Teen’s creative T-shirts help support Ferguson
Published May 15, 2015
Shoshana Williams, a junior at John Burroughs School and member of Central Reform Congregation, is currently raising money to support local businesses in Ferguson. She believes that efforts to rebuild the community and move forward are what St. Louisans need to focus on now.
The Aug. 9 shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed African-American teenager, by a white police officer in Ferguson spurred months of protests, riots and looting. As a result, numerous businesses in Ferguson were destroyed or negatively impacted. Visiting Ferguson in the aftermath of this tragedy sparked an interest in Williams to work to restore the city.
“I felt like [Ferguson] was a very historical place and that a lot of important things were happening there for our nation and community,” said Julie Williams, Shoshana’s mother. “I thought we should go there while it was still safe.”
For Shoshana, however, this passion for fighting inequalities did not simply stem from the controversy in Ferguson. It has been one of her lifelong interests.
“I have learned a lot about racial inequities and systematic flaws in the U.S. system (particularly in St. Louis) that potentially lead to institutionalized racism,” Shoshana said. She went on to describe how Ferguson was one of many examples of such discrimination.
With this in mind, Shoshana was surprised to see overflowing compassion in Ferguson. She noted that murals were being painted on boarded-up doors and windows.
“There were artists and children and just regular people coming together to create these beautiful murals,” Shoshana said. “All you hear about is the disparity and racism in St. Louis [coming out of Ferguson] but you don’t hear about the healing.”
This was exactly what prompted Shoshana to take action. Following her visit, she yearned to continue this mending process and shine a light on all the good that was coming out of Ferguson. So she began creating and selling T-shirts, for $15 each, to profit local St. Louis charities that support the rebuilding of Ferguson. And what better art to put on the shirt than one of the inspirational murals?
Unlike a previous New Yorker magazine cover depicting a black and white divided Gateway Arch, “I used another, more positive and realistic representation of the Arch with a white hand and a black hand clasped,” Shoshana said. “That is my St. Louis — one that is united.”
With a T-shirt in the works and a very defined purpose, Shoshana went about selling the merchandise to raise money. She immediately contacted the director of diversity and multicultural learning at Burroughs, Dan Harris, about marketing the T-shirt.
“I really wasn’t surprised when Shoshana reached out to me,” said Harris. “She is just one of those students who finds a purpose, and takes action.”
Shoshana has now been selling the T-shirt to members of her congregation and school community for two months. So far, she has made a profit of about $150. All proceeds are donated to either United Way causes supporting the people of Ferguson, or the Ferguson Small Business Relief Fund.
“Any time that you can really start a conversation that we know we need to be having as a community in the St. Louis region, it is worthwhile and impactful,” said Harris. And this is just what Shoshana is striving to do.
To contact Shoshana Williams about purchasing a shirt, email [email protected].
