My wardrobe was killing people.

Caught in the rat race of mass consumption and swayed by cradle-to-grave marketing campaigns, I filled my closet with fashion brands with questionable labor practices. Countless news reports showed how child labor, extremely low wages, and dangerous working conditions were the fuel to the global fast fashion machine; but, honestly, I felt overwhelmed by it all. I was just a community college student with journalistic aspirations confined to a barely-read blog.

During Thursday's event, the BCC highlighted the importance of having African American professors and counselors that African American SMC students can relate to.