In this episode of Dressing for Wellness, Taylor (Inherent Clothier CEO) and Steven (Art Director) talk to their friend Chaz about his experience as a Black man growing up in the very white area of Colorado Springs. They discuss the Black Lives Matter movement, the George Floyd protests, and the necessity of conversation around difficult subjects.
3 Key Points
- Talking to people who are outside of your regular experience is crucial for understanding and empathy.
- Appreciation does not equal appropriation.
- One conversation may not change somebody, but maybe the second one will, or the fifth, or the seventh.
Episode Highlights:
- Chaz’s biggest goal as a person of color during the Black Lives Matter movement is to have conversations with people.
- As a person of color, there’s a lot of history that you feel like you need to live up to, or not, and it caused significant confusion in identity for Chaz.
- There’s a difference between Black Lives Matter the movement and Black Lives Matter the organization.
- In fashion, Black people didn’t have a style icon until the 1950s when Black people were first allowed on TV.
- Chaz thinks appreciation tips into appropriation when there’s no recognition of where something originated and when credit is not given; for example, that Frank Sinatra’s style is inspired by Nat King Cole and that almost all popular music originated with Black artists.
- If you’re having mental health struggles, talk to someone.
Resources Mentioned:
