Sewing for racial equality

INDYA Hayes has turned to embroidery to show her support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

As an Aboriginal, African American and Native American identifying woman, global racial injustice is a cause close to her heart.

Ms Hayes decorates and sells crewneck jumpers, T-shirts and bags with slogans synonymous with the movement.

“After watching the news about all the riots happening in America, I just got really upset and decided to go and buy some jumpers to embroider,” she said.

“The first few that I did said things like Black Lives Matter, and I Can’t Breathe, which were George Floyd’s last words.”

Once she received an overwhelmingly positive response, Ms Hayes thought to turn her designs into a small business.

After creating a dedicated Instagram page for her products, calling it the minority co, she was quickly inundated with orders.

“It blew up so, so fast and once I made the Instagram and Bridget Hustwaite shared it on her story, a heap of new people noticed me,” Ms Hayes said.

To keep up with demand she enlisted her little brother to help her wrap and pack orders and sought out some professional advice.

With assistance from local business coach Celia Gercovich, Ms Hayes said the business has its own website in the works.

“There’s 100 sweatshirts sitting there waiting to go for sale when my website goes up in a couple of weeks,” Ms Hayes said.

Although wearing one of her sweatshirts is one way to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Movement, Ms Hayes said education is the most important thing.

“What is important is to have our backs behind the scenes which means when you hear someone say something racist or prejudiced you should speak up about it.

“I think that’s a huge thing, people should pull up their friends when they are saying rude and racist things,” she said.