Thank You to our Kickstarter Backers for From Cotton to Silk: The Magic of Black Hair

Our Kickstarter Backers Gave Sew Much

30 Days

Goal: $7,350 / ACTUAL: $9,528

175 Backers

Regarding this outpouring of support, Crystal C. Mercer says, “Every fiber of my being is woven in thanks to all of the people that became a part of a tapestry of supportive love. From Cotton To Silk: the Magic of Black Hair is a dream come true, primarily because you all believed this was an important story to tell. And here we are, telling melaninated babies everywhere that they are beautiful in their natural state. I am so grateful.”

A special thank you goes out to Erica Swallow and Brett Wood, who supported the project at the highest level of $500 or more.

Please help us celebrate these generous backers:

Nichole Acosta 

Kelli Russell Agodon

Scott Allen 

Isabel Anthony 

Michel Arnold 

Denise W. Barreto

Shannon Blue 

Lindsey and Crystal Boerner 

Amy Bradley-Hole 

Clint Brockway 

Marie Butcher 

Amy Carpenter 

Melanie Castellano 

Denise Chai 

Medeleine Chaisson 

Tabby Clancy 

Tara Cole 

Trigaila Cole 

K. Coleman 

Krystal Kaye Cornelius 

Jo Cruz 

Ashley Daniels 

Derrick and Cara 

Amber Dionne 

Julianne Dunn 

Bukola Ekundayo 

Audrey Evans 

Hannah M. Evans

Johnny F. Evans 

Sydney Lartigue Fameni

Steph FH 

Kathleen Fluegel (Auntie Kathleen)

Amber Fonner 

Jana Forkel 

Laura Frankenstein

Stewart Fuell 

Meg Gholson 

Jess Gisler 

Kