BLACKBURN AND SWEETZER

Me and the husband often talk about the tanning of America. The moment when our future children (who will be - take a deep breath - Tlingit, Nisga’a, Winnebago, Ojibwe, black, and white) marry, say, our friends’ future children (who will be Japanese, Jewish, and white). In this scenario, chances are these imagined grandchildren will not tell everyone who asks that they are Tlingit, Nisga’a, Winnebago, Ojibwe, black, Japanese, Jewish, and white. Racial definition, identification, and categorization will change for many reasons but also for convenience. Racial majority will change; it will be various shades of tan. This is the tanning of America, which has some people cheering, some jeering, some ambivalent, and some scared sh*tless.

I met designer Leigh-Ann Jackson at Treat Street. She was there with her hubby and her daughter Simone, her own multi-culti cutie. Inspired by Simone, Leigh-Ann created Swirl Syndicate, a line of crazily adorable tees for babies, toddlers, and kiddies. Tees read ‘I’m swirled.’ with a swirled cone graphic; ’she’s my mommy, not my nanny’; ‘black and white and loved all over’; a graphic of white bread and rice; ‘I’m a little bit of everything.’ with a blender graphic; ‘multi-culti cutie’; and more.

Check online now, as a number of styles are on sale for $15 (from $25). Swirl’s next batch of tees will use Alternative Apparel tees, which are my favorite - high quality, affordable, and super soft.

The future of America is looking pretty darn irresistible.