Local Hero #16: Chad Williams

Flatbush native Chad Williams was just featured in The Brooklyn Reader for dropping a new clothing line called “Walking While Black,” dedicated to the life of Trayvon Martin. A percentage of the proceeds will go to 2 separate social justice organizations.

Last summer, Chad created the "Know Your Rights" t-shirt which he dedicated to George Floyd and gave away for free to protesters.

I caught up with Chad for a mini Q and A about the debut of his new line of clothing dedicated to Trayvon:

Q: What made you decide to do a line of clothing which honored the memory of Trayvon Martin?

A: What inspired me to do this collection and dedicate it to Trayvon is the fact I walk home from the store with snacks in my hand at least 3 times a week and that could've been me or any other black male just trying to get home.

The killing of Trayvon sparked a movement in American history that put on the front line the injustices that black people in America receive. From store owners looking at us funny to the officers of the law killing us at a simple traffic stop. We fear for our lives from just walking on the street late at night to doing 60 miles per hour in a 55 MPH zone. It’s not fair, and I wanted to make something that could be kept forever and remind us of who Trayvon Martin was and the injustice that was done to him.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like people to know about this new line of clothing?

A: This is my third official drop and one of my most unique drops yet. The design includes a portrayal of Trayvon Martin with his Skittles in his pocket and an Arizona juice can in hand. What makes the design so special to me is that I mixed dooProcess in with Trayvon and we all know that Trayvon didn't receive any of his due-process rights. So, in the design, Trayvon's head is made to be the second "O" in "doo" and his body is in the shape of a "P" for the first letter in "Process.”

This design is very dear to me because I feel like within this we can forever hold the memory of Trayvon. Also, 15% of every purchase will go towards an organization that helps advocate for social justice for black and brown people across America.

Q: What’s next for dooProcess?

A: I want to keep dropping clothing and keep coming out with cool designs. In the future, I want to start a dooProcess law firm where we give proceeds from the sales of clothing to law school students. The students, in return, would help the dooProcess Law Firm fight for the freedom of wrongfully arrested individuals.

To check out dooProcess: https://www.dooprocess.org/

To follow dooProcess on Instagram: https://instagram.com/dooprocess

To follow dooProcess on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dooPr...

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