We Can Do It!

Editor’s Foreword: Welcome to our blog!  This is the first in a series of weekly posts that you can find every Thursday, right here.  We will cover a range of topics from upcoming events to the cultures of origin of our women.  We hope you find them insightful and provocative.  If you like what you read, keep coming back and tell your friends!  If you are inspired by the quiet courage of our women, get involved!

With much gratitude,

The Community Cloth

If you educate a boy, you educate a person.  If you educate a girl, you educate a family and benefit an entire community.

- Shashi Tharoor, former Under-Secretary General, U.N, paraphrasing an old African proverb

March 8 was International Women’s Day.  Many events are still occurring around the world, and will continue throughout March.  Observed since the early 1900s, International Women’s Day is a reminder that the health, vitality, and economic well-being of a society is directly linked to the freedom and equality that women experience.  Each incremental footstep of empowerment for women has an exponential impact on society. When women are empowered to pursue their dreams, society flourishes.

This is something we as Americans take for granted, but it wasn’t always true for us, and it isn’t yet true for many cultures around the world.

Rosie the Riveter is one of the iconic images of America – feminine and strong.  Rosie represents the unyielding belief that hard work and perseverance will lead to achievement, personally and communally.  WE can do it.  The rising tide of empowerment for women lifts all of society’s boats.

The world is full of Rosies, but many cultures do not value or allow for the full expression of freedom or pursuit of hopes and dreams.  For many, America continues to be a land of opportunity, welcoming their talents and values.  The path is long and difficult, and making it to America is a testament to their courage and fortitude.  Many women end up in Houston, a place of unparalleled diversity that appreciates all cultures of origin.  It is here that women from all corners of the earth can dare to dream, and it is here that The Community Cloth can be a catalyst to enable women in this pursuit to share their stories of struggle and success.

We look forward to sharing some of these stories with you and hope you find them as stirring as we have.

~Josh

The Community Cloth featured in Houston Fashion Week

It was amazing to see the beautiful works of the artisans modeled as part of Houston Fashion Week – from the Purple Dress Auction to the Signature Catwalk Finale!