Kindness for Christchurch T-shirt

This T-shirt was designed as a fundraiser for people to wear in solidarity in the wake of the Christchurch terror attacks. The Masjid Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre were attacked by a heavily armed white supremacist during Friday prayer on 15 March 2019, who killed 51 people and wounded 40 more (the last victim died in Christchurch Hospital on 2 May). The victims ranged from three years old to 78.

There was an instant outpouring of love and solidarity throughout New Zealand and around the world. The tee shirt has been produced by Good Bitches Baking in response to their members' desire to ‘do something’ in response to the terrorist attack. ‘The mission of our charity is to make Aotearoa the kindest place on Earth. We strongly believe kindness is what everybody needs right now.’

The t-shirt features New Zealand pītau (fern fronds), olive leaves symbolising peace, and the symbol of Islam, a crescent and star. The words ‘be kind’ are written in both Arabic and English. The motif was designed by Brittany Davies, a designer who has worked with the charity on previous projects, in consultation with Zahara Abdullah, a Muslim member of Good Baking Bitches from the Hawke’s Bay chapter.

The tee shirt reflects the key message that began to circulate immediately following the attack, that all New Zealander’s must unify against extremism, and embrace ‘our Muslim whānau’. Brittany commented that through the design they aimed to ‘integrate both cultures together… It’s in a circle shape to show integration – it’s one image, not two separate things’ (Dominion Post, 21 March 2019). 

The charity sold 600 tee shirts on the first day of its release. At $40 each, they have now raised $40,000 for the victims’ families.

Good Bitches Baking

Good Bitches Baking is a registered charity that was founded by Nicole Murray and Marie Fitzpatrick in 2015 in order ‘to try to make the world a little bit less shitty, by baking treats for people having a tough time.’ They started out as a group of 15 people based in Wellington, and have quickly grown to become a national registered charity with about 3000 volunteers and 28 chapters nationwide (as at December 2020). As their name indicates, the charity provides home baking for a range of organisations such as Rape Crisis, Women’s Refuge hospices, hospitals etc. They state:

‘Home is something many of us take for granted – the physical security of a roof over our heads, the emotional security of belonging, and the comfort of having somewhere that’s yours. The organisations we deal with are supporting people who, for a range of reasons, are lacking the benefits of home - because they can’t be at home, home isn’t a place of safety, or because they simply don’t have one… While we’re not naïve enough to think that baking can truly save the world; it’s at least a little bit sweeter, for everyone involved.’

Tee shirts with messages of solidarity are often created as fundraisers and worn in the wake of mass violence. They provide comfort and are part of the work of addressing and challenging racism, Islamophobia and white supremacy in our history and everyday life.