Despite repeating the phrase, “I can’t breathe” eleven times on July 17, 2014, 43-year-old Eric Garner died from a chokehold in the hands of the very people we look to for protection — the police. As a child, I was always taught to never run from and always respect the police, but with countless lives being lost at the hands of the police I wonder if the respect is mutual. This sewing opportunity allowed me to express my creativity in a way that encompassed current social issues and I enjoyed it much more than expected.

Created at the Social Justice Sewing Academy, Berkeley, CA