"Yuri Kochiyama"
Available from KMStitchery (on Etsy)
Description: "Yuri Kochiyama (born May 19, 1921) is a Japanese-American human rights activist. Kochiyama was born Mary Nakahara in San Pedro, California. After the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Kochiyama's father was imprisoned the same day. Her family, sent to a camp in Jerome, Arkansas, were among the 120,000 Japanese-Americans interned during the Second World War.
In 1960, Kochiyama and her husband Bill moved to Harlem, New York City. She became acquainted with Malcolm X and became a member of his Organization of Afro-American Unity, following his departure from the Nation of Islam. She was present at his assassination on February 21, 1965 at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem, and held him in her arms as he lay dying.
In 1977, Kochiyama joined the group of Puerto Ricans that took over the Statue of Liberty to draw attention to the struggle for Puerto Rican independence. Over the years, Kochiyama has dedicated herself to various causes, such as the rights of political prisoners, freeing Mumia Abu-Jamal, nuclear disarmament, and reparations to Japanese Americans who were interned during the war."
This is not silk screened. I hand cut this stencil with an xacto knife. This is apart of a feminism series of stencils I'm doing on influential women. I want to make this clothing to empower women. So, Represent! With these powerful ladies!"
