Representation and the Embodiment of Activism: An Interview with Philadelphia Printworks’ Owner and Co-Founder Maryam Pugh

Activism is at the forefront of our society today. Most people of color may agree that this is not a season to be passive, but a season to find your way into the fight. It is a season to be heard and to be seen. This is a season for ongoing representation of those of us who have found ourselves being underrepresented and misrepresented in the trenches of our continued fight for our civil rights. Here’s one thing about activism. We can’t march every day. We have families and work and school and so many other things to take care of on a daily basis, including our own self-care. However, representation matters and that’s where businesses like Philadelphia Printworks come in. They help us to be seen and to stand out while invoking a sense of comradery, pride, and inclusion. I had the wonderful opportunity to chat with Philadelphia Printworks owner and co-founder Maryam Pugh to learn more about her business, her vision and to fangirl over her newest line “Embodied.

Black Nerd Problems: Tell me a little bit about yourself. Maryam Pugh: I am a screen printer and a mother and I run a t-shirt company…. BNP: Do you consider yourself to be a nerd? Maryam: I can definitely embrace the term nerd, you know. I would consider myself one. I read a lot. I do all of the quote/unquote nerdy things and I think I would fit the stereotypical nerd description. I find myself consumed by certain things that I’m passionate about, which I think essentially is really what a nerd is. I worked in the co…