The New Black History: Interview With Piper McCoy
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By Stadium Goods |The New Black History: Interview With Piper McCoy
We spoke to Complex’s Vice President of Communications about her place in New Black History, how important Black Women are to American culture and beyond, and much more.
Stadium Goods
If you pick up on anything about Piper McCoy after reading her interview below, you’ll probably get the feeling that she’s a very confident woman who knows what she wants and what she likes, and that she has the intelligence and ambition to get it all. Piper, who is Vice President of Communications at Complex, a sneaker and book collector, and an aspiring pilates instructor (more on that later) is a case in point on why we need Black Women in places of power in the media industry—and every industry, for that matter. She says it best herself below: “Every organization should have black women in the rooms where decisions are made.”
We’re excited to have Piper as part of our New Black History series for 2022, as like all of our other guests, she personifies excellence in the sneaker industry and/or sneaker-adjacent industries and helps move the culture forward. With that being said, we’ll simply let Piper do the rest of the talking for herself. She’s got it covered!
Hi, Piper. Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. Before we get into it, please introduce yourself to our readers who may not be familiar with who you are. Who is Piper McCoy?
Hi! I’m Piper. I am Vice President of Communications at Complex Networks, where I oversee our brands' internal and external storytelling and messaging.
When did you know you wanted to pursue a career in communications? Did you have some sort of “Ah, ha!” moment? Or was media something you were just naturally drawn to?
I initially wanted to be a writer. The art of storytelling always intrigued me, and I was a complete bibliophile growing up. To this day I still collect first edition books from black authors in addition to collecting tennis shoes. I was an only child, and I learned to keep myself entertained through stories/storytelling. The nature of my role positions me as a critical storyteller within our organization and externally. I don’t know if there was ever an “ah, ha” moment though. It’s just worked for all these years.
Before becoming Complex’s Vice President of Communications, you held a position at New Era Cap as their Director of Entertainment Marketing, Communications, and Social Media Marketing. I’m sure many of our readers are familiar with New Era hats and, of course, Complex. What are some career highlights or interesting stories you’d like to share?
New Era Cap was an enjoyable time in my career. New Era Cap is the official on-field headwear of the NFL, NBA, and MLB. The Entertainment Marketing team I led was able to bring lifestyle and energy brands to marquee sporting events with really hype collaborations. One of my favorites was the Fear of God x MLB All-Star collab in 2017. Jerry [Lorenzo] paid homage to African-American baseball players via a capsule collection that highlighted players like Darryl Strawberry, Ken Griffey, and his father, Jerry Manuel. We also made the Chance The Rapper “3” cap, which made history at the 2016 Grammys ceremony. I liken that moment to LL Cool J’s FUBU ad. Chance’s team sent us fabric swatches to create a cap to pair with his Thom Browne outfit. Everyone raved about the hat.
I introduced and announced Vashtie as the Creative Director of Icecream Girls while leading Billionaire Boys Club. That was cool. I launched the BBC 10 year project and celebrated Pharrell's flyness with a museum installation at Holt Renfrew in Canada. Good times.
How has your upbringing as a black woman influenced your work?
Being a black woman is a beautiful dance that includes rhythmic steps of intelligence, both emotional and intellectual, wit, instinct, humor, foresight, style, and grace. My mother and other black women who’ve orbited my life distilled these traits with such ease. They positively impacted my childhood and adult life by just existing in their blackness. These influences have made me a great collaborator, an effective communicator, a decision-maker, a unifying voice, and a respected leader in the workplace.
Every organization should have black women in the rooms where decisions are made. The POV we bring is not only unique, it is necessary. Black women unify and galvanize the masses. Our personalities, vocabulary, and style—beauty and fashion—keep this world spinning. Our compassion and love keep our communities together. Our intelligence and grit has powered brands long before we had a seat at the table.
Black culture is largely responsible for deeming something “cool” well before it gets accepted into broader popular culture later on—like sneaker culture and hip-hop, for example. What are your thoughts on black culture playing a role in dictating nearly every major trend in pop culture over the last handful of years?
Equitable pay and ownership is the new normal and the only path forward.
McDonalds instructs their employees to charge 25 cents extra for sauce. We have invested ENOUGH in EVERYTHING, and the only fairness I see moving forward is in pay and representation. Pay for the SAUCE.
How would you define New Black History, and how have you created it in your career, personal life, or both?
The New Black History is a generation of trailblazers living in their most creative existence and sharing it with the world. We are working in titles and industries that most of our parents/ancestors would never understand or conceive. I think my mom is still a little foggy about what I do. The NBH reveals the depths of creativity, beauty, artistry, and resilience that the Black experience encapsulates.
I work personally and professionally to bring the stories and experiences of black people to the forefront and mainstream them as much as possible.
Who are some of your personal heroes, mentors, and/or inspirations?
My mommy. She is my hero, my mentor, and my inspiration. She lives her life with integrity and loves freely and wholeheartedly with no fear. If I can be half the mother she is to me to my own children, I’ll have succeeded in life.
I have an admirable group of friends who have all chosen to be better than their circumstances, and they inspire me daily with the willingness to trust the vision they’ve been given for their life versus their current reality.
My son is also a pretty cool kid. His fearlessness profoundly inspires me. He’s bold and confident—far more than I was at 14.
I’m inspired and attracted to fearless people who are relentless in their pursuit of joy.
Since this is Stadium Goods, let’s talk sneakers. Do you have a favorite black sneaker designer?
One of my fave tennis shoe designers is Frank Cooke. I also enjoy the artistry, textures, and dimensions Salehe Bembury brings to his work. I am honestly rooting for everyone that’s black (cue Wale’s “Sue Me”). Joe FreshGoods has done some great New Balance collabs that should be forever celebrated and in the sneaker Hall Of Fame.
What do you envision 2022 looking like for yourself? And beyond if you’ve planned that far!
I want to be a Pilates instructor. I’m working on my certification and want to teach classes to trap music. I’ve created a Jeezy pilates playlist, and each class I teach will be dedicated to a rap artist. That’ll be my spring-summer hobby!
Work-related: Complex Networks is gearing up for our 20th birthday, and we have a 6-month celebration kicking off in May, so a lot of my attention and energy will be there. 2023—might open a pilates studio. I might run a marathon.
You can follow Piper on Instagram at @frosttarte