Lamar is a muse for the ages, a lens through which we can explore the love within both our hearts and others'.
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office has compiled a guide on how to use your privilege to challenge the systems that oppress the Black community.
ON SOCIAL MEDIA
- When sharing graphic images and/or videos of Black death, think about what your sharing first.
Videos of George Floyd’s corpse attracted virality and spread across the internet. In both life and death, physical and virtual, George Floyd has no claim over his body as a Black American, like so many others. As important as this video is, Black death shouldn’t be commodified for likes and retweets. Black lives are already devalued, and sharing videos of Black death normalizes these actions and desensitizes us from the brutality. So many videos are already out there for viewing, and your Black peers’ mental health will not sustain at the visual of their peers dying due to the color of their skin.
- Be aware of everything you post and see on social media.
When black squares flooded IG timelines on #blackouttuesday, the initiative was criticized by many voices in the Black community. From countless people misusing the #blm hashtag to promoting silence at a critical time for information, a lot of damage could have been prevented if people had properly done their research on the subject and made informed decisions on whether or not to participate. So please, please do your research first, and continue using your presence on the Internet to share postiive resources that actually help the cause.
ON DONATING
We encourage you to donate if you are in a position to do so, because every dollar counts. We'll update this list, but here are some places that you can contribute to:
- George Floyd’s memorial fund is set up to cover funeral and burial expenses, mental and grief counseling, lodging, and travel for all court proceedings. All proceeds will go directly to George Floyd’s family.
- Ahmaud Arbery’s fund was designed to assist Ahmaud's mother, Ms. Wanda Cooper-Jones, and her immediate family with financial support during this extremely difficult time in their struggle for justice for the murder of Ahmaud Marquez Arbery.
- Justice for Regis supports the Regis Korchinski Paquet's family in their quest for justice against the officers responsible for her death. Regis fell 24 floors to her death after police were called to her home in Toronto.
- NAACP Legal Defense Fund aims to "protect voting rights, reform our criminal justice system, achieve education equity, and ensure economic justice for all."
- Brooklyn Community Bail Fund secures the freedom of New Yorkers who would otherwise be detained pre-trial due to their poverty alone and their inability to pay bail.
- Tony Mcdade Fund was founded to treat funeral and burial expenses, mental and grief counseling, and to support Tony's family in the days to come as they continue to seek justice. On May 27th, 2020, Tony McDade, a Black trans man was shot and killed by a Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) officer.
For other funds or more information on donating, please visit https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/#donate.
ON EDUCATING YOURSELF AND OTHERS
The act of understanding or acknowledging your privilege will not be easy, but it is necessary. It’s not enough to not be racist; it’s taking the steps on educating yourself, challenging oppressive systems with your privilege, and correcting your family members and peers when they are being oppressive. Learn about George Floyd’s case and the officers involved, pay attention to the numerous amount of Black lives being affected daily, and prepare for the hard and uncomfortable conversations that need to happen in order to take a step toward solidarity and unity.
Good places to start:
- Three activists—Tatum Dorrell, Matthew Herndo, and Jourdan Dorrell—have compiled a list of resources called the “Anti Racist Allyship Starter Pack,” which consists of a multitude of books, articles, and films that provide the education of Black history, allyship, protests, and white privilege.
- The Black Lives Matter Movement has a podcast series called What Matters, which combines documentary narratives with interviews to illustrate particular, appropriate subjects, aiming to create a conversation about the promotions of freedom, justice, and democratic liberation.
- The “Anti-Racism Resources For White People” is a guide that serves to provide resources for white people. This document is intended to provide methods that help white people and parents unlearn internalized racist ideologies to deepen their anti-racist work.
- Patia Borja, founder of @patiasfantasyworld on IG, compiled an extremely comprehensive database designed to help people dismantle systemic racism.
ON USING YOUR VOICE
When using your voice, it is important to avoid making this issue about yourself. As important it is to empathize and relate with those who are struggling, do not make the narrative about your personal experiences. This is harmful and takes away from the severity of the situation and from those who are hurting.
Vote
The first step to enact change is using the power that can really influence the system—by becoming a registered voter and playing your part in electing officials who stand for a stronger, diverse and unified future through radical reform.
Petition
You can use your voice as a weapon by signing petitions, correcting and confronting racism in active conversation with your family, sending emails to administrations, posting links to donations, and physically speaking out with messages on social media. Sustain the legacy of the victims’ names and hashtag #BlackLivesMatter to show your allegiance to the cause.
