#AlwaysPin (the back story)

For my 50th birthday (Nov 2018) my bonus mom (Trudy) asked me how I wanted to celebrate.  The National Memorial for Peace and Justice (aka The Lynching Museum) had recently opened and I felt compelled to visit it in person.  To me, learning about and confronting the ugly parts of our past is and important part of our move forward.  Many of Trudy's family perished in the holocaust and she has been a long supporter of Southern Poverty Law Center - I knew out of all my friends she would be the perfect person to take the trip with.  It took some planning but a year later in Nov. 2019 we made our civil rights pilgrimage to the south - Birmingham, Montgomery, Selma, Atlanta. We went to 8 museums and saw many monuments.

We walked across the Edward Pettis Bridge and explored the Selma Interpretive Center.  Tucked in the back of that one small museum was a pin display that has been haunting me ever since:

So, fast forward several months and the murder of George Floyd (and many many other unnecessary losses of life) - it seemed like it was about time an ALWAYS pin should be produced.  An easy simple way to communicate the wearer's commitment to anti-racism.  I knew I wanted to use a USA pin company owned by a person of color.  I had 1,000 made by a black woman-owned company in Detroit, and my friend (and writer) Nigelle helped me finalize the text:

As of today, I have given away about 400.   What I LOVE about my ALWAYS pin is that when I put it on each day it is a reminder that I (a white woman of privilege) need to keep this topic and commitment front and center. 

PLEASE NOTE: I am not making any money off these pins.  If people are inspired to make a donation to EJI or any other like-minded organization that is appreciated.

PS We had timed the trip to hear Jimmy Carter preach Sunday School but due to his health that was canceled so we went to the Carter Library instead.