Sweatshops, Social Injustices, and Systemic Impacts of Fast Fashion

Episode 1 – Jasmine Sanders

Jasmine Sanders joins Eric to discuss how twists of fate and faith led her to become a Climate Scientist and Marine Biologist who fights daily for an equitable future through climate action; and, of course, how designers can help best join her in this important journey.

Listen to this episode on: Spotify, Apple, Google and other places you get your podcasts

About our guest

Jasmine Sanders is a climate scientist, strategist, advocate, and native of Monroe, Louisiana. She is the Executive Director of Our Climate, a climate change advocacy organization energized by its youth grassroots movement. Striving to raise awareness of the intersecting effects of climate change and the communities of color who are disproportionately affected, she utilizes the positivity that results from uplifting our youth to make a global impact. Previously, she managed the strategic initiatives and special projects for HIAS, wrote legislative briefs for the U.S. House of Representatives Science, Space and Technology Committee, and worked for Terpstra Associates, a DC lobbying firm where she advocated on Capitol Hill for agricultural and environmental issues. She earned a graduate degree from the University of Essex with an MSc in Tropical Marine Biology. Specializing in climate change, her graduate thesis detailed the Shifts in the Genetic Composition of three DMS-consuming cnidarians. Ms. Sanders is a graduate from the University of South Alabama with a BS in Biology and a minor in Spanish. She currently resides in Washington, DC.

On the web

Personal Instagram: @jazzyclimate
OC Instagram: @ourclimateleaders
Personal Twitter: @jazzyclimate
OC Twitter: @ourclimateus
Linktree: jasminecharice

Music in this episode

The musical guest is Octavia Romano performing "Silver Linings" from her new album Aperta.

Theme music by Casual Motive

 

Climate Design Assignments

At the end of each episode, we ask our guests what their ideal climate design project would be. They have four weeks with a class full of design students. We translated their response into a project brief that you can use for your class.

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Episode Transcript

Eric: [00:01:02] welcome to Climify I'm Eric Benson, and I'll be your host this season. As we talk to climate experts from all over the world. To help us design educators fight the climate crisis in our classrooms. And yes, I'm also a design educator. I've been teaching for 15 years here at the university of Illinois. 

But even if you're not a design educator, listening to this show, there’s so much useful information jam packed in each. That you too can learn how to do your part to help reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. 

In this first episode, I'm excited to talk with Jasmine Sanders. I found Jasmine on LinkedIn and was really impressed with her achievements and how much she posts about climate action and climate science. I was also further impressed by how well she uses design to communicate all the information she knows about climate science. 

So, I took a chance and reached out to her and asked her to be on the program. And thankfully she agreed. 

So, here's a little bit about Jasmine. She's a climate scientist. Strategist. Advocate. And native and Monroe, Louisiana. She's the executive director of our climate. It's a climate change advocacy organization energized by as youth grassroots movement. Previously. She managed the strategic initiatives and special projects for HIAS wrote legislative briefs for the us house of representatives. 

And was a lobbyist on Capitol hill for agricultural and environmental issues. She earned her graduate degree from the university of Essex, with a Master of Science in tropical Marine biology. Ms. Sanders is also a graduate from the university of south Alabama with a BS in biology and minor in Spanish. 

She currently resides in Washington, DC. 

If you want to know more about Jasmine, you can follow her on Instagram at JasmineShariece1031.  Or on Twitter at JasmineShariece5.  Now let's dive in.

Jasmine, it's really nice to meet you. And we are honored that you're here in our premier episode of our season of Climify. We're excited. You're here and I wanted to dive right in and get to know a little bit about you.

We know you are a climate science. But can you tell us a little bit more about where you are in the world and what you're doing and what you're excited about doing right now? 

Jasmine: [00:03:33] My name is Jasmine Sanders. I'm currently the executive director of Our Climate I reside in Washington, DC and I work on climate justice workday in, day out, professionally and personally, because when I leave the office, it still is impacting. 

Eric: [00:03:50] Yeah. And that's actually something that I was reading about in your bio when it came to your personal life, you talk about your Southern roots.

So, I'm interested in knowing about how all of this has impacted you your whole life. Cause you mentioned you grew up in Louisiana in your bio and you witnessed climate change there. Can you talk a little bit more about your past and how that led to where you are now?

Jasmine: [00:04:12] So for me let's see, where do we start? Let's ground this a little bit.   I was growing up in Monroe, Louisiana, which is approximately four hours northeast of New Orleans.  Yes, there are other cities in Louisiana.  Most people think that it's just New Orleans.  So as I was growing up for me, it was the smell of the Bayou that was grounding. I absolutely loved it. I think many people can relate having this calming feeling associated with different bodies of water. For me, it was the Bayou specifically the Bayou that was running through one row.

And my house didn't sit on there by you, but many of my friends did and. I was used to barbecues and family gatherings and going to sit across the levy to look at the bayou. Because my boyfriend just broke up with me, I want to think about life. It would be where we would have high school parties.

But when 2005 hit which, I was heavily deep into club soccer and being recruited for college. Everything changed. We heard on the news that this huge hurricane was coming, and it kept getting bigger and bigger. At first everyone was like, oh, another hurricane. And when we knew that it was category five it was just the sense of urgency.

With everyone and I can remember, even right now in this moment of how my uncle was trapped on the highway for over 24 hours trying to get to our house. He was from Southern Louisiana. This was due to everyone last minute, trying to get out because we have been used to hurricanes. We weren't used to this type though.

We weren't used to a madhouse people trying to get out. And they're not being properly evacuation groups. The world was not used to seeing people rush inside of the Superdome for a shelter because they did not want to transportation over 70% of the population within your New Orleans does not own a vehicle.

This wasn't accommodated for I was witnessing where people, it's weeks later, it's a couple months later. Yeah. They have temporarily gained shelter with family and friends elsewhere, whether it was in state or out of state. But a lot of these people weren't coming back. They migrated, they moved to the Northeast, to the Midwest, to Houston, Texas.

This is where I'm seeing climate migration, but I didn't really actually know that's what it was called. I just knew people were moving away. People lost everything. It wasn't just that you lost your house or that you lost all of your favorite clothes or your Barbie doll. You lost your grandmother's necklace that have been passed down generation to generation lost all of those family photos that can't be recovered.

It was going to cost you more to try and recover the house rather than you buy another house. Your kids could no longer have their same friends or go to that same school. Everything was done. It was months later; you still saw FEMA trailers sitting around. You still saw people living inside of them.

The money that was invested back into New Orleans and surrounding areas. Where do you think it went? Do you think it went into all of the different wards and the neighborhoods, or do you think it went into bourbon street, canal street, where all the tourists are? And so, when that happens, something awakened in my soul.

But it was awakened. It didn't come out yet though. I went on to study biology at the nursing south, Alabama on a D one college soccer scholarship. And I was plugging away. I was going to be an MD doctor and always said, I had always said that I was going to be an OB GYN near NATO surgeon.

And I was doing great in school and on the field with soccer. My junior year things turned for me. God threw me a little pivot. Let me just throw you a plot twist to your life. And I had a major stroke in her surgery and nine months later after rehab intense rehab, I was able to walk around again and was released to be able to play my last season of college soccer.

This was pretty money, mental being that they were calling you a miracle. The client had gone to migraine. And there's that tissue in my thalamus, which is really the part of your brain, where everything runs in and out. So, my brain has figured out new pathways for things simultaneously as I was rehabbing and just trying to figure out life again.

I knew that I did not want to be in the medical field. I was being picked and prodded and tested. And I knew it wasn't for me, but I knew I still wanted to be in biology. That was the love of my life. Even though I had grown up in a household where sciences mass were extremely important in your grades, better be A's.

And maybe a few weeks. I loved biology. I love the outdoors. After I finished my senior year of soccer, I studied abroad and beliefs for a second. And I was able to see the rain forest, the jungle and then we were in the sea. So, we were on south water key, which is very tiny island in the Caribbean Sea.

And one morning I was very early. The sun was not up yet. I free-dove on a coral reef and as I was coming up, the sun was rising right behind me. And I had another moment of God speaking to me and saying, this is what you need to do. And I'm like, okay, inanimate figure. I've never actually heard a voice I believed in you.

But I didn't really know. And it's clear. So, I said, okay this is apparently what I'm supposed to be doing. And I went back to south Alabama told my advisor RA when I finished, I want to go to grad school and I want to study Marine biology and she's okay, cool. Now here's some schools.

I definitely think you should apply. Great Marine biology here in the U S and I was like, I don't want to be in the United States. We. Looked into various schools. I actually did an application system shout out to across the pond. They work with us students getting them in the schools in the UK.

