Megan Thee Stallion
Violence against women “happens because too many men treat all women as objects, which helps them to justify inflicting abuse against us when we choose to exercise our own free will.” These are Megan Thee Stallion’s words, from an incredible op-ed she wrote in the New York Times this week. She addressed her own experience as a survivor of violent crime, and talked about how absurd it is that we live in a culture where a phrase like “protect Black women” is somehow controversial. Her great hope for change? “That Kamala Harris’s candidacy for vice president will usher in an era where Black women in 2020 are no longer ‘making history’ for achieving things that should have been accomplished decades ago. In an unequal society, the bar for progress unfortunately feels really low. The piece and accompanying video are moving and powerful. Read, watch, think about what she’s saying, and as she so plainly points out: Vote. Please vote. Check your registration status here. And learn more about your voting options in your state here.
Another bit of news that made me feel optimistic this week? It seems like retailers are (finally) putting their money where their mouths are when it comes to sustainability. H&M just came out with a machine that turns old clothes into new clothes, and it’s pretty dope. The machine, called Looop, creates a new garment in 8 steps, using no water and no chemicals, making it a process that has a much smaller carbon footprint than typical clothing production. IKEA also just announced that it’ll be buying back old furniture from customers. The recycling program, launching Black Friday, is meant to “help customers take a stand against excessive consumption.” Both initiatives are based in Europe, and I’m hoping they make their way to the US sometime soon so I can check ‘em out as well.
And I couldn’t leave you without a few TikToks that brought me joy this week: this cat with an interesting cactus-candle-making talent and this exquisite one-man Mean girls reenactment.
—Darlene Kenney, Marketing Assistant
