07.20.20 It's not about you...

...or me, it has to be about us - ALL of us.

The American myth has always been just that - our reality has never been that all [people] are treated as though we are created equal, or that there is opportunity, liberty and justice for all - even though that's what we've been taught, and want to believe.

The past few months have brought the problems of inequity and social injustice to the forefront of our national consciousness. Yes, it is going to be a painful conversation - but it also long overdue.

Mask from Resistance by Design

The list of challenges we face - poverty, racism, homophobia, misogyny, xenophobia - is long and daunting...but not insurmountable.  There are things each of us can do (and that I see so many around me already doing) that can and will result in positive change, if we are willing to persevere.

There are simple things - like wearing a mask. Wearing a mask is about ensuring the safety of our community, just like obeying traffic laws when you drive a car.

You have to wear a seat belt when you get in your car. You have to drive on the right side of the road, and stop at intersections and for traffic signals.  When people fail to to drive safely, they put lives at risk - and no sane person goes on a tirade about traffic laws violating civil liberties. It's even easier to put on a mask (no behind the wheel training required) and it protects everyone.

(As I've written before, I work on my posts a week or two ahead and fortunately, since I started this one the Governor of Texas has made masks mostly mandatory in public places).

Mask from Irene Neuwirth
Covid plushie from Giant Microbes

Because it's not about you, or me - it's about everyone.

I'm actually starting to "amask" quite a collection - including one from jeweler Irene Neuwirth that was part of a fundraising effort for Campaign Zero - made from Liberty of London cottons -  it came with a lovely handwritten note from Irene!

But, high profile jewelers and designers are not the only folks working to raise funds and awareness for social justice causes. 

I used to tell my graduate students when I was teaching about civil rights and social justice - ordinary people often do extraordinary things - and that is how progress happens.

My donated fabric.
My friend Jennifer's sewing table

Here are a couple of examples:

When the CDC recommended everyone should wear a mask, several of my sewing friends began working hard to ensure that anyone who wanted a mask could have one.  

Knowing that these friends were making and donating masks motivated me to go through bins of fabric I had sitting in my laundry room (because at one time I thought I might go back to sewing when my nest emptied - but then I found metalsmithing) and donate it...

for years I'd been telling myself to take care of that chore, but I'm glad I waited.  It's been fun to see posts with my fabric being turned into masks for folks who need them.

Little things - like doing something I needed to do - turned into a bigger thing for other people (honestly, you would have thought I'd left bags of spun gold on my friend's doorstep). That's what it means to be part of a community.

In late May, as the Black Lives Matter protests started across the country, one of the members of the Ladysmiths of ATX was approached by a fellow artist about selling an item and donating the proceeds to a social justice non profit organization.  That exchange led to a huge online fundraiser that raised over $11,000.

In just a couple of weeks - by reaching out to their community of women and non-binary makers - they brought together over 90 artists who donated more than 200 items, and the proceeds were donated to several social justice organizations supporting Black lives.

When we come together, we can make change happen, and the actions we take are not necessarily overtly political...wearing a mask certainly shouldn't be...neither is shopping at the farmers' market, or getting take out from a local restaurant rather than a chain.  These are things that we can all do to keep our communities safe and strong - because this is about us (not you or me).

So, at least in these first two attempts, I've managed to touch on jewelry in my return to blogging - and it feels good to be writing - which is really why I started in the first place.

Until next time.