Cotton is heavily embedded in the identity of this county. Often thought of as 'natural' and as the "fabric of our lives", we picture white tee-shirts, blue jeans, sheets hanging on the clothesline. By examining the role cotton played in slavery, this episode will delve into ways in which a large portion of the U.S. population, specifically people of color, continue to be impacted by the role of cotton in the fashion industry. Guest Moriah Carlson, former co-founder of ethical fashion brand Feral Childe, has taught fashion and sewing in New York City for the past decade, educating young people about fashion and its impact on the world. In Moriah’s own words, “The more I work in fashion, the more I see it has to be a kind of activism. From cradle to grave, garments surround us and envelop us. 10 years in, I now teach fashion as a charge to do better, to know more, to speak out.”