I’m convinced! Nothing beats Tokyo Record Style Day! As Tina Turner says, “Simply the best!” In my next post, I’m gonna recap the fun time we had but for now, I want to spread the message of “Blue Identity” by Tokyo artist, Miro who recently styled me with an amazing work of Bob Marley art and a pack of stickers of some amazing heroes, both literal and figurative in blue. Miro’s “Blue Identity” is a beautiful notion that challenges racism and injustice. While we’re capable of discriminating against black, red, brown yellow, and white and of believing wrongly that our skin tone separates us in our human experience, Miro essentially asks about blue…. What about blue? Isn’t blue beautiful? Isn’t it universal? Isn’t it a color for us all? …that unites us all? What if our skin tone was blue? Aren’t we all blue in a way?
I’m suddenly reminded of a story from my most early days in Japan. With my new Japanese friends, we were traversing Tokyo one day and came across a blood drive. One friend suggested we stop and donate blood. Having only been in the country a few short weeks, with little documentation and barely having established my residence, I wasn’t sure if I’d actually be allowed to donate blood. Would they need some documentation or proof of residency or some other formal document other than a passport? Not knowing the answer a friend inquired: “My friend is American and only has a passport. Can he donate blood even if he’s not Japanese?” The staff’s reply: “Yes, of course, we all bleed red.”
…made such an impression on me. Unforgettable.
Miro says similarly, “Blue is Free, Blue is Nobel, Blue never racial discrimination” and I couldn’t agree more. Music, and art, and culture also have the power to unite us and to celebrate our differences, not divide us further, and I think Miro’s Blue identity is a reflection of that. And that’s why I was REALLY honored to spread the message a little further at Tokyo Record Style Day. Everybody who came out got a Blue Identity sticker and I hope every time they see or share it, they’re reminded of Miro’s beautiful message to the world!
Thanks, Miro, and thanks Tokyo Record Style Friends!
More TRS on the Way!
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