To say this year has been unlike any year before would be the understatement of the century. Not only has a global pandemic affected every aspect of our daily lives that we used to take for granted, but the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Rayshard Brooks (among way too many others) at the hands of police officers became the catalyst for the biggest racial justice and equality movement this country has seen in over 50 years. Across the country and around the world people have been marching in the streets to protest the brutal and unjust treatment of black people by the police, and the overarching racism that exists throughout society.

Lapstone & Hammer wholeheartedly supports this movement, and we believe it is our duty to use the platform we have to amplify the voices of the people who experience these racist policies and attitudes first hand. Across our shop, website and social media channels we have formed a large and diverse community from all over the world, encompassing many different races, ethnicities, religions and socio-economic backgrounds. We think that in order to truly be able to love, respect and live with one another, it is incredibly important to listen to and understand the personal experiences of people whose cultures are different from our own.

In the coming weeks leading up to the election we will be hosting a new series called Lapstone Presents: Voices of the Unheard. It will feature guest blog posts that have been curated by our Community Development Coordinator, Mercedes Watson, from a diverse collection of black educators, scholars and artists covering topics that they believe need attention, understanding and action. Ranging from direct calls to action like a guide to activism, to emotional and analytical examinations of racist police polices, to powerful pleas for the respect and protection of black women, this series will aim to illuminate issues and experiences within the black community that have been manipulated and marginalized by the mainstream media for far too long.

Lapstone Presents: Voices of the Unheard kicks off Wednesday with Racial Equity Consultant, Bernadette Onyenaka's beautiful piece, "Dear Black Women". New posts will follow every few days leading up to Election Day on November 3rd, we hope you will take time to join us and hear these impactful stories.