It’s been hard for me to think over the past weekend. Another black man was slain by the hands of law enforcement.

The way we are treated and the way we are silenced is mind-numbing. It makes me wonder how can we use fashion as a form of activism to create change within our communities.

In 2018, fashion activist and entrepreneur, Shayla Janel started the Slay for a Change movement.

“After the untimely and unjustly death of Sandra Bland I felt sadness and frustration, so I conceived the idea for Slay For A Change,” said Shayla Janel. “Then it was the horrendous murders of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile that gave birth to my vision. At the time, the whole world seemed to be in shock and in mourning. As a fashion lover, I was following most of the major fashion designers, publications, and influencers on social media and I noticed an eerie silence from the fashion community. I thought to myself, “wow…this is an industry that profits so much from the culture but can’t even acknowledge this tragedy. “In music, sports, television, and etc., people were seemingly taking a stand, she said. But the fashion industry seemed to care less. So, I took our police brutality issues to their front door—Fashion Week. It was a very passive aggressive way of being an activist.” (source: Black Enterprise)

Fashion and style are one of the best forms of art, activism, and self-expression—so, why did we stop?

We want to hear from you! Without NYFW this year (and maybe for the years to come), how can we make an aggressive statement about police brutality and the oppression of our people using our personal style? Tell us in the comments.