Some petitions even allow you text and sign. The following text messages help sign petitions, demanding that all the police officers responsible for the murder of George Floyd are arrested:
- Text “JUSTICE” To 668366
- Text “FLOYD” To 55156
- Text “ENOUGH” To 55156
Contact Government Representatives
Get in contact with the District Attorney and Minneapolis Mayor. Leave a message for them DEMANDING that the four officers, including Derek Chauvin (Badge #1087) and Tou Thao (Badge #7162), be arrested for the Murder of George Floyd.
Minneapolis Mayor, Jacob Frey...... (612) 673-2100
Minneapolis District Attorney, Mike Freeman..... (612) 348-5550 or citizeninfo@hennepin.us
Minneapolis PD E-mails:
police@minneapolismn.gov
minneapolis311@minneapolismn.gov
policereview@minneapolismn.gov
Internal Affairs Number...... (612) 673-3074
Breonna Taylor was murdered in her house by police who raided the wrong house and was shot eight times while she was sleeping. Call or e-mail the Louisville Mayor’s office and demand that the chief of police be fired.
Louisville Mayor, Greg Fischer..... (502) 574-2003
ON PROTESTING
A great way to display your alliance for your Black peers is by showing up physically. Go to local protests in your area and let your voice be heard in the streets when marching. If it comes to it, use your white privilege as an ally. Exercise your privilege as an active barrier in front of those most targeted and try to diverge violent situations with the police and other people of color. Do not make the protest about yourself by looting and causing obstruction, as this only does more harm to the Black community. Pay attention to your surroundings, notice and become familiar with undercover cops and transfer helpful messages to your peers. Show up, support, and listen.
When protesting, it is important to record and photograph active brutality that is happening as this can be applied as a political influence on the media. But ensure that you are not exposing the faces of the protestors as this can be used to identify and harm them. If you have photos or videos, blur out the faces of protestors and anyone within the scene. If you are using Photoshop, the clone stamp tool is much more effective than using the blur tool for this purpose.
As an alternative, if you are not considering protesting, aid those protestors in supplies and care. Buy masks, water, milk, goggles, a first aid kit, etc to ensure the wellbeing and safety of those putting their life on the line to make a change. Write down the number to your local national Lawyers guide or bail fund on your arm or in your phone to help those arrested.
More tips and helpful research surrounding protests can be found here.
ON SUPPORTING BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES
During the riots, numerous amount of Black businesses have faced damage among big corporations. With showing your allegiance, it is important to give back to these businesses that have been affected through donations.
ON CHECKING UP ON YOUR BLACK FRIENDS
With the multitude of events taking place surrounding the ongoing pandemic and injustice to their community, your Black companions may feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and helpless. They are fighting their own battles on top of this issue and are still being asked to show up and perform like an active and functional citizen in America. In reality, your Black friends want your alliance. Shoot your friends a call or a text and check up on their mental well-being. Be there for them in their time of need, recommend them mental health resources, and sympathize and listen to them in this difficult time.
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Using your voice and doing your part is absolutely essential in order to combat the countless injustices you see taking place. Silence and inaction are deafening to your Black peers and speaks volumes about your lack of consideration for their Black lives. If you choose to remain silent, not only are you picking the side of the oppressor, but you are using this silence as a representation for your anti-Blackness.
Possessing natural light, high ceilings, and a spacious spa-like atmosphere, the ambience of the laundromat’s interior also complements its soft, neutral-hued visual branding which consists of buttery yellows, creamy oranges, and warm taupes. In the pre-pandemic age, you’d be waiting for those organic cotton basics to prepare for the rinse cycle while Celsious occupied you with plenty of ways to keep busy. You could grab an organic coffee and nibble on some appetizing (and equally clean) locally sourced baked goods, or cool out in the mezzanine lounge area which also provided a quiet environment to get studying done. Times have radically changed since then, and Celsious now turns to its website and social media platforms to provide more engagement with customers.
The Celsious website, formerly welcoming visitors with oddly satisfying visuals of linens swaying delicately across the screen, has upgraded to a platform that provides more products, content, and information that coincide with the current times. The site’s focus is on e-commerce—offering assorted products from their in-house line that feature 100% biodegradable materials that do not contain any corrosive or acidic elements. Inclusive to this assortment is laundry soap crafted from environmentally friendly ingredients like baking soda, washing soda, and vegetable soap. Sweater pill remover, microfiber laundry balls, and fabric softener can also be purchased from the website. Celsious is immensely dedicated to tidiness, cleanliness, and good sanitation practices, although the laundromat was engaged in these practices long before it became mandatory to be.
Laundry is also considered essential during these uncertain times and in coordination with the strict guidelines of social distancing, Celsious has chosen not to be open to the public and self-service isn’t currently available. However, the laundromat does offer two drop-off services that include Wash-Dry-Fold and Wash-Dry-Bag. Celsious also caters to essential workers such as medical professionals and those with weaker immune systems for special accommodations as well as priority booking for drop-off services.
What are your career backgrounds and how did they influence and inspire the conceptualization of Celsious?
Theresa studied Product Design at Central St. Martin’s in London and worked as an eyewear designer before moving to NYC to help me bring Celsious to life. I pursued a career in journalism and worked as a fashion editor at Elle Germany, followed by a move to NYC to be Editor-at-Large for Harper’s Bazaar Germany. Living in New York for the first time, I was surprised at how unpleasant the laundromat experience was. The places in my neighborhood were dark, had a musty smell, no AC, and hardly any seating. I was also disappointed that my clothes would not come out of the wash very clean. In a city with top-of-the-line amenities, I couldn’t believe that nobody had thought to improve the laundromat experience. So I decided to create it!
What are some challenges that you’ve had to overcome during the early stages of this start-up?
Permitting and licensing was a huge undertaking—there is so much bureaucracy and runaround involved when starting a business in New York. The buildout was also incredibly challenging. Instead of choosing a previous laundromat location to renovate, we went with a location with high ceilings to allow for tall storefronts and lots of natural light. It ended up being a complete gut renovation and was one of the hardest things we have ever had to do.
Are you looking at future expansion of Celsious? When and where?
We would love to see Celsious in all boroughs of NYC! Living in New York is such a unique experience; it’s not easy, but at the same time there’s so much about it that is charming and unlike any other place in the world. Laundromat life should definitely move over to the enjoyable and convenient side. We had started to look at new locations but due to the current COVID-19 situation, we’ve had to put that on the backburner.
Do you have competition as a concept laundromat or is Celsious more of a monopoly?
We’re not the first ones to open a concept laundromat—there are a handful of successful examples, in different forms, around the world. Some of our favorites include our friends at Spin Laundry Lounge and Laundré in SF. In NYC, we haven’t seen anybody offer a space or experience that is as welcoming, beautiful and relaxing as ours (yet!).
How was the overall execution relating to logistics and sourcing materials for the laundromat?
We sourced most of our building materials second-hand because eco-consciousness runs through every aspect of the business. Theresa loves scouring Craigslist for deals; she was able to find some beautiful marble scraps there. We found much of what we needed from The Big Reuse, which is a non-profit that has a massive amount of donated building materials, furniture, and industrial equipment. Our bright yellow bench that everyone loves was from a sample sale. And we saved and repurposed materials while renovating the space: for example, the wall behind the plant accent above the dryers was actually the floor we had torn out. The materials we collected then dictated the design. Theresa actually found the challenge of designing within these constraints exciting.
What enticed you to take on this business venture despite having degrees, credentials, and experience in more creative professions?
Even though we had very different career paths, we always dreamed of eventually doing something for ourselves – together. Initially, Theresa was only going to advise on the design, but Corinna managed to rope her in to stay and see the whole thing through. After Theresa moved to New York, our parents came to help out for 2-3 months, but that also quickly evolved into bigger roles. It’s now a full-blown family affair! We all decided to take on this venture because we truly believe that there is a need for a more pleasant laundromat experience, as well as more education on eco-friendly garment care. If you see a need for something in the world, you have to build it! It’s the only way to move forward.
How has your business adapted to the economical and logistical changes as well as health regulations that the world is currently facing?
We’ve suspended self-service for as long as social distancing guidelines are still in place. We've been working hard to create a new workflow and careful in-store processes. We store unlaundered loads in sealed bags on a different floor than our clean loads. We vigilantly disinfect surfaces and knobs, and we sanitize carts and machines in between washes. Our team is always covered and protected (masks, gloves and coveralls), with additional gear for processing days (goggles and respirators).
