TWMBABW: Shannon Pringle and Radical Dreams
I love collections. I have collected items my entire life, from stones and shells on the beach to Pokemon cards to now vintage Hermés scarves (I only have 2 as of now) and preloved handbags (I currently have too many). My recent collection is a growing group of sassy, cheeky, and woke lapel pins and buttons. And the woman that I made one of my first purchases from was Shannon Pringle and her brand Radical Dreams, Inc. I encountered her brand on Instagram, falling for her Black Girls purple heart pin. I then began following her journey in creating pins that literally are for the culture.Today on This Was Made By A Black Woman; Shannon Pringle and her brand Radical Dreams, Inc.
Shannon's foray into entrepreneurship is actually a partnerships of her passions. "We create lapel pins and accessories focused on social justice, positive messages, and Black culture. We donate a portion of the proceeds to various community organizations."
"I am currently in medical school full-time. I run Radical Dreams in my free time with the help of family and friends. I have always been passionate about social justice and consider myself a radical in my thoughts and stances. I also consider myself a big dreamer. So, Radical Dreams was born because I have radical dreams of changing this world for the better. And I plan to do that, among other methods, one pin at a time."
"Growing up, I collected trinkets such as lapel pins and keychains." says Shannon when she's asked about why design pins. "When lapel pins became popular again in 2015, I started to collect them but I realized there were no pins focused on Black culture or social justice. So, I decided to create them myself! The first products I ever made were the laughing President Obama and Black Lives Matter pins. As a medical student, I knew that I could wear pins on my white coat to express myself in a professional but bold manner. I also knew that this could apply to people all over the country. People can’t wear t-shirts to school/work every day, but they can definitely wear 1 inch lapel pins. Lapel pins are small objects that display big messages. I want people to wear these pins to display pride, advocate, and start those important conversations.
"Growing up, I collected trinkets such as lapel pins and keychains." says Shannon when she's asked about why design pins. "When lapel pins became popular again in 2015, I started to collect them but I realized there were no pins focused on Black culture or social justice. So, I decided to create them myself! The first products I ever made were the laughing President Obama and Black Lives Matter pins. As a medical student, I knew that I could wear pins on my white coat to express myself in a professional but bold manner. I also knew that this could apply to people all over the country. People can’t wear t-shirts to school/work every day, but they can definitely wear 1 inch lapel pins. Lapel pins are small objects that display big messages. I want people to wear these pins to display pride, advocate, and start those important conversations.
When about which of her designs she is currently loving the most, Shannon says "At the moment, I am in love with our Assata Shakur Breakable Chain pin. It represents so much to me and I made it during a really tough time in my life. I also love our Shirley Chisholm pin and Muhammad Ali patch."When asked what it means to be a Black/ Woman/ Entrepreneur, Shannon says "It means empowerment. It means living out your purpose, achieving your goals, and overcoming stereotypes and hardships."
Comments
Post a Comment