Silence isn’t usually my thing. I speak up about what I believe in and move confidently. While this hasn’t changed, what we speak up about, and what plagues our world today, has changed dramatically within the past few months.
COVID-19 has thrown me for a loop, as I’m sure it has with many of you. It’s put a strain on my friendships, my mental health and my future. There are some days where I push myself to be productive, and there are some where I am so depressed I can’t get out of bed.
The state of the world today has revealed the ugly selfishness within our society, as well as the violence that is so deeply woven into our nation. Why must we ask for Americans to care for others? It seems we have pushed ourselves so far into individualism we forget about collectivism.
I’ve refrained from posting the past two months in order to uplift the voices of my Black peers. While I continue to speak up against oppression, we must stop and listen to whom those injustices are affecting in order to figure out how to best support them. Change will not come easy — this society must be uprooted and planted again for true growth to begin.
Quarantining alone has allowed me to use this time as self-discovery. I set out to write this blog because I like fashion, though I’ve always tried to mix that idea with something else (history, culture, etc). I hate the idea that fashion is shallow or dumb — it’s inherently political. You are making a statement with what you wear, and fashion houses have such an influence. For an industry full of culture (particularly Black and Latinx culture), fashion is so overwhelmingly white. Between models, editors and designers, we need to fight for more representation and EQUAL representation.
As consumers, I ask that you support sustainable companies and publications (sustainable meaning fair pay for workers, actively anti-racist and eco-friendly). Shop second-hand but also be mindful of your privilege in choosing to do so and not having to. Find petitions to sign every day. Protest! Boycott! Activism does not begin and end with a few weeks of social media posts.
When it comes to your music taste or style, keep it individual. Change, however, starts with us, and if we band together, even greater change is promised.
maya ernest 