Designed by ZCoB artists to support a couple of great causes
As many of you know, I have a LOT of black T-shirts. Still, as many as I have, I never turn down the chance to get another beautifully designed shirt!
As with my favorite records, there are some T-shirts that, on any given week, will be high on my list for regular wearing—and two in particular have recently been making frequent appearances. Since it’s likely you won’t have seen them firsthand, I thought it was worth taking some space here to share their respective backstories.
Writing about this one, in all honesty, makes me tear up. It honors the work of one of my best friends, Melvin Parson, who passed away last spring. Here’s one essay I wrote about Melvin after his passing. The more in-depth story of how he and I met—and his great work with the nonprofit he founded, We the People Opportunity Farm—can be found in The Power of Beliefs in Business. We the People brought farming back into the Black community in Ypsilanti and provided a series of one-year internships for returning citizens newly released from incarceration and working to get their feet on the ground again. We’ve been buying vegetables from We the People since their very first crop—the Roadhouse bought Melvin’s first batch of collards, and we continue to actively and enthusiastically support the farm.
The sad part of the story, as I mentioned above, is that Melvin passed away six months ago. I miss him dearly, as, I know, do many other folks in the community. I think of him regularly, and, in fact, I’m wearing this T-shirt commemorating him right now as I write. The shirt was designed by the incredible Ryan Stiner during his years in the ZCoB—maybe you’ve seen the poster version hanging in the Roadhouse. We have some of the shirts in stock there, but, assuming you’re not in town, you’ll find them online here. A portion of the proceeds goes to support We the People and the folks who are trying hard to fill Melvin’s amazing shoes.
Apricots for Dignity and Democracy
About 18 months ago, I found myself thinking that folks like me who were actively supportive of democracy would benefit from having a positive symbol we could display—something caring and creative that wouldn’t offend anyone but would uplift those who recognized it. Symbols, as you may already know from your own life experience, can be very powerful. Writing coach Susanna Barlow helped me understand their significance, explaining,
Symbols help us make sense of the world around us. We use symbols all the time. But usually in an unconscious way. Choosing to create symbols that have meaning for you particularly can be useful in managing all sorts of difficulty. … Symbols have long served to help us make sense of our place in the world, to give meaning to our lives and help us deal with fears. It creates a sense of purpose.
As I pondered what symbol might work for this important purpose, I happened to be reading the resonant words of Ukrainian poet Lyuba Yakimchuk. Yakimchuk—who fled her native Donbas region with her husband and young son back when Russia invaded in 2014, a few month after what became known as the Revolution of Dignity—wrote a line in one of her poems that has stayed with me since I first read it:
Where no more apricots grow, Russia starts.
As soon as I read it, I knew I had my answer: the apricot was natural, beautiful, and positive—and it didn’t offend anyone. A few months later, with the help of our masterful Zingerman’s illustrator Ian Nagy and the good people at Underground Printing here in Ann Arbor, we had a whole set of apparel featuring Ian’s apricot illustration. You can see the full selection here. There are T-shirts, hoodies, hats, and—if you live in a cold climate, like I do—embroidered Carhartt jackets, too! When you order, Underground ships the items directly to your house. They make great gifts as well. And our share of the proceeds all goes to Democracy Now!, a nonpartisan nonprofit.
So if you’re looking for something cool to wear, a meaningful gift to send someone you love, or even just a way to have a bit more Zingerman’s art in your house, check out these amaZing offerings. You’ll look good walking down the street and support some good causes in the process.
P.S. On Tuesday, October 27, I’ll be doing a book event at the Roadhouse about “Why Democracy Matters.” As the event’s subtitle says, “Democracy isn’t just something we vote for—it’s something we practice every day.” If you come by that Tuesday evening, there’ll be conversation to be heard, pamphlets to be bought, and some super tasty, apricot-centric appetizers as well!