Red shirts designed by R.B. Russell student shows support for MMIWG2S

Stacks of red shirts, organized by size, are on every available countertop in the graphic design lab at R.B. Russell Vocational High School. Teacher John Sobkovich’s Graphic Design students have been preparing t-shirts with their classmate's original artwork to outfit their school community to commemorate the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S) on Friday, May 5.  

May 5 is also known as Red Dress Day, where individuals are encouraged to wear red or display red clothing to honour and remember missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people and to encourage one another to take action for change.

For Grade 11 student Calliope Funk, who created the powerful design found on the t-shirts, they wanted to ensure it was inclusive, “My design says no more stolen sisters, which includes every murdered women, girls and two-spirited as well. I made a design that includes all, they’re our sisters, to commemorate them.”

For Sobkovich, it’s about the supporting the community, “My spouse is Indigenous, my mom is Indigenous, to think that they’re at higher risk of something based on sex and race, that’s how it hits home for me. We are a community classroom and many people in our community have been affected by this cause (MMIWG2), so we want to be able to provide something to stand together, to be seen with the colour red, which is a homage to the red dress project.”

The students and staff are hoping to start a trend to have a national red shirt day, much like orange shirt day on September 30. All students and staff will be wearing the student designed red shirts on Friday, May 5 and managed to sell out all the shirts to the community within half an hour on Wednesday, May 3 leading up to the day. 

“On May 5, I plan to honour all these lost sisters who were taken too soon, it’s an emotional topic, and I am humbled to see my design on all these shirts,” said Calliope. 

Sobkovich adds that bringing awareness through graphic design can be a very powerful tool to bring change. “That’s what I try to reach my students, one design, can make a big impact.”

Student-designed red t-shirts are available starting Wednesday, May 3rd, at 9 a.m. until sold out at R.B. Russell Vocational High School, 364 Dufferin Ave. Each shirt is $5, cash only, exact change is requested.