Black Lives Matter - today, and every day
To our TT customers, friends, family and community,
Hello - It's me, Summer, owner and designer of Ten Tomorrow. I wanted to take a moment to address what's happening in America right now. My only hope is that what I share here, plants seeds of change or is an inspiration to you...to someone.
BLACK LIVES MATTER
I know we are all feeling the affects of this movement. Some of us are on fire, some of us are in grief, some of us need a break, and some of us feel lost. I want to start by saying that I'm not here to judge you for how you are processing it all. I'm here with love, and hope that you find something in our story that you can identify with for strength.
For over a week I've been a rollercoaster of emotions. I was already following the Arbery case when I watched the murder of George Floyd. I followed the Minnesota protests and watched, in horror, as it evolved into riots. As I did with COVID19, I dove into the news looking for more information and all I found were more names: Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, David McAtee, and others. With COVID19, I would find comfort in gathering as much data as I could - I learned what to do and how to prepare. This, was different. The more I found, the more upset I became.
Starting from Friday 5/29, I would cry every day (and still do). I'm crying for strangers, for cities I've never been to, and for change I never knew we needed. My heart was broken like never before and I didn't know why or how to talk about it. For those of you feeling lost and hurt - here is a collage of images that help me find inspiration to put actions to my emotions.
PHOTO CREDIT (all images are from Instagram accounts):
@cleowade, @gingiber, @lizzobeeating, @femalecollective, @splendidLA, @sacree_frangine, @morganharpernichols, @fuzzedupbear
Monday 6/1 was already scheduled for our TT Team to come into the store for our first day prepping for re-opening. I woke up from a restless night with the deep desire to discuss with the team how I've been experiencing inner turmoil and that I've decided I can't allow myself or Ten Tomorrow to be silent. Together we sat around our cutting table, before I could get out a word - I began to cry. I unleashed everything I had been feeling over the weekend... How I was sad, how I started as judgmental but transformed into motivated, how I was fearful, and most of all how intensely I feel about doing SOMETHING. I shared that as the leader of this team I wanted to learn about their feelings but also push all us to dedicate ourselves to being better.
I feel blessed that my team rallied behind me. They understood and wanted to be there to support this new fire within me and therefore the brand. Every day we talk about new things we've learned and share new perspectives. Our brand mission has always included uplifting the community and now I understand a different meaning of that. Together we drafted our declaration to take a stand and our dedication to the future.
Please hear me - Not all of our posts or talks were perfect. We made mistakes. We used the wrong hashtag, we misunderstood Black Out Tuesday, and the list goes on. But we didn't let it stop us from supporting. We continue to work hard to let go of the fear and ego that comes with making/admitting errs. For those of you who are fearful, I feel you. Here's another collage that helped me move past it.
PHOTO CREDIT: (All images were taken from Instagram accounts):
@candacereels, @thepeacheschrist, @picsome.ca, @CNN, @morganharpernichols, @dolkii, @ashleybenson, @sarahwillsphoto
As a part of my commitment to supporting the movement beyond posting, sharing, and donating - I promised myself to use my platform to uplift and inspire.
So here is a GOOGLE DOC.
In it you can find our list of resources that we support : from non-profits, local black-owned businesses, links to voter info, and even books from indie black community bookstores. Again, we aren't here to pressure you into anything - may this simply be a guide or starting place.
Thank you for reading along this far. Truly thank you for supporting my journey so far.
Lastly, I'm grateful that this company is already full of diversity. Our core team are all women of color, our store is home to brands owned by women of color, and our factories are filled with first-generation immigrants. Hawaii itself is a huge melting pot of ethnicities and culture.
STAY STRONG. TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
Love,
Summer Shiigi
Owner of TEN TOMORROW