Riot On

imple reason that I never really had any reason to. I grew up in a mold that had me blind to any other way of living or thinking. In high school I was handed my very first Riot Grrrl mix tape that was jammed packed of tracks that carried so much emotions like angry, sadness, joy, pride and sass that the 16 year old me took in. It gave me a sense of wanting to be part of this movement or revolution somehow. But things changed and for many years I continued to live in that mold while Riot Grrrl stepped out, but she did not leave the building because, it wasn't until years later that another friend handed me one of many Riot Grrrl mix CDs and albums. Little did my friend know that she pretty much opened a portal into the world of feminism. Little did I know that my life was about to take a new route where I learn about my worth, my voice, my power, my pride, my dignity, my courage, my self love and respect . Listening to Riot Grrrl mixes did not change my life, but the messages that were being pushed through those speakers from the music created awareness. My nose got stuck in books - reading and researching on the topic of feminism and viewing matters from different points of views. I spoke to many people both for and against feminism. I love to hear peoples views or thoughts on feminism and to learn why they feel the way that they do. Once I started on this path, there was no turning back! I started to form my own opinions and beliefs and started to stand by them. After having a better understanding about feminism and engaging in this new found love, I started to become more aware and bothered by things that wouldn't have bothered me before I met feminism. Ever since I started working in "labor" types of jobs, I've personally experienced numerous times where I had to prove myself many times over and show the doubting world that I was able to do the job just as well as a man. I had to prove myself simply because I was a woman. It didn't matter if I had the right stuff - like knowledge of the job, experience or the ability to properly troubleshoot a problem and successfully fix it. I mean I thought those things were what mattered when doing a job... just being able to do the job. What is feminism? What is Riot Grrrl? To me these are important keys, influences, philosophies, identities and movements to name a few that represent me as a woman and the fight for equal rights for women. It also empowers me, instills self love and not to mention Riot Grrrl being one of my favorite music genres. Riot Grrrl has more meaning to my world than just its music its also a lifestyle and culture that focuses on spreading awareness and addressing issues that are oddly not taken seriously by most people like r**e, slt shamming, street harassment and domestic violence. The culture is also very heavy in to the DIY scene making things like patches, buttons, stickers, posters and my favorite - zines. Zines are made by anybody who wants to get something off of their chest, maybe share ideas, thoughts or cool DIY gift ideas. I owe so much to feminism for making me who I am and by helping me think the way I do today. I feel like every girl, woman or any body for that matter should feel as good as I do when I accept feminism in my heart. One of my favorite things to do is make t shirt designs. So I'm taking my love for feminism and my love for t shirt design making and combining the two to create my own Feminist / Riot Grrrl t shirt line called "Riot On" coming to you from Baltimore, MD. My goals and visions are to create awareness while supporting a sense of empowerment to feminist minded folk alike. My plan is to do this with the power of t shirts. And what is more fun than rad t shirts that carry empowering vibes and messages? I cant achieve this goal alone, so stay tuned as to how YOU can help me kick patriarchy right....... where it hurts.