Taking action is important to me. Black lives matter. I stand for justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the countless other Black lives that have been lost. I want to consciously take time to learn of my own biases and evaluate how I can help moving forward. I want to support Black makers and creatives. I am making a choice to stand up for what is right and I am working on acting on that. Please take time to learn from Black leaders and support Black owned businesses. Below is a small list of where you can start:
Follow along with @blkmakersmatter, this is a brand new platform which is lead by a group of Black sewists!
Donate:
Social Justice Sewing Academy
Neighborhood Fiber Co.’s Momentum Fund
We Love Lakestreet
Justice for Breonna
George Floyd Memorial Fund
Campaign Zero
Color of Change
My plan going forward:
- make a conscious effort in sharing Black creative’s work
- make a conscious effort in asking Black creatives to pattern test (and to fairly compensated them for their time and effort)
- donate (making a monthly contribution to Social Justice Sewing Academy as well as a donation to Neighborhood Fiber Co.’s Momentum Fund is where I’ve started)
- I am working on setting up a college scholarship for my community specifically for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) who are pursuing degrees in creative and/or business related fields, will plan to keep you posted on that
- continue to educate myself and my family, talk to friends and community members and stand up for the BIPOC community
This is how I’m beginning. I wanted to share this here to let you know where I stand. I believe in human rights, I believe that Black lives matter. This is not a checklist to move through and then forget about, but a reminder for myself of what promises I want to keep. I am still learning (and unlearning) and want to continue to learn. I do apologize for not speaking out about this sooner. I want to continue to seek out ways I can improve. I am one person, but I don’t want to sit idly by and watch without taking action.
Also, please take time to read this message explaining why it’s harmful to say “All Lives Matter”.
Love these ideas for constructive and meaningful change and progress.
A wonderful post and I love your ideas — it’s especially wonderful that you are going to fund a scholarship.
Thank you for your post, Anna.
As leaders in the black community have said repeatedly, ” We said Black Lives Matter. We never said ONLY Black Lives Matter. WE know All Lives Matter. We just need your help because black lives are disproportionately in danger.” If you spend any time looking at the true history of this country, it is clear that race has permeated everything, from the enslavement of native Caribbeans by Columbus, to the economic growth of the colonies on the backs of black slaves brought to farm tobacco, to the 3/5 compromise in the Constitution, to the assassination of Lincoln, to the dismantling of Reconstruction after the Civil War, to Jim Crow laws, to the school-to prison pipeline, and to the fact that, while Blacks comprise <15% of this country's population, they make up 37% of the incarcerated population, and African Americans are arrested for violating marijuana possession laws at nearly four times the rates of whites, yet both ethnicities consume marijuana at roughly the same rates. Please don't use the looting done by some as an excuse to distract yourself from the number of peaceful protesters who far outnumber the looters, or turn a blind eye to the oppression of millions of your fellow Americans every day.
I was at a march yesterday (with a Social Justice Sewing Academy pattern based banner), and I met a woman who was kicked out of her online quilting group for making a BLM banner, so I think it is safe to say that this is an area that the sewing community as a whole can stand to work on. I know I am doing my own needed work, and I applaud your work, too.
Thank you.
Hello Anna: I agree with your post. We all must play a part in making sure that every human being is treated with respect and basic human kindness. As a person of color, I too do not plan to sit idly by and watch without taking action. This is an opportunity for us to seek understanding of those that look different; yet, are not so very different. Perhaps, we can all reimagine a world in which we see humanity and not color; while embracing the differences.