In response to the racial protests that have sparked a global movement, the West Harlem Art Fund is starting a T-shirt campaign to change the perceptions that law enforcement officers have towards Black people in America.

Criminality is often assumed when the police confront all people of color. But what if the police had to face the humanity of the people they meet in neighborhoods of color. And when they do, they see that their lives has richness and beauty.

This campaign is to defuse violence and foster conversation across the country. We have developed several shirts (long-sleeved and short-sleeved) with sub phrases — mother, poet, son, dancer that speak to our humanity. We hope to make needed relationships between the police and Black people possible. Shirts will be available in early 2021 to honor our 23rd anniversary and our mission to foster art in open, public spaces.