You Matter: Story of This Design

On February 26, 2012, a Florida neighborhood watch volunteer named George Zimmerman shot and killed 17-year-old Black teenager Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder in April 2012 and went to trial in June 2013. On July 13, 2013, he was acquitted of all charges, sparking national outrage.

According to ChatGPT, the first time the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter was used is on Facebook in July 2013 by Alicia Garza in response to George Zimmerman’s acquittal. Patrisse Cullors reshared it, and Opal Tometi helped to shape it into an organized movement. Thank you for this, we needed it and still do.

What If? The First Encounter

What if, when the first group of humans met another group for the very first time, their instinct was not fear or dominance, but recognition? What if, instead of preparing for conflict, they greeted each other with an unshakable understanding—You Matter? If that idea had been embedded into the very core of human culture from the beginning, how different would our story be?

Perhaps the need for conquest and subjugation would never have taken hold. Maybe societies would have formed with cooperation, rather than power, as the foundation. If the natural response to the unfamiliar had always been acknowledgment rather than suspicion, the path of history could have been a lot different from the violence that we remember.

But history played out differently. The many have been led by the few, often through deception, into fear, control, and division. Manipulation has shaped much of human interaction, convincing people to distrust one another rather than unite. And yet, even if we cannot change that beginning, we can still choose to embrace a different future—one built on truth and recognition.

One color escapes all the drama—and in fact, it is the instigator. That color is green. The other colors react to what green dictates, but green lies. It tells us to fear one another, when in truth, we should embrace one another.

That is why the You Matter design exists. It’s not just a phrase—it’s a reminder, a challenge, and a statement of defiance against the forces that try to keep us divided. Wearing You Matter isn’t just about style; it’s about making sure this truth is seen, shared, and understood.

I often wear this message because I frequently feel like I don’t matter. I know that feeling well—at least from my own experience. While I don’t always have control over how I feel about my own worth, I do have control over the message I choose to share. You Matter is the phrase that satisfies my empathy for all living things.

Get the Design & Spread the Message

I am not the first to independently come up with this message. A simple, powerful truth like You Matter belongs to no one and everyone at the same time. As I searched, I found many others creating designs that carry this same message, and I am honored to be in such great company. The more people who share this, the stronger it becomes.

You can print this design on as many items as you want, as long as you own those items or are giving them as gifts to friends, family, and coworkers. Items like T-shirts, tote bags, posters, etc. If you want to use this design or in any commercial venture (including fundraising), purchase the commercial version.

Price: $10 for the high-resolution file, ready for printing on your own materials.

Wear it as your own statement. Make it visible. Because You Matter.

Buy it here.