feel in using this plastic-covered couch, a piece of furniture so synonymous with our community, as a living, breathing archive to reclaim and protect our ever-present contributions to the world,” said William Owusu, Art Director at BarkleyOKRP. 

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