Masks That Do More: All Mask Profits Now Going to Inspiring Organizations!

We feel that the time is right to put our masks to greater use, which is why for the next year period, we plan to continue selling masks under a new charitable endeavor that we’re calling Masks That Do More

Under Masks That Do More, masks will no longer be sold at cost. Instead, we have added $5 to the price of each cloth face mask. This $5 will be donated to an organization we believe to be doing meaningful work that helps move us all toward an intersectional sustainability. At this time, we’re planning to choose one organization per quarter, to whom all profits from mask sales will be given. We are focusing on Black-led, owned, and/or operated organizations. 

Up First: the Black Teacher Project!

We are so happy to introduce the first organization to benefit from mask proceeds. Meet the Black Teacher Project! An offshoot of the National Equity Project, the Black Teacher Project believes that “Every child deserves a black teacher.” In their own words: “The Black Teacher Project’s mission is to sustain and develop Black teachers to lead and reimagine schools as communities of liberated learning. Our vision is that every student will benefit from the diversity, excellence, and leadership of an empowered Black teaching force.”

Why We’re Doing This

We were touched by the outpouring of support we received when we started making masks. Later on, we were deeply moved by all of the organizing, activism, and protests around racial justice. We were inspired to reflect critically. Some thoughts so far have been:

  • Is Z Wraps’ sustainability truly inclusive? 
  • How can our conception of sustainability be shaped to be really for everyone? 
  • What does intersectional sustainability look like? 
  • Where can we step up and do more, not just for environmental efforts but those promoting justice and equity for all--especially folx who are marginalized in our society? 
  • Zooming out, what all falls under the big umbrella of sustainability?

We are still exploring many of these questions. But for now, this is where you, COVID-19, and our cloth masks come in. We know that providing material support to help organizations carry out their mission is one of the most direct and tangible ways to really help. Now that the initial rush for masks has subsided and more people across the community are making them, we wanted to dedicate our mask profits to other mission-driven folx.

Z Wraps cares deeply about education. Our founder, Michelle Zimora, was a teacher herself, specializing in outdoor education, before she started Z Wraps. Everyone should have an opportunity to learn about why sustainability matters, for the environment and beyond, including children. We hope that you will join us in our enthusiastic support of the Black Teacher Project as they work to make a well-prepared, excellent Black teaching force a more welcoming and more sustainable place!

About Intersectionality

And what is this intersectionality word we keep using? We want to give all credit due to the person who coined this term. “Intersectionality” is a term created by Black feminist scholar Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw in 1989 as a framework for understanding how aspects of a person's social and political identities (e.g., gender, race, class, sexuality, ability, physical appearance, height, etc.) might combine--or intersect--to create unique experiences of discrimination and/or privilege. In the simplest sense, Intersectionality identifies advantages and disadvantages that are felt by people due to a combination of factors unique to them. This means that sustainability efforts and initiatives must account for all of the complicated and interconnected obstacles and avenues to access. This concept is a big part of our mission-related thinking right now, and we’re excited to continue exploring it.

Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published