Blue Scarf Collective — a collection of artists based in Maplewood and South Orange — has festooned Maplewood Village in business attire this week.
Indeed, they’ve taken the standard businessman’s necktie and made it into a political statement. The ties, which can be found on signposts and railings and trees in the Village center, are emblazoned with the word “resist.”
“It’s day 28. We have protested, called, yelled, screamed, and written. We are tired but we can’t stop,” the group wrote on its Facebook page yesterday. “We placed these ties all over our town as a reminder that there is a group of men in the White House set on taking away our rights — as women, as Muslims, as Jews, as people of color, as queers, as people with disabilities, as AMERICANS. Keep doing what you are doing!”
On its Facebook page, Blue Scarf Collective describes itself as follows:
“We are artists. We are mothers. We are feminists. We are fighters. We refuse to embrace a politics of hatred, division and misogyny. We will use our strength and creativity to empower women and girls, resist oppression, and stand in solidarity with other marginalized groups. We follow in the tradition of strong women who came before us; we wear blue scarves as a symbol of unification and activism. It’s time to raise our voices. It’s time to take action.”
Related coverage:
