For those of you who have been with me for some period of time, you know that I feel very strongly that each of us has the power to make change for the better. It’s why we vote. It’s why we give back to our communities. It’s also the reason we make intentional choices about our consumption and the way we treat one another. I believe that we have more confidence to be our best selves in the world when we know that we are communicating who we really are via our clothing. It’s highly likely that you believe all of this, too, which is why you are a member of the Poplin community. Thanks very much for being here.

I’ve made no secret of my general values and also do my best to acknowledge that not everyone shares those values. And that’s just fine. I’m not interested in a world where we are all the same. It’s often been said that my superpower is to “see” people. And, I certainly work very hard to do that. I say all this to make sure that it is clear that I’m not interested in villainizing anyone for participating in any platform or for working at any company.

In fact, a large portion of my client base works in technology, including a number of people at Facebook. I absolutely believe that these folks are doing the best they possibly can to change the system from the inside. I don’t fault them for it. In fact, I admire the commitment and the willingness to do the very hard work it takes to change the machine. Any of us who have worked at large organizations know that just working somewhere does not give you power to control that organization.

But, Facebook absolutely does need to change in order for our society to flourish.

Each one of us has the voice to help push the company in that direction. The most powerful way to do that is to leave the platforms, and wait until they have addressed their issues before we return. And so, despite the danger that it may pose to my business, that’s what I’m doing. Many of you have asked why I’m leaving and I’ve avoided getting too specific thus far. But, I’ve realized that this is not helpful to you and diminishes the impact of my actions. Because I am not just leaving for myself, I’m leaving for all of us. And between you and me, I hope you decide to leave, too.

So, here’s a high-level list of the reasons that make it clear to me I can no longer participate in Facebook or Instagram. After all, if I’m still on Instagram, I’m just taking the easy way out. Yes! I’ll miss seeing you and your updates. Yes! It will be much more difficult for me to stay engaged in my local community. And yes! Connection is extremely important to me, now more than ever. But it must be done. And it must be done before the next presidential election. So, here I am. Doing it. And here’s why.

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