I feel like I have to share a quick political opinion: America is awesome in many ways, but this country was built on the graves of Indigenous people, by enslaved Black people. Even now, Indigenous and Black Americans continue to be heinously oppressed. The "founding fathers" talked the talk better than they walked the walk, and so have their successors. American ideals are on point, but those ideals still have a looong way to go before they become a solid reality.
With that said, let's celebrate the progress we've made so far! Woohoo! Fireworks!
Halfway through June, I asked Jo Donofrio of August & Rudy Vintage to collaborate with me on a summer lookbook/playlist with the theme of FREEDOM! Awww yeah. We each picked four items from her shop, then I matched songs to her choices and vice versa. You can listen to the mix on YouTube (if you're willing to put up with the ads) or check out the songs one by one...
#1: "Go Outside" by Cults // pastel 1940s silk dress
#2: "Summer Wine" by Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood // red rose sweater
#3: "Goodbye Girls" by Broadcast // blue cropped halter top
#4: "Cruel Summer" by Bananarama // daisy denim maxi dress
#5: "Hollywood" by Marina Diamandis // ombre mirrored sunglasses
#6: "Our Deal" by Best Coast // mod square sunglasses
#7: "Glamorous" by Fergie // gold tank-top with polka dots
#8: "Asleep on a Sunbeam" by Belle & Sebastian // pink gingham button-down
$28 sleeveless blouse; background by arruda_mario. Enjoy the holiday, friends!
Your first paragraph - very well stated, Sonya!
ReplyDeleteMy grandfather (who was Native American) had to deal with a lot of negative reactions to his race back in the day. I also see examples of prejudice on an almost daily basis up here in Alaska, especially against Alaskan Natives. It's unfortunate but if there is a fraction of people that try to uphold the idea of respect along with the idea of freedom (though it is still limited in some ways to protect people), then that is definitely better than nothing.
At least we keep improving! I hope that progress continues. Thank you for sharing your perspective/experience.
DeleteI think many of the sentiments in your first paragraph are also really applicable to NZ! We might not have as chequered a history as the US, but colonialism casts long shadows wherever it pops up, especially where race and skin colour are concerned. Although there's still a long way to go, I'm glad that there's more and more discussion about these issues today!
ReplyDeleteAlso, this is an awesome idea for a post! Love it! :-D *hums along*
Happy Fireworks and BBQ day! (how the 4th of July appears to an outsider ;-))
Me too! I think next time I'll find a positive initiative to shine a light on as well as bringing up the bad stuff. Btw "Fireworks and BBQ day" is totally accurate ;) Thank you Syl!
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