And I decided to go to the university of Essex for a few reasons, one, they had some top Marine biologists who had various specialties too. They had an onsite. In three, which was really like the most important thing was that I was going to be able to study abroad while studying abroad. So doing research in Indonesia who could pass that opportunity.

Yeah. It's included in your grad research program to be able to go study in one of the world's biodiversity hotspots. I was like, yep. That's where I'm going. So, sign me up. So, I left. Moved to England said peace out to the family who didn't really believe in. I got on the plane that I was actually gonna go.

And then when I let's see, 

Eric: [00:11:17] …is that your first time traveling abroad too? Is that no. 

Jasmine: [00:11:23] No, my family, I don't know why. Cause I was all, I was the kid when I was younger. They would drop me off at one camp, come pick me up, like overnight camp and the week passes, they come and pick up, you do your little I dunno, play or something on stage and packing your bags.

And I'm like, okay. When am I going to the next camp? I had always been that kid who always wanted to be off loved my family, but like I wanted to see the world I wanted to. Yeah. So no, why they didn't believe, I don't know. And they should have believed, I think they were more so in denial than anything.

And probably also, because technically let's see. My stroke was in 20, 2010. And I left for England in 2013. So, they were still, I think, gravitating and letting go of like she's good. Even though I had shown them, I was going. I think they were as parents, all parents. 

I don't know why.

I understand too, but I, so anyway, I was over in England, I was living it up and when I say living it up, going to class two, three days out of the week writing reports, but I can hop on a train and go to a new country or city within the UK and be working on that. That's the beauty of grad school.

It's very hard work. This was a one-year straight-through program, which is also the beauty of going abroad for school and it's cheaper. But I. Was really looking forward to being able to go to Indonesia. This is where for me, I found my gift. Namely that was my voice. I knew that I could always sit with various people and have conversations and was quite comfortable.

I was the kid who was four and five and would go sit at the adults table and have like very strategic conversations with them and use big words. And then I would run outside and play with my friends. But in Indonesia, my world opened up. I was again, seeing a community of color be disproportionately impacted by climate change.

Context was different. There were a lot of various socio-cultural context there. There was mistrust of government yet working with them. There was the blowing up of the choral minds because if you built your house upon the coral reef, it was showcasing that you were wealthy. There was a lot of play on play going here.

And the let's see, like 80- to 90-year-olds were able to tell them. There's no more fish in the sea. When I was growing up, there were plenty of fish. It was breakfast, lunch dinner, while I was there, we ate tuna three times a day. Every way that you could think that you could eat tuna, that is the only type of fish we had.

And this is in one of the world's biodiversity hotspots. We had younger kids. I worked specifically with a group of young girls who ranged from seven to 12 years old, and several of them were telling me how Jasmine, I want to leave the island and go to the big island or a way to study conservation and then come back to my village and implement best practices.

And this was great. I knew from talking and looking into it. Everything that was going on there on the sea, but everything that's going on in the sea affects us on land that I needed to use my voice. That was my gift. That's what I had always had, but I just didn't really know that I could use it for good.

And so, I knew I needed to, after finishing my thesis, which was in July. And I studied the shifts in the genetic composition of three DMS consuming Nigerians. I know people listening are like, what in the world is that? 

Eric: [00:15:07] What is that?

Jasmine: [00:15:12] Yeah. Yeah. So, think of the smell of the sea, close your eyes, and you think of the smell of the seat, that's DMS dimethyl, sulfide. And so, you have nine Darien's. These are different corals, different sponges. That are consuming a lot of DMS which is something that will occur with climate change.

And I wanted to see from a microscopic level, how were these organisms DNA going to change or be impacted by an intense heat impact? And one of the organisms it died. Another one. Yeah. The DNA completely changed another one. The DNA changed and a week later, the DNA reverted back to its original DNA.

So, what did this tell me? This told me species are going to survive. Others are going to adapt and change, and others are just going to be completely resisted. Okay. And this is the big question we have in regard to climate change of how are human beings and other animals going to react to this as it increases.

And it intensifies the earth has survived five mass extinctions. I that, that's why like when I hear the sane, save the earth, save the planet. The earth is. Yelling and screaming at us right now to get our acts together. That's why the earth is acting like this. The earth is going to be good.

It's shown us historically that it is going to be good. Now whether we're going to be good, that's what we need to worry about. We'll be, we'll 

Eric: [00:16:51] be wanted either changes our DNA. Resilient or dies. Basically. 

Jasmine: [00:16:57] And hopefully if we were to figure out that, like it was the ladder, then, maybe we figured out a new planet or moon to live on by that time.

I think it's going to be different for a lot of us because if you think of our DNA makeup as human beings, all of our DNAs are different. Like it is. So, what are going to be the various factors or things that help us or don't make us as adaptable, for example, the melanin in our skin.

Is that going to be helpful? Or is it not going to that's, that's something I think of I'm not sure, and. This is what, it's not a struggle in that. We're not, we don't have great scientists out here who are studying this day in day out. It's a struggle because everyday climate change is escalating.

It's increasing its intensifying hurricanes. Last year, they were the most intense that they had ever been before. And we had the most as in the amount of hurricane. So, with this rapid intensity and then now you're having an unsurvivable storm surges. So, I wrote this article in USA today about how it was 15 years later from hurricane Katrina.

And yet now we're experiencing hurricane Laura and where I'm from in Monroe, Louisiana, four hours north of New Orleans. We were the second highest area of losing power for over a week from the unsurvivable storm surges of hurricane Laura. Wow. What does that mean in a pandemic that you lose power for a week?

That means that you lost everything in your fridge. And I know I was not the only household buying for my family, a lot of frozen chicken and frozen shrimp. If you eat that, but I, we stopped up at the grocery store because it was the pain. So, think of you're losing all of that, that, and people lost jobs.

People have been laid off. So, these are all the different complexes to climate change. Climate change is not just, it affects the weather. It affects the environment. It affects us financially health-wise migration, socio culturally, racially food insecurity. And so those are the different areas that we have to think about connected it's connected.

And this is why we are so gung-ho about talking about intersectionality. And I guess to backtrack of how I got to D C when I finished my thesis in a lab, you can hear the enthusiasm in my voice with that. 

Eric: [00:19:35] You don’t sound too enthusiastic about the lab. 

Jasmine: [00:19:38] Yeah. I don't know, lab work. It's cool. Like cool and lab, but it's not cool in that if things aren't working, how they're supposed to, you can't throw a glass or.

Being loud and go up. Everyone's quiet and we're. Yeah. And I was like, that is not for me. So, I came back, and I knew that if I was going to use my voice and be in policy and advocacy, I needed to be at the hub and that's Washington DC. So, for the past, almost 10 years, I've been here working.

On climate change, I dove some into the international refugee work for about three years prior to this role. And I really was wanting to work on climate migration. Again, it was all circling back to me, however, I was getting some pushback. And this has become. You will see, and you will hear there's starting to be movement this year.

But in past years you would hear from refugee and immigration organizations and then from environmental organizations on this side that, oh, no, that's your issue? Oh, no, that's your issue. And so again, people weren't seeing the intersectionality of climate migration And I think that now, because one, we have climate champions in the white house, the house, the Senate on the local level climate change is a social justice issue that adult allies and young people are being so vocal about right now that you can't ignore the intersectionality of climate change.

Eric: [00:21:24] Or the changing climate for some of my more conservative listeners. This is raising matters to them, huh? 

Jasmine: [00:21:26] Exactly. Exactly. You need to know your audience and the language that you use. But this is an issue that we can't ignore. And I think I said at the beginning, I think I did.

Maybe this was in a meeting earlier today, day runs together. But like working on a social justice issue, don't leave it when you go home. Like when I leave the office, climate change is still impacting me. It's still going on. And so, for me, it's really like a balance of like, how do I show up as an advocate and work?

And then how do I show up as an advocate personally, and with my family. And trying to like to navigate and figure that out. 

Eric: [00:22:07] Jasmine, let's take a quick break and we'll be back right after these messages.

COMMERCIAL 

Eric: [00:23:27] So I'm gonna throw you a compliment. You're a great storyteller, and I've been completely enthralled with your history, and you've been through so much to get to where you are today and you're still fighting.

For sure. Most people, when I asked them, did you have an epiphany at some point? Like, how did you get involved? They always say. Yeah. And it's usually like one thing, but you've had, okay, let's go back. So, you had Hurricane Katrina, you had the, by you, before that you had your stroke in, in college, which woke you up and put you to sleep and woke you back up really.

And then on top of that you realize you want to be a doctor and there's biology. You decided to go and see the world and the world gave you. Oh no, I forgot about the swimming in the coming up, right? Yeah. I forgot about that one. That was beautiful. One to visualize it was, I was in believes.

I'm trying to think back and then you have the rest of the world in your travels. Just awaken you to more of the problem, how everything is interconnected and Some of the things that you just said as well for designers, know your audience. Like we need to know our audience. We need to tell great stories.

We need to connect climate to the audience. Since I'm wondering, as everything is connected, do you think there is the most, there is a most important the thing that either everyday person needs to think about or a designer needs to think about a, to fight climate change. 

Jasmine: [00:24:59] Yeah. That's a somewhat loaded question.

So, we'll break it apart. In regard to the everyday person, what I like to think about is that we've got to raise awareness to the intersectionality of things. We have to show people why you need to care. I can say as a black woman and me thinking about it will be really real right now in the podcast of how, when my partner walks outside of the door every day.

My heart sinks that as a black woman Me as a black woman driving around and a police car comes behind me, not even necessarily, their sirens are on my heart drops. That is the issues that go, that are going on here in the United States. Put climate change on top of that climate change only exacerbates the existing stressors and inequities that have been in place in this country and around the world for hundreds of years.

So, when I think about how we can be involved as individuals, every great and major social justice movement happened on the local level. That's where our focus has to be. That's where change happens. We can advocate and I'm a huge advocate. Obviously, I work with people on the hill, and I want federal policy to pass.

Hopeful. And I'm glad that there's movement there now, but where real change to happen. And there's not as many barriers is the local level. So, get involved with a local environmental justice organization speak with your elected officials on the local level. What I mean by that go to the city council meeting, you get on the agenda.

They make that that information available for you. They tell you what the agenda is. They give you the process of, oh, I want that on next week's agenda. And you get time to speak and to bring it up to them. They have to be available, whether you elected them or not, they represent you. And that's the most important thing.

I think people get this block in their head of oh, I didn't vote for them. That doesn't matter. They represent you. Implement sustainable practices in your home and in your workplace. So, for example, in your home, we all talk about recycling, but it's also doing compost. If you have a community garden that already exists, then be part of that.

Not only is that making sure that there's local food sources that are being in the, that are already in the community, but then it's also that you are. Forming those bonds with your neighbors in your community go to the local farmer's market, buy their food. It tastes awesome. I don't know why anyone would skip the farmer's market because it's fresh food.

It's grown. You're directly investing back into your own community. Those are jobs that most people are in some ways are connected to you. Conserve your electricity and water. Don't take a 30-minute shower, come on now. It doesn't take that long to wash your body in your hair. Okay. It really does conserve electricity.

I'm sure some people have seen where. You'll go on a trip in an Airbnb I've seen in some where they will ask you to turn off the lights. Every time you leave and unplug that cord. These are small ways that you can conserve electricity. It's not just good for the environment, but it also saves you money on your bill.

That's a helpful tip. 

Eric: [00:28:20] The other green that's what I like to call 

Jasmine: [00:28:22] it. Yes. And then there's the whole thing of. Eating plant-based meals going vegan going vegetarian. Back in the day, I'm not hating on anyone who has been a vegan, vegetarian plant-based, et cetera. But back in the day that did not really sound attractive.

But now, Did, we forget? We have seasonings. We have where we can make stuff be flavorful. You can eat something that's plant-based and you don't even realize it. Make plant-based spaghetti and you have no idea. It's great. This is how you can make an individual in a familial and a community impact.

And then the last thing I would say is by bringing the conversation to the dinner table and this is like having a conversation like we're having right now. The other day I did with my family extended family, they wanted me to do a climate change 1 0 1 presentation. So, the family and it was during our, we have Friday night family zoom dinners, and that's what I did.

And again, you have to keep it to a certain level because everyone is coming in at various levels, but look up the local news, that morning Hey everyone brings one article to the dinner on Friday or at happy hour. I've had my friends, it wasn't on climate change, but one person would be responsible for picking out an article.

We'd all read it. And then a happy hour. The first 20 to 30 minutes would be talking about that news article. This is how you're intentional about continuous learning and being involved. And then on the design aspect of it, 

Eric: [00:29:48] right. The big question. 

Jasmine: [00:29:50] Okay. So, when I think of design, I think of accessibility.

I think of accountability, and I think of how we need to be mindful not just. Not just for the consumer, but for our community and mother earth and making a statement. I think that's one of the most important things that people. Yeah, people in design can do is making a statement hold true to your values.

If people know, for example, that you're not going to work with a vendor because they don't have sustainable practices, that's making a statement. If you are making sure that you are only going to use materials that are good for the earth, and I don't have my list in front of me, but they're literally.

I made a post about this a few weeks ago. And there are literally like good materials to work with. Okay. Materials and then like bad materials get rid of those. And I think it's also, when I talk about the accessibility, you have designers. If we talk specifically about sustainable fashion designers, you have some who.

Okay. They're making sustainable fashion. They're using the right fabrics, but then they want you to pay like $250 for a blouse. How are we, like, how accessible is that? Yeah. And so, we have to make sure that when we're talking about whether it's the passion industry, the architectural design industry, whether it's the car industry, And these sustainable practices.

We have to make things where they're accessible, have different versions of them have where it's the Prius costs. The Tesla costs the brand-new Mercedes BMW cost, but it's all accessible. It's all sustainable materials. You're bringing in the right people. Don't go to the same people that you've been going to who are just now trying to implement things.

There've been people who have implemented these practices and. Had these different materials for years, but no one has used them. Now. Everyone is like woke and they want to be part of the process and stuff. And it's there has to be authenticity in things. So, making a statement acknowledge for those who have been existing designers, acknowledge what you have or have not done in the past.

That is a key thing to how we heal. As a people how we heal as a country and how we continue to combat the climate crisis, you have to be accountable to yourself. And then it is really showing people that you're making an effort and you're being intentional about who you're involving in the product who was helping you complete the product.

And. Even when you talk about sustainable fashion design. If we go into the fashion industry and all these various this might be taboo. So, the various sweatshops that exist the same people who are working in the sweat shops are the same people who are disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis.

And not only are they disproportionately impacted, but they're also the ones who are the most vulnerable in general, they're not being paid, but 2 cents, so all of these designs that you're making that are sustainable and stuff, they can't even afford it. They can't even afford it. The people who are making them that doesn't make sense, that doesn't correlate.

So, we have to do better in that regard. 

Eric: [00:33:32] I agree. I think with designers, we're very aware of accessibility but mainly when you're online, when you're working with digital devices, the interfaces that we make, we're aware of accessibility from that perspective. But I think you're right. I don't think design has been, I definitely know design has not been.

Great on accessibility from the climate front, from worker safety front, from, all of these different things that you've mentioned. And so, I wonder too, like I think as an educator I can't afford a Tesla. I'd love. I know you mentioned Tesla. I'd love to get one. In fact, I put money down on it and then I realized I just can't, I can't do it even.

I couldn't do it. And I'm definitely passionate. Doing better in my life. So, from the design perspective, I think you've given us a lot of, do you see things to think about, but what about as just an educator? What should you do in the classroom? I love authenticity and I think that's something that I try to bring to the table when I'm talking about climate, what can we do for.

For the next generation. Cause I, I think it's partly our responsibility to help them. What would you tell us? Yeah, from your perspective, 

Jasmine: [00:34:48] that's a great question. I think for me, one of the most profound things I felt from professors was when they came to the table, very authentic.

And when they also brought other people to the table, so real-life examples. And you can frame them as guest speakers, but these could be people who are your friends. These are people who it could be someone who works in the sweater. Who can tell you literally give you the breakdown of what goes on in a sweatshop?

And then you can have people who are very up and coming and have worked in some of these fashion houses and be able to tell you what have been those sustainable practices that they've put into place or not. Is this something that's actually talked about in companies right now? A few of them we know it is others.

It's just because it's a hot topic it's being talked about. It's not because they're actually going to do something. I think it's also setting the stage for the. I don't want to just narrow it down to young people because anyone can go to school at any age, but these people who are in design school and you're educating them, lay out the facts of where we are and where we've been, don't hide that.

That has been a problem in education across the board where we have not acknowledged the history of America. It's cut out of textbooks. So, acknowledge that within. Within design, what have been some of the pros we've done, who are some of those powerhouses who are actually doing something about it?

Where were some of the mistakes lay those out because you want to set them up for success. That's what you're doing. As an educator, you're providing them with tools. You're giving them the facts so that they can make their decisions. Cause they have everything you've given them all of that. So now they can make their decisions to go into the world and you can feel like a proud daddy or a proud mama.

And yeah, I gave them those tools. That's how you want to feel as an educator. Like I could name my like two or three favorite teachers and it's because I still feel like I have the tools and takeaways that they can, and I think it's also about connection and forming a network or a hub.

So, I'm not sure if within your school, how you continuously engage your alumni. But that's also something to think about of creating some sort of alumni engagement program that gives them direct access to Designers in the field to also students. So, there's that connection and people can share what practices have you implemented?

How are you doing things? What are the best vendors that you've been getting your product from? And. These are small things that you can put together. And then it just, I dunno, I feel like we create better human beings this way. 

Eric: [00:37:40] Yeah, I like that. So, I'm going to put you in our shoes for a moment.

You're a design educator. I'm giving you four weeks. You're taking over my class.  What kind of product, what kind of design project would you say? My students what would it be? How would you go about doing it to match all these, parameters that you've shared with us today?

Jasmine: [00:38:02] You're putting me on the spot 

Eric: [00:38:03] here. It's a tough one because this is what I'm always thinking. We're always thinking about what we do to have the most impact on our students. And it's it's tough because there's so many things, like you said, everything's connected. How do you, and usually we get students get bored after four, four-week projects.

So, this is like the timeline that we have. 

Jasmine: [00:38:24] Okay. So, it's going to be a few projects in the one. Cause I'm an overachiever. The theme is sweatshops, social injustices and systemic impacts of fast fashion. And first they would need to write a one-page A one page blog post and or press release.

And this has to be about a new product that they've created. There has to be a test version of the product that we can see. And like I was talking about earlier, there needs to be different levels. So, you need to show me how it's accessible from a financial point of view I need to see that you procured at least three different estimates of vendors and it needs to be diverse group of vendors.

And then I would also want to hear your pitch to different Shops boutiques stores or online platforms of where you would sell this product. Again, you would need to show me that you're able to change and adjust your language to be able to pitch this to them. I think that's it. Four weeks.

You got four weeks to do 

Eric: [00:39:43] that. Yeah. Change the fashion industry on top of it. 

Jasmine: [00:39:46] Exactly. Exactly. How many people are in a class like 20? 

Eric: [00:39:51] Yeah. About 2012 to 20 is usually about, about what we have. 

Jasmine: [00:39:55] That seat you're changing the world. Then you got 20 new products coming out. New vendors that you're working with got press releases.

Eric: [00:40:02] Yeah. I always like to think, with my students, most of them are gonna end up working in some sort of corporate environment, but cogs in the machine, and if I can, make sure. As a little misshapen cog, as much as I can to sort of gum up the works and make it better than I've done my job.

So, I really appreciate all your answers today and your stories. Really powerful life you've lived so far, and I hope you continue to do great things. I'm very impressed with everything that you're doing. And I'm really thankful that you were here today on our first episode. It feels we just started talking, but I spent almost 50 minutes.

Really appreciate you. And thanks for spending time. 

Jasmine: [00:40:48] Yeah. Thank you, guys, so much. And I look forward to continuously being engaged with you guys. 

Eric: [00:40:55] Yeah. We'd love to have you in our classes and that material list that you mentioned. That's something I would love to. 

Jasmine: [00:41:00] Yes. I can shoot that link over to you 

Eric: [00:41:03] and we'll share it with everyone.

Yes. Okay. All right. Thanks Jasmine. And it's been a nice conversation today, and like you said, I'd love to stay connected and see what we can do. 

Jasmine: [00:41:15] Awesome. Thank you. Let's change the world.

 Eric: [00:41:27] Thanks for tuning in today to Climify. But don't leave just yet. I've got more goodness for you coming up.  Music. 

 As the pandemic has really affected our friends in the performing arts where they're unable to book shows tour, or sometimes even get into a recording studio. I thought I'd highlight one at the end of each of our episodes. 

Since this is a podcast for designers. The musicians featured on each are also designers. Well, I'll turn it over to our first artist to explain who they are and the reasons behind their music.  

Octavia: [00:42:04] Hi, I'm Octavia Romano. I'm a designer originally from Cordova. I relocated to New York, but I lived for several years, and I'm currently based back home. I'm also a musician and composer and my most recent release is a porta, a record of all original songs that combined all my musical influences, including folk music from south America.

So jazz and classical music. I chose the song silver linings from Alperta because it's about hope and new beginning. And I felt it is relevant to the times we're living in. I hope you enjoyed; you can learn more about my music on my website Octaviaromano.com.