Lingua Franca Gets Political With Emerge America
Lingua Franca knows that words have power — through its embroidered cashmere sweaters, the brand has donated over $1 million to charitable causes since it launched in 2016.
Lingua Franca’s latest link-up is with Emerge America, an organization that recruits women to run for Democratic public office — since 2002, Emerge has trained over 4,000 women to run. Currently, 740 Emerge alumni are serving in public positions across the country.
“This year, as our nation was tested and we were forced to confront longstanding inequities and injustices, many of our elected leaders failed our communities,” said Emerge president A’shanti F. Gholar. “But across the country, Black women showed they are more than ready and able to solve America’s most pressing challenges. It’s clear that we need more of them in office.”
The collaboration includes two dark blue sweaters, embroidered with “Leaders Matter” and “Not Today Patriarchy,” and a white T-shirt with a quote from Shirley Chisholm, who was the first Black woman elected to Congress. Twenty percent from the sale of each piece will be donated to benefit Emerge’s initiatives. Launching today, the collaboration also highlights several of its alumni currently serving in elected office through its campaign imagery, including Colorado state Rep. Leslie Herod, Kentucky state Rep. Attica Scott, and Tennessee state Rep. London Lamar.
“As a brand, it’s thrilling to be able to collaborate with women who are literally changing the world,” said Lingua Franca founder Rachelle Hruska MacPherson. “Working with A’shanti and her team at Emerge has left me feeling less hopeless about the future of our country. Not only is it important to be an ally to Black women, it is imperative to help support their work in politics — they are crucial to changing the policies that impact all of us. A democracy can and should look like its people.”
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