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10 Subtle and Effective Activism T-Shirt Designs

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The goal of activism is to bring about real social change through words and action.  The t-shirt has become a canvas for communication in recent decades, and some have used this means to speak their piece on issues facing the world today.  To celebrate the creativity, the messages and their meaning, here are 10 subtle but effective activism t-shirts that hope to bring about social change.

Wage*Less T-Shirt by Demockratees

To borrow a line from the popular documentary about Walmart, there is a very high cost of low prices.  Aside from the retail goliath’s impact on local economies, Walmart’s contributions to employees is far below the cost of living.  The Wageless T-shirt is a protest against bad labor practices, a middle finger to the logo of America’s largest retail giant. [$10 at demockratees]

The “Another Name” Breast Cancer Awareness T-Shirt by TheRyde

The winter sports oriented t-shirt crew at TheRyde teamed up with B4BC (Boarding for Breast Cancer) to create a line of products that donate money to fight breast cancer.  The Another Name T-Shirt is one of these, a humorous yet bold statement about breasts and the obsession we give them in terms of nomenclature.  How many names can you come up with for the female busom?  They’re all over this shirt.  For every shirt that TheRyde sells, they donate $5 to B4BC, and wearing the shirt alone will raise awareness to the cause– whenever anyone asks about the nature of the shirt, you tell ‘em. [$24 at theryde]

The Arthur Ashe Charity T-Shirt by Jay-Z

Yeah, that Jay-Z.  For this last summer’s US Open, Jay-Z revealed his Arthur Ashe t-shirt to be sold at the Open and online, with all of the proceeds going to the Arthur Ashe Charities, including the Arthur Ashe Learning Center.  The shirt itself shows pride in the barriers that Ashe broke as an athlete, becoming the first African American to win a grand slam title in Tennis.  For his works in supporting AIDS awareness and education, Ashe’s message was celebrated with this surprisingly cool design by Jay-Z himself. [$34 at arthurashe.org]

The Run DMZ T-Shirt by LiNK America

The goal of LiNK America is to “raise awareness about the human rights and humanitarian crisis in North Korea through the use of media and grassroots support”.  This includes some rather creative t-shirt designs, including this twist on the classic Run DMC logo.  With a dream to bring freedom to those north of the de-militarized zone (DMZ), the proceeds of this t-shirt go to the LiNK global charities.  [$20 at LiNK]

The God Bless America Everyone T-Shirt

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a wish for your god to bless America.  However, why not bless everyone else too?  The God Bless Everyone T-Shirt extends a love of country to a love for humanity, a healthy perspective on the traditional saying.  While this tee may not stand for an exact issue the world is dealing with, it is activism in it’s own right– as it attempts to open people eyes to the exclusionary nature of this statement.  [$16.50 at demockratees]

The Deforestation T-Shirt by Rick Crane

Designer Rick Crane explains, “taking centuries to grow and only seconds to destroy, a hectare of forest is lost every few seconds”.  This sad fact is shown on this creative t-shirt design, where the trees fade out of this cotton landscape.  While the Deforestation t-shirt doesn’t represent a charity, it does make a message on its own.  (this t-shirt is in our personal collection here at ThreadSpot)  [$12 at threadless]

Devilock X Red Ribbon Japanese AIDS Awareness T-Shirt

Japanese clothing label Devilock teamed up with Red Ribbon and a group of five top Japanese adult film stars to create a bold statement about HIV and AIDS.  Each of the adult actresses posed nude for the t-shirt, with a slogan on the front and HIV/AIDS information on the rear.  There has been an unsettling rise in the number of HIV/AIDS cases in Japan in recent years, and this campaign was developed specifically to raise awareness about this ugly new trend.  [more at freshnessmag]

The Wood T-Shirt for GreenPeace by Violent Elegance

In a more direct attempt to help protect the rain forests, the Wood T-Shirt by Violent Elegance offers $4.50 of its $43 asking price directly to GreenPeace.  The design itself features a cross-section of a dead tree, showing just what could happen to the ecological sanctuaries of the undeveloped world.  [more at hideyourarms]

Africa Now T-Shirt by DesignGive

The Africa Now T-shirt is an illustrated collage of 100 different issues facing the African continent today.  From poverty to hunger to political strife and war, these issues are directly represented with an image in this design.  The designer itself, DesignGive, offers a percentage of your purchase to the charity of your choice– like ASPCA, UNICEF, Children With AIDS and the American Red Cross.  Nice design, excellent meaning. [$19 at designgive]

Infinity MPG T-Shirt by Ross Zietz

Even your hybrid can’t command the same MPG as my man-powered two-wheeler.  The Infinity MPG T-Shirt rocks your city/hwy MPG right on your sleeve.  And if you don’t think that bike can go on the highway, you’ve never ridden with Critical Mass in Chicago…  If you’re a cyclist and proud, this is your tee. [$18 at threadless]

Thanks for reading, ThreadSpotters!  What’s your favorite activism t-shirt from this list?  Let us know in the comments.  If you’re aware of one that we didn’t include here that you think is special, be sure to share it!  As always, wear it proud– just don’t spill anything on it.