The Commodity-zation of Social Justice, 17

I would like to dedicate this blog to social justice with the hopes of fighting injustice or at the very minimum starting a dialogue. Having grown up in Richmond Virginia I can still recall the ridiculously ironic holiday Lee-Jackson-King Day devoted to Martin Luther King, Robert E. Lee, and Stonewall Jackson The first name should need no introduction with his pivotal role American Civil Rights, but in case you are severely behind on your American History the latter two were confederate leaders in the American Civil War. You can imagine how confusing this was to a 5 year-old child.

It wasn't until I was deep in the jungles in Colombia South America, traveling by mini-van, trekking over mountains and through rivers with more passengers than seats, when the topic of social justice came about. Ms. Howse a social activist and brilliant human being inspired me to no longer be a bystander. 

So as my buddy Harry always says, we're voting with our dollars. And for measly $500 you can vote for a hand woven Malcolm X sweater made by the Canadian sweater Co. Granted. Sure it's local cotton and organic wool from a family owned business where the weavers, sheep, and cotton spores are serenaded by angels playing the harp.  But seriously what would Malcolm X think? Would he agree with frivolous sweater spending, especially from a company lacking diversity and people of color on their website? 

Now obviously clothing is necessary, and many believe that by buying and wearing something they are in fact joining the fight and spreading awareness. This may be true. But should companies like Urban Outfitters, Forever 21, and Hot Topic capitalize on the faces of MLK, Biggie, Tupac, etc.? Should you buy a poster of MLK, Harriett Tubman, and Malcolm X from Walmart? Sure royalties are paid and every corporation has some form of social responsibility, but is this blurring the lines between social activism and social icon-ism? What would Martin Luther King think of sales honoring his birthday? That's not what the holiday is about.

By no means am I an expert, but I do believe humanity has to be kinder to one another, stick up for one another, and follow simple rules of human decency. Obviously this is easier said than done. We're all living breathing creatures making it by, day by day, most of us living on a budget, thankful for the shirts on our back. But I just want people to know you don't need a special T-shirt to fight for justice, and regardless of morality every day we vote with our dollar. 

Is Courting Controversy An Urban Outfitters Strategy?http://www.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/2014/12/16/370329870/is-courting-controversy-an-urban-outfitters-strategy