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What is Patriots Believe and why did I invite the co-founders of this company onto my podcast to share their backstory, mission, and vision for a better future?
The answer is simple: They are shifting patriotism as we know it and reclaiming the meaning of the word itself.
A Disruptive Apparel Company
As background, Rachel and Kate are best friends who bonded freshman year of college in Government 101 and both became life-long K-12 educators and social justice activists.
A couple years ago, Kate wanted to fly an American flag in her yard next to a Black Lives Matter flag and a LGBTQ+ Pride flag. This spurred conversations between the two friends about the risks of doing this within the state of Florida, where Kate currently resides. As a patriotic American with a lineage of family members who have served as Marines, Rachel understood Kate’s sentiment, but also felt the decision merited further conversation.
This was the origin of the apparel brand they have launched, called Patriots Believe. It’s a disruptive company, because they started it to make a bold statement that Patriots look like “us”—Americans who believe in social and racial justice and human rights for all.
Patriots Believe in Social and Racial Justice
James Baldwin once said, “I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” Baldwin’s words are the sound of patriotism.
Since 2016, former educators Rachel Willis and Kate Mcmahon have watched right-wing, conservative, white supremacist, exclusionary people co-opt the American flag and claim patriotism—and they were tired of it. They wanted people to know that patriots are not the insurgents that stormed the Capitol on January 6th or those who had previously and have since stood by in silence.
As Rachel and Kate so aptly put it, “Patriots are people who see the possibility America holds to be a place of true social justice for all.”
Thus, they started Patriots Believe to align liberal values with patriotism to inspire, amplify, and multiply the voices of Americans who are committed to fighting for social and racial justice across the country.
The Founders believe that #PatriotsLookLikeUs and Patriots Believe:
- Black Lives Matter
- Climate Change is Real
- Love is Love
- No Human is Illegal
- Healthcare is a Human Right
- Reproductive Justice Matters
- Voter Rights are Civil Rights
The Larger Mission of Patriots Believe
In addition to building a community of inclusive Patriots, Rachel and Kate are using Patriots Believe to provide funding for deserving organizations, using a profit sharing model to fund organizations that have proven track records of supporting social and racial justice.
They area also profit sharing within the business along racial lines, which is a compelling approach to restoring centuries of financial injustice that have been experienced along racial lines.
You’re going to love this interview with the founders of Patriots Believe, as we explore their mission to take on racial and social justice—all while reclaiming one of the most controversial words in America today.
To join the #PatriotsLookLikeUs movement, visit:
Web: PatriotsBelieve.com
Instagram: @PatriotsBelieve
Facebook: @PatriotsBelieve
Twitter: ReclaimPatriot