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The Swahili Coast Cooperative

Jul12

Meet Our Founders, Caroline and Tony!

Jul12

Ethical Summer Style Guide

Jul12

Empowered Women, Empower Women

Jul12

What Is A Worker-Owned Cooperative?

Jul12

What is Ethical Leather?

Jul12

Inclusive Business

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I took this photo a few years ago at Kunduchi Beac

I took this photo a few years ago at Kunduchi Beach, near the co-op. This ship had been beached for a few years, and was slowly being scrapped and dismantled. It's classic Dar es Salaam--a beautiful beach with an expensive hotel on the shore, overlooking hand-carved dhows and.....a shipwreck. ⁣
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That's the ongoing challenge of development, right? Countering natural beauty with industry. Finding a balance of protection and growth. ⁣
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#liveconsciously #consciousconsumer #poweroverpity #purchasewithpurpose #ilm #exploreilm #fashrev #handmade #wilmington #wrightsvillebeach #ethicalfashion #ethicallymade #ethicalstyle #ethicalclothing #sustainablefashion #sustainable #sustainablestyle #eastafrica #travel #slowfashion #development #shopsmall #shoplocal #beach #shipwreck #nomad #nomadlife⁣

Y'all, 2020 is over halfway over and it has been A

Y'all, 2020 is over halfway over and it has been A YEAR. Summer is finally here in a big way. We'll take our sunshine wherever we can get it. ☀️⁣
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#liveconsciously #consciousconsumer #poweroverpity #purchasewithpurpose #ilm #exploreilm #fashrev #handmade #wilmington #wrightsvillebeach #ethicalfashion #ethicallymade #ethicalstyle #ethicalclothing #sustainablefashion #sustainable #sustainablestyle #eastafrica #travel #slowfashion #shopsmall #shoplocal⁣ #nomadlife #plants #plantlover #flatlay #light #sunshine

Our US operations are based in Wilmington, NC, a s

Our US operations are based in Wilmington, NC, a small city on the coast. ⁣
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The protests in Wilmington organized by @thelowercaseleaders (like @africansaxon here) have not only had to reckon with the entrenched white supremacy we face as a nation, but with our very particular community trauma here in Wilmington. ⁣
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Wilmington is the home of the only successful coup d’état in US history, when in 1898, a group of white supremacists overthrew the legally elected, multi-racial government and installed their own unelected white officials--and murdered Black residents, torched Black businesses and the Black newspaper, and ran successful Black families out of town. ⁣
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The Massacre of 1898 was taught in schools as a "race riot" for decades, and the white perpetrators were lauded. The biggest park in Wilmington, Hugh MacRae Park, is named after one of the architects of the insurrection. Only in recent decades has the truth of this bloody history come to light. ⁣
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We support the protests here in Wilmington. We distributed hundreds of our masks like the one pictured to keep demonstrators safe. ⁣
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We are proud that we're part of a community that is NOT giving up. Racist officers have been fired. Statues have come down. ⁣
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And there is more work to be done, every day. ⁣
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#liveconsciously #consciousconsumer #poweroverpity #purchasewithpurpose #ilm #exploreilm #fashrev #handmade #wilmington #wrightsvillebeach #ethicalfashion #ethicallymade #ethicalstyle #sustainablefashion #sustainablestyle #slowfashion #socialdistancing #shopsmall #shoplocal #blacklivesmatter ⁣#blm #justiceforgeorgefloyd #wilmingtonnc
#thefutureisfemale #justiceforbreonnataylor #dismantlewhitesupremacy #endracism

It's still face mask city here at the workshop in

It's still face mask city here at the workshop in Tanzania and at our studio and stores in North Carolina! We're committed to keeping our staff, partners, and customers safe as we weather this storm together.⁣
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Face masks are mandatory in NC now, so we're still supplying folks with reusable cotton face masks and donating a mask in Tanzania for every one we sell in the States. ⁣
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Purchasing our face masks keeps our partners employed, keeps you safe, and keeps at-risk folks in Tanzania masked up! ⁣
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We've restocked the website with some beautiful new patterns, and packs of 5 masks are still just 5/$24 or $8 for a single mask, with free shipping! Keep yourself as cool and protected as possible this summer! ⁣
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#liveconsciously #consciousconsumer #poweroverpity #purchasewithpurpose #ilm #exploreilm #fashrev #handmade #wilmington #wrightsvillebeach #ethicalfashion #ethicallymade #ethicalstyle #ethicalclothing #sustainablefashion #sustainable #sustainablestyle #eastafrica #travel #slowfashion #socialdistancing #shopsmall #shoplocal #stopthespread #facemasks #facemask

Today we celebrate FREEDOM. ⁣ ⁣ Juneteenth mar

Today we celebrate FREEDOM. ⁣
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Juneteenth marks the end of slavery in America, and the very beginning of realizing our commitment, as a nation, to the ideal of liberty and justice for all. We still fall so short of that dream. ⁣
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Today, we recommit ourselves to the fight for liberty and justice FOR ALL.⁣
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Today, we celebrate the bravery, strength, ferocity, and ingenuity of our American brothers and sisters who are descendants of enslaved people. ⁣
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Today, we anticipate the birth of the America we all deserve. ⁣
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These are the labor pains. ⁣
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#liveconsciously #consciousconsumer #poweroverpity #purchasewithpurpose #ilm #exploreilm #fashrev #handmade #wilmington #wrightsvillebeach #ethicalfashion #ethicallymade #ethicalstyle #ethicalclothing #sustainablefashion #sustainable #sustainablestyle #eastafrica #travel #slowfashion #shopsmall #shoplocal #blacklivesmatter #blm #juneteenth #justiceforbreonnataylor #libertyandjusticeforall #justiceforgeorgefloyd #endracism

We're still not through the woods, folks. In lots

We're still not through the woods, folks. In lots of places, including our home state of NC, cases are increasing faster than ever. Keep wearing masks, and keep wearing them CORRECTLY. Here's a picture! ⁣
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Wearing a mask correctly means:⁣
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- It covers your nose and your chin. If it's pleated, pull it over your chin. Masks should cover the whole bottom half of your face.⁣
- If you have slippery hair and are using a mask with ties, try tying the top strap VERY high on your head (as pictured). It stays much better that way for most people, and it doesn't rub your ears. Most folks who have told me that they have trouble with tie masks haven't tried this pro tip!⁣
- If it's a reusable mask, wash them each day. If it's disposable, trash it after a day. We sell our masks at a big discount for a 5 pack for a reason! ⁣
- STOP TOUCHING IT. I keep seeing people who want masks that are "easy to take on and off." That defeats the purpose. It goes on, it stays on for awhile. If you have to touch it to take it off, touch the straps and not the main mask. ⁣
- It doesn't have to form an airtight seal over your nose/chin to help stop the spread. The main purpose of mask wearing is to stop larger droplets from your mouth and nose. Yes, some aerosols are going to get out/in. This isn't a 100% solution--but there is a LOT of evidence that it helps. Helping is good. And if some people can't wear masks for health reasons, then you are helping to keep them safe as well. ⁣
- DON'T STOP SOCIAL DISTANCING. KEEP WASHING YOUR HANDS.⁣
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If you need masks and can't afford them, give us a holler and we will do our best to help you out. We want people to be safe. ⁣
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#liveconsciously #consciousconsumer #poweroverpity #purchasewithpurpose #ilm #exploreilm #fashrev #handmade #wilmington #wrightsvillebeach #ethicalfashion #ethicallymade #ethicalstyle #ethicalclothing #sustainablefashion #sustainable #sustainablestyle #eastafrica #travel #slowfashion #socialdistancing #shopsmall #shoplocal #fairtrade #globalstyle #facemask #stopthespread #socialdistancing

⁣Some things are with fighting for. True change

⁣Some things are with fighting for. True change requires discomfort. ⁣
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I'm not going to lie, y'all -- the protests have really affected our business in downtown Wilmington. And honestly? We could care less. If a sacrifice we have to make is some decreased foot traffic and closing our doors early, we will happily make it. Our little discomforts are so minor in the face of the deep, systemic inequities faced by BIPOC in our nation. ⁣
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We've been down at City Hall most days in solidarity, and to pass out fabric masks to try to make sure folks are protected while protesting. We have been so inspired by the youth of our community, coming together so quickly to organize for real momentum and real change. ⁣
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It's time for us all to get uncomfortable and make some waves. If the passion and anger of this moment makes you uncomfortable, I encourage you to examine why. ⁣
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It's time to do the work. ⁣
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#liveconsciously #consciousconsumer #poweroverpity #purchasewithpurpose #ilm #exploreilm #fashrev #handmade #wilmington #wrightsvillebeach #ethicalfashion #ethicalstyle #sustainablefashion #sustainable #sustainablestyle #eastafrica #slowfashion #socialdistancing #shopsmall #shoplocal #fairtrade #globalstyle #facemask #stopthespread #socialdistancing #blacklivesmatter #blm #inspiration #talmud #knowjusticeknowpeace

Noticing a lot of new faces around here, so we wan

Noticing a lot of new faces around here, so we want to take a sec to explain what we are about.⁣
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We're a NC-based company that works in partnership with worker-owned co-operatives in East Africa. We used to live in Tanzania. Our main partner co-op in Tanzania (the one that makes all sandals/beadwork/handbags/belts/facemasks) we started a few years ago with funds from sandal sales. We've chosen to maintain no ownership stake in the co-op. It is entirely worker-owned and managed. ⁣
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We approach this knowing that we come with privilege and are on different footing from our partners in East Africa, which is why we chose to relinquish all control of the workshop we funded. This way, we can be transparent and negotiate, and if the co-op members decide they don't want to work with us anymore, that is their choice. It keeps us all honest and gives back power. ⁣
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Working in East Africa as Americans (especially as white Americans) requires humbling yourself, listening, and growing. We aren't perfect, but we are working to do better every day. ⁣
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We are always happy to have a dialogue with you. If you see a way you think we've missed the mark, tell us. We will listen. ⁣
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#liveconsciously #consciousconsumer #poweroverpity #purchasewithpurpose #ilm #exploreilm #fashrev #handmade #wilmington #wrightsvillebeach #ethicalfashion #ethicallymade #ethicalstyle #ethicalclothing #sustainablefashion #sustainable #sustainablestyle #eastafrica #travel #slowfashion #socialdistancing #shopsmall #shoplocal #fairtrade #globalstyle #fairtrade #fairtradefashion

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