Present Tense: Impact with Tamu McPherson

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In one of my earlier letters, I made mention of the concept of Whole Brand. The last decade-or-so of direct customer interaction - not just DTC brands but the breakdown of the walls between all brands and their customers by way of social media and direct marketing - is a relatively new era. Aside from advertising campaigns and mail order catalogues, there has not, prior to the 21st century, been much of a need for brands to communicate directly to their customers.

So in the 2010s, when brands began joining social media and pushing direct-to-consumer channels in earnest, an expectation began to grow that brands would have opinions and positions on current events, and now, in present day, those expectation levels reflect the same level of engagement you would see from an individual human being, breaking down the idea that businesses can exist as a protected entity that can operate in amnesty from participating in the real world. 

But in the runup to the 2016 elections and thereafter, we saw another type of behavior emerge: the social denouncement of brands that comment or take positions on current events, and surely if you have ever followed Vogue magazine or a brand like Doen, which  attract in equal parts progressive and conservative customers, you have seen plenty of comments that are some variation of:

“Why does everything always have to be political”

And truly, there are a fair number of people in the world who are privileged enough that they see their existence as non-political, and in a sea of climate, ethics, and social justice issues, demand that their personal as well as their digital spaces be cordoned off from having to interact with truths. This personality has proliferated online in recent years, so much so that many of the foreign bots designed to sow discord in communal spaces online (which are often owned by brands) are designed to mimic this same timber in their comments. 

The origin or motivation behind this group does not much interest me, it is easy to trace and we are obviously all aware of why and (mostly) where they exist. What their unremarkable behavior threatens is the confidence with which brands and creators make vocal and decisive actions in the path of equity, sustainability, and justice in an environment where it is being made clear to them that taking a position may lose them a money at the end of the day. And this tension casts a pale over their decisions in communication that affect the broader landscape of impact and action.

My friend and collaborator Tamu McPherson is a digital creative living in Milan, and over the last decade as an influencer she has partnered with both large luxury houses as well as smaller independent brands and communities on content, storytelling, and message.  To spend time with Tamu is to be enveloped in the warmest hug - she is loving, enthusiastic and extremely hard-working with unmatched levels of chic, and to accompany all of these things she is extremely invested in the success and championship of her community; specifically women creatives of color. 

Tamu is also very vocal about her political beliefs, her concerns, and her criticisms, something that could easily be perceived as too risky by some other creative or brand, but is a natural way of life for Tamu, and inextricable from her perspective on luxury fashion. Since this is such a challenging area for so many, I asked Tamu to answer a few questions about her philosophy around addressing social issues, and to speak about her new impact initiative, Shoe Up For Justice. 

The other reason I asked Tamu for this interview was with the hopes of sharing an inspiring story that could bridge the gap of impact work for anyone who is still hesitant to speak up or try to make change within their community - be that 10 people or half a million.

I want to thank Tamu for her time and collaboration, and also thank this whole audience for your emails and messages of support for Present Tense over the past few weeks. I am humbled and grateful for this community that is so clearly ready to work on these important issues together.

Here is Tamu. 

Anja: Tamu, I’ve known you for about a decade now, and you have always been an outspoken advocate for social justice on your platforms. In the winter of 2019, you organized a multi-media initiative to highlight digital creatives of color in Europe, highlighting that many European brands do not recognize the market power of non-white creators. I love that, having built your brand, you turned around behind you and propped the door open to make it possible for other women of color to come in.  It reminded me of that Ava DuVernay quote, “If your dream is only about you, it’s too small”.

Tamu: Once I recognized how I could use my voice and the influence that I acquired over my years working with brands, I organically began to create content and plan initiatives aimed at lifting up my fellow creatives of color. It was a natural process for me, as the importance of community empowerment was ingrained in my mind when I was a little girl. For as long as I can remember, my mother and aunt have engaged in small acts of village building. While “pulling themselves up by the bootstraps” in the United States after moving from Jamaica, they consistently shared opportunities and resources with fellow West Indian immigrants. This concept of assisting members of your tribe is one that informs my desire to help fellow BIPOC creators.

Anja: It was an amazing initiative. And then of course directly afterwards, a lot of (particularly white) people experienced a long-overdue awakening last summer, and many people who had not made an effort to include Black talent in their work were suddenly extremely aware of their own deficiencies and the need to course correct. Do you feel that the attitude toward non-white creators has permanently been affected in a positive way?

Tamu: I think that we are at a point where we will only now begin to be able to assess whether the attitude to non-white creators has been permanently affected in a positive way or not. Fellow non-white creators that I have spoken to have acknowledged that 2020 and the first 2 quarters of 2021 have been strong for them because of the racial reckoning of last Summer. However, while there are many brands that demonstrate continued commitment to their promises, there are many who have done little to back up their black squares. I am starting to get the sense that - in regards to the brands who aren’t unequivocally onboard based on the decisions and activities that have taken place this past year - there is a reluctance and certain level of apathy related to truly starting the work that garners a change in attitude. It will be interesting to see whether the priorities established this year change or return to previous conventions as we transition to our post COVID-19 vaccine lives and collective amnesia kicks in to dull the memories of last summer.

Anja: So that makes this an excellent time to ask you: where did the idea for Shoe Up For Justice come from?

Tamu: During this past decade, I have grown into my personal formula of advocacy. I don’t consider myself an activist because, for me, true activists work professionally day and night championing their causes. They are the ones organizing, they are the ones protesting on the streets and front lines, they are the ones getting arrested for their resistance. I realized while observing the work of organizations like BLM and the Me Too movement that the best thing I can do to support the various causes is to amplify their missions on my various platforms. Since I started publishing All the Pretty Birds in 2008, my community has regularly engaged with me about my love of shoes and the archive that I have collected over the past 20 years. Members of my audience often joked with me about selling them when I grew tired of the various styles. I held onto them because of my appreciation for their design and to use them for my styling projects. As time went on it became clear that I didn’t need all of them for work, so I decided to put them to work for a good cause. The idea for Shoe Up For Justice solidified during the historic 2018 midterm elections, which resulted in the election of 90+ women to Congress. Galvanized by the “good trouble” energy (as coined by the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis) these female lawmakers projected into American politics, I made the decision to organize this sale and donate the proceeds to a social justice organization. To gather advice about possible organizations that SUFJ could support, I met with my dear friend and mentor Rossie Turman III, who has worked as a legal advisor to national campaign organizations for the last two decades. During our conversation, he emphasized the urgency of preserving, upholding, and restoring the right to vote as a key measure in confronting the political turmoil unfolding in the US, and in addition, ensuring that American democracy functioned as envisioned (for all) by the founding fathers. Informed by his input, I visualized a luxury footwear social justice initiative that would raise funds for a voting rights organization while increasing awareness of the challenges posed to voting by policy and other legal hurdles.

Anja: And what impact are you hoping to make with this initiative?

Tamu: The vote of BIPOC communities is at risk, as Republican lawmakers pass legislation that restricts the franchise to what voting rights activist Stacey Abram has termed as “racist” and a “redux of Jim Crow in a suit and a tie”. I hope to ignite curiosity, momentum and enthusiasm towards voting in my All the Pretty Birds flock. Defending the right to vote ensures that our voices are represented in the decisions impacting our communities, the education of our children, access to medical care for the economically vulnerable, and access to sustainable employment and livable wages. Maintaining the integrity of the vote is crucial to dismantling the systemic racism and inequity that has historically defined the United States.

Anja: One of the things I really adore about your content Tamu is that you have created these lanes to be able to maximize all aspects of being your Whole Entity. You talk about current events in a very honest and relatable way, but then also your fashion content is always sharp as hell, and the two do not always intersect, but it’s 100% you. I think a lot of creators worry about wandering too far into either territory (particularly social and political territory), but you do them all to the max. Do you ever find these lanes at odds with each other? I guess I am trying to understand how you manage to do something so well that so many other creators seem to be afraid of.

Tamu: Fashion and political or social commentary are not mutually exclusive. You can be stylish and interested in addressing political or social issues. It feels 100% natural for me to express both aspects of my being because both worlds equally move me. If a new collection comes out, and I know members of my community will be inspired by the style, then I share it. Similarly, if there is an event in the news that moves me and is relevant to my community, I share it so that they can be informed and come to their own conclusions about what is unfolding. My platforms are service-oriented, the content I create serves to enhance the lives of members of my community. Helping everyone stay connected and informed is a way of enhancing their experience, because knowledge is invaluable. It feels very black and white for me, so I don’t suffer from apprehension when it comes to straddling both lanes. 

Anja: I also truly respect that when you stumble across something that is outside the realm of your relatively unique experience as a Jamaican-American Black woman residing in Italy, you are quick to pull in the expertise of others, and right now I’m thinking about your collaboration with Christina Tung from House Of, when you were pulling Asian American women in fashion in for round table discussions on your platforms to try to share their experiences with your followers, who may similarly find the outbreak of violence and discrimination towards the AAPI community outside of their own realm of understanding.

Tamu: This is directly related to my purpose as an amplifier. As the violence against the AAPI community escalated after the Covid-19 pandemic started and news outlets began covering the horrific acts of harassment and violence, I looked for a way to support the community. Representation is key when sharing the stories of other groups, so I started with two Instagram lives that featured conversations with Susie Bubble, Christina Tung, Sarah Chavez and Roki Prunali, our Business manager. My aim was to have them share their stories in their own respective voices to gather empathy from non-Asian communities. Afterwards, All the Pretty Birds Executive Editor Milan Ball and Christina Tung birthed the ‘We Are Not a Monolith’ series which spotlighted creatives and wellness professionals from across the Asian community. From these stories I personally learned how systemic racism specifically affects the AAPI community, and I hope that members in our All the Pretty Birds community have also gained a better understanding. To fully appreciate that white supremacy is an unequivocal common enemy, we must understand how it is used to oppress other communities. In this way we can unite to fight for universal equity.

Anja: For those who are looking to you for leadership in this space, what can you share about your balance of Impact and Culture within the fashion community?

Tamu: I would advise anyone who is interested in striking this balance to identify a purpose, or a principle that moves them to speak out. For me it is extremely problematic when a fellow human is being harmed or limited by society because of their race, gender, or sexual orientation. I find it impossible to not speak out or bring light to the situation. Life is a blessing and it feels natural to amplify the voices of those who cannot speak for themselves. It’s very clear to me and it is necessary. At the end of this life, what difference would you have made if you were silent on a subject that could have improved the circumstances of another human being?  Those are the questions that you must ask yourself when trying to find that balance.

You can follow Tamu on Instagram here

As well as All the Pretty Birds here

And also Shoe Up For Justice here.

Thank you for reading Present Tense, a newsletter about Sustainability, Culture and Impact - if you’re new here and not yet subscribed, you can do so here: