Two Newtown residents, both currently studying in Boston, recently launched a new fundraiser. Funds raised through the sales of T-shirts with a new design announcing “The Future Is Just” will benefit an organization dedicated to equity and promoting healthy racial identity development in youth.

Ryan Patrick and Harry Eppers, 2018 Newtown High School graduates, co-own the graphic design and clothing business Ryan Patrick Design. They were compelled, they said, to act following the May death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man who died in Minneapolis, Minn., after a white police officer knelt on his neck for 8 minutes, 46 seconds. The compression led to Floyd suffocating and then dying.

The aftereffects of that incident continue. People around the world have since joined or revitalized a call for change when it comes to the way people of color are treated in this country.

“We not only recognized the understandable outrage by those who marched in the streets day and night, but we felt we had the power to contribute in our own way,” Patrick, 20, a junior at Northeastern University, said via e-mail. “I believe design is a powerful, and necessary, tool that can aid the actions of those seeking change or social impact.”

Patrick told The Newtown Bee in September that he and Eppers “joined in with millions across the nation and world in demonstrating our frustration with the treatment” of Black, Indigenous, and People Of Color, or BIPOC, “by police and others.”

The partners reached out in August to BIPOC Newtown, an Instagram account that invites Newtown residents to anonymously share stories of racism, hate, and discrimination they have experienced or witnessed against others.

“Seeing the posts by BIPOC Newtown was the catalyst for us to create concept designs and reach out to them,” Patrick said. “The stories we read on their account by BIPOC members of the community and allies were utterly shocking and simply sad. You never assume the issue is happening in the place you know and love until it is right in front of you. However, we interpreted this account as a necessity for change in the town we care so much about.”

It is the hope of the partners, he said, that the continued exposure of hate and racism will result in greater action against both issues.

By mid-August Patrick and Eppers had launched they fundraiser, offering a new T-shirt design reflecting on “the encounters experienced by members of community on this account,” they told The Newtown Bee via a shared statement.

The design on the shirt features a raised, closed fist on the left, with #BLM below the fist.

The main section of the design offers the words The Future Is Just in white, with Newtown Against Racism in smaller blue letters.

The statement “The Future is Just,” according to the partners, offers “a simple yet powerful outlook on the future of our nation and the treatment of people of color. We state this as a fact, knowing the necessity for accountability when dealing with racism. We believe this starts in education.

“The youth have shown tremendous passion and support for the Black Lives Matter movement and we see no end to their cries for justice,” they added.

Eppers, 21, and a junior at Boston College, pointed out that the BIPOC Instagram account “gained traction in town within a few days of it being created and our social media feeds were flooded with reposts and screenshots of the stories told on their account.”

As the number of those following the account grew, so did the number of conversations among local residents, he added.

“Having the ability to make it even more unified among those who live here is a special and exciting feeling,” Eppers stated. “We’ve always created designs that have benefited communities and contributed to social impact, so to us this came as a no-brainer.”

41 Books

Once the partners contacted Newtown BIPOC with the proposal to raise awareness and funds, the decision concerning the beneficiary of the project was also given to the holders of the Instagram account. Patrick and Eppers said they put that decision into the hands of the anonymous account holders, “trusting their judgment as to what organization would best benefit this cause.”

Newtown BIPOC selected The Conscious Kid, and specifically that group’s “41 Books” project to receive funds from the T-shirt sales.

The Conscious Kid, according to that group’s website, is “an education, research, and policy organization dedicated to equity and promoting healthy racial identity development in youth. We support organizations, families, and educators in taking action to disrupt racism in young children.”

The organization is following the suggestion of experts who recommend recognizing and naming race and racism with children as early as possible. To that end, The Conscious Kid sees children’s books, according to its website, as “one of the most effective and practical tools for initiating these critical conversations with children, and can also be used to model what it means to resist and disrupt oppression.”

The website has crafted a list of 41 Children’s Books to Support Conversations on Race, Racism and Resistance, and is working to get those books into every classroom across the country.

(Note: as of September 30, the list had expanded to 47 titles.)

After researching the different funds, website, and social media of The Conscious Kid, Patrick and Eppers said they agreed their values aligned with those of the suggested organization.

T-shirts were produced, and are selling for $20 each. All money raised through the sale of the Newtown Against Racism shirts will be donated to The Conscious Kid’s Anti-Racist Children’s Books Education Fund.

“Integrating children’s books which address race and racism as well as focus on taking action will empower the youth to participate in the ongoing movement for racial justice,” Patrick and Eppers stated.

A Love For Newtown

Ryan Patrick Design was launched following 12/14. The partners have been friends for years, and were very influenced after “seeing their town come together during a time of great tragedy and sorrow,” according to the company’s website.

“From our very first T-shirt release to this campaign, Newtown has always been our main inspiration due to the unity we have seen and experienced growing up,” Eppers said last month.

The two said their graphic design and clothing business is “aimed at bringing communities together through design. We have worked with multiple stores in town since a lot of our work is based around Newtown and our love for this community.”

Previous designs clearly display that shared love for their hometown. One design features a couple standing atop Castle Hill, looking over the familiar landmarks of the Main Street flagpole and the steeples of Newtown Meeting House and Trinity Episcopal Church. Another illustration, done with one continuous line, shows a heart where Newtown sits inside a Connecticut state map, the word home, a rooster, and a flagpole.

The firm has also created designs for Newtown Ecumenical Workcamp Servants, and worked with additional local organizations including Basil Rose, Bitty Birdie Design, and Newtown Youth Basketball Association, among others. The two have also done designs for clients outside Newtown.

Although they are continuing their studies in Boston, Patrick and Eppers return home regularly. It is during those visits that they see the results of their most recent fundraising efforts.

“The greatest feeling is seeing our shirts worn around town,” Eppers said. “To know that someone liked the design and supports what we are trying to do is the most gratifying feeling.

“We’ve seen orders from across generations which stands as a testament to how much the people of Newtown want change, and are committed to the cause,” he added.

The Newtown Against Racism shirt can be purchased online at ryanpatrick-design.com/products/newtown-against-racism-tee. All proceeds will benefit The Conscious Kid.

The team has also added a new design to its offerings. In honor of October as Suicide Prevention Month, 25 percent of net profits from Ryan Patrick Design’s Positivity Collection will be donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Visit ryanpatrick-design.com for details.