Archivi tag: black lives matter

FREE MASKS FOR DALLAS

PROTESTING IN 2020? BRING A MASK

By Idara Umoh

While most of the world got ready to usher in the year 2020, the Chinese government announced that dozens of people in the city of Wuhan fell sick with a new virus. Few would have guessed what the next months would look like.

The virus was identified as a new member of the coronavirus family and was named COVID-19, and it quickly became everyone’s topic of discussion as it spread throughout the world. Unlike something most never experienced before, airlines grounded flights, travel was restricted, jobs were lost, restaurants closed and the economy took a hard nosedive. As of June 12, 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 7.4 million confirmed cases, and 418,294 deaths worldwide.

So how do you get COVID-19? Like the common cold or influenza, it spreads when a sick person coughs, sneezes, or speaks. The most common symptoms are fever or chills, cough, and tiredness, with some also reporting a new loss of taste and smell. With symptoms ranging from mild to severe illness, face masks and social distancing became our main means of protection while states began to issue orders to shelter-in-place.

Although COVID-19 has become one of the most significant pandemics in modern history, there has always been another epidemic quietly eating away at the United States which would soon come to the surface. On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, an unarmed black man, was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For 8 minutes and 46 seconds, George was crushed under the knee to the neck, while other officers watched, and bystanders recorded while pleading for his life. He called out for his mother, and cried out that he could not breathe, but this was not enough to make it stop. This was not the first time that an unarmed black person was brutally killed. Merely months before, Ahmaud Arbery was chased down and killed while jogging, and the list goes on: Breonna Taylor, Trayvon Martin, Philando Castile, and many more. But this time, something was different, something broke. Racism, the silent epidemic that had been kept quiet for centuries could no longer be ignored. From San Francisco, California to Washington D.C and even worldwide, streets filled with thousands of protesters demanding #justiceforgeorgefloyd, chanting #Blacklivesmatter and #icantbreathe.

people-protesting-and-holding-signs-4614160-min

People of all colors and backgrounds coming together to fight against injustice was something many have never seen before, and in the midst of all the protests, the importance of social distancing and masks went to the backburner.

Right here in Dallas, we have already seen 13,585 cases, and 280 deaths, and large crowds of people shouting and singing close together with some doing this without masks, would certainly be a perfect opportunity for the virus to spread.

african-american-woman-in-medical-mask-on-gray-background-4177607

We wanted to see people protesting peacefully and safely to prevent a spike in cases of COVID-19 so we began to ask for donations of face masks that we could give out during these events, and quickly, we began to get answers from various organizations, including Meetcaregivers and C. Adeola. Masks were given out during the Dallas Stand Up for Justice protest held on June 6th, more will be distributed during upcoming events, and to help our community, we will also be sharing masks with local businesses so customers without a mask can use one to shop safely.

In the midst of a pandemic, a fight for social justice has broken out throughout the United States, and we are hopeful that these efforts will bring about reform and newfound unity between all. In the words of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” We have chosen to longer be silent, but we must remember to also do it safely.

 

If you live in the Dallas area, and need a mask, please reach out to us at deshabillemagazine22@gmail.com

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1 How the Coronavirus Pandemic Unfolded: a Timeline. https://www.nytimes.com/article/coronavirus-timeline.html.
2 WHO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Dashboard. https://covid19.who.int/
3 Q&A on coronaviruses (COVID-19). https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/question-and-answers-hub/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses
4 Dallas County Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates and Information. https://www.dallascounty.org/covid-19/

 

 

Déshabillé Magazine supports BLACK LIVES MATTER

 

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” MLK JR

2020 is an uncomfortable, challenging year. It keeps pushing us to see our failures, our weaknesses, our flaws and the true nature of what humanity has tried to hide under the carpet for too many years, even centuries. But it also a wonderful opportunity to reveal our strength and to connect with our neighbor.

It is clear like the first light of the day that the solution is in recognizing that we are part of one body, if an arm is broken, all the body will suffer. We need healing and it will come only if we consistently implement our ability of listening, understanding and taking actions for the common good for all.

Déshabillé Magazine decides to stand and support the Black Lives Matter Movement against an unbearable pandemic event like Racism. 2020 is pushing for a radical change. Will we be able to respond to this call?

We have decided to contribute to the movement in 4 ways, join us in one of these activities!

blm prayer walk

1. THE ROCK CHURCH MARCH

Today Saturday 13th June at 12pm, if you are in New York you can join our friends from the Rock Church in a peaceful march that will remain in history.

In these last weeks, more than ever, we remember Martin Luther King Jr., his messages of equality, hope and love remain relevant today. His life demonstrated Jesus’ commandment to “love our neighbors as ourselves.”

Join The Rock Church this Saturday as they petition in prayer. NYC tri-state area will meet in Washington Sq. Park at noon. Register by clicking this LINK

“Love is one of the pinnacle parts of the Christian faith. There is another side called justice, and justice is really love in calculation.”

CHINAZA ADEOLA BLACK LIVES MATTER

2.  MASKS FOR SALVATION BY DESIGNER CHINAZA ADEOLA

The brand @c.adeola has dedicated its energy and love to saving the world one soul at a time. Believing that our duty is to use our gifts to do it, they have launched #buyamasksalvation to help those protesting to stay safe. For every purchase of a designer mask, they have donated proceeds to purchase disposable masks for the world. Their products were sold out very quickly but keep in touch with the designer for the next step!

“Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction. So when Jesus says ‘Love your enemies,’ he is setting forth a profound and ultimately inescapable admonition.” — “Loving Your Enemies

DON KAKA MASKS FOR BLM

3. BAIL THEM OUT WITH DON KAKA

Don Kaka is a talented designer who has just released his new collection called ‘Darkest Summer in LA’. The name of the collection started off as a reference to the dramatic situation around the world, from the coronavirus pandemic until the tragic news of George Floyd’s death, and the escalation of protests that seized America.

In his own words: “I had no idea things would get even darker since then. I want to help however I can so I decided it would be best to donate all the profits of this collection to Black Lives Matter & protester bailout funds”. His reusable masks are made of thick dual folded woven material, 2 layer interior filter and a double elastic band.”

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”MLK Jr

4. PROTECT THE COMMUNITY

Déshabillé Magazine team is based in Europe, Asia and US. Having this opportunity we have decided to call for masks donation in order to distribute it out to the protesters and the community.

Our thanks goes to Mrs. Florence Furaha, CEO of MeetCaregivers who donated us a generous amount of masks from Boston that we will distribute to the Dallas County community during the protests. If you are in Dallas and in need of mask, please get in touch with us, write us here: deshabillemagazine22@gmail.com

You could also sign all the petitions you find online if you are not in the States; your voice and your support is important and it will lead to a change. Don’t underestimate how much you count.

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?” MLK Jr