About the Project

Salt and pepper shakers AS A SYMBOL

The design

The two pillars of alternating white and black portions symbolize a society where Black people and all non-White people have stature in society that is equal to White people.

The white portions represent all persons that consider themselves White. The black portions represent all the categories of people that have sometimes been considered non-White people: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. The alternating black and white portions in a single pillar represent White people and non-White people working together in harmony to create a more peaceful, more equal, and more prosperous world.

A Detroit area mold maker made the plastic injection mold and a plastic injection molding company in the City of Detroit is producing the parts.

Our Goal

The goal of the campaign is for the display of these shakers to become a message of one’s support for Racial Justice and Harmony — the recognition that to achieve true harmony, justice, and peace in our society, we must come to terms with and make amends for our long history of slavery and repression of Black people and other people considered non-White — the recognition that overcoming this obstacle is perhaps the most pressing problem facing our country. The first step in addressing the problem is to openly recognize the debt that the country owes to Black people and Indigenous people and recognize it is necessary to openly address these harsh facts to overcome the guilt, fear, and defensiveness that have prevented any real progress toward racial unity and healing in our country.

The symbolism of two equal pillars of our society is meant to promote thinking and self-reflection as to whether one’s mindset is ready to recognize Black people and all non-White people as having stature equal to that of White people in our society. And importantly, the display of the shakers will convey the message that the achievement of this goal is vitally important for the future of our country and perhaps the world. The shakers will convey the message of support for the ideals that were at least declared as the foundational goal of our country: that all men and women are equal in the eyes of their creator.

A Call To Action

Display of the shakers will advance the realization of this ideal by promoting a change in our cultural mindset in which differences of the “other” are celebrated rather than feared; where non-White people are no longer considered peripheral players in a primarily White country; where Black people and other non-White people are appreciated as shapers of our American culture, and perhaps the most committed and invested in the realization of these ideals.

On the table of every home and restaurant, the shakers will be a symbol of support and a catalyst for conversations and deeper thought about racism, and help promote active anti-racism and anti-racist policies as the terms are used by the author, Ibram X. Kendi, in his book, “How to Be an Antiracist.”

The display of these shakers in our homes and in our restaurants and public places can inspire the conversation and be a symbol of support for this goal. And if the movement takes off, people will be able to look around and see that people all over the country support this important goal. The shakers will become a kind of placard for a nationwide movement in support of racial healing and reparations.

Restaurants, retailers, and other public establishments may register their support on the website, where we will keep a list of all the restaurants and public places that are displaying the shakers.

PURCHASE

If you support this goal and are looking for a way to display your support on your own table or on the tables of your local restaurant, please purchase a set of shakers. For your purchase price of $20, you will receive one set of shakers and we will donate a set along with promotional materials to a restaurant or other public establishment. In addition, we will donate $5 of the purchase price to the non-profit organizations noted in the Beneficiaries section of the website.

Restaurants, public establishments, and retailers that are willing to display the shakers and table displays and have the name of their establishment included in our running list of Participating Establishments may contact us and we will provide them with a starter package of sets of shakers and table displays free of charge. The Participating Establishments may then purchase additional shaker sets for $15 per set, to retail to their patrons for $20—and we will donate $5 of the $15 purchase price to the designated non-profits. A patron purchasing a set of shakers will be supporting both the Participating Establishment and the cause of racial justice and racial harmony.

ABOUT THE FOUNDER

My name is John Lowe. I am a White person.

I worked in the area of criminal justice at the appellate level in Michigan for 30 years, most of the years in the Detroit area. However, I recently moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana

The shakers were designed while I lived and worked in the Detroit area and are manufactured in the City of Detroit.

I should also note that the reference to “patent pending” in the video is no longer valid. A provisional patent application had been filed when the video was made, but I decided not to pursue a patent. No patent application is pending.

Thank you for your interest. And many thanks to the people and companies that have pledged their support and have helped bring the project this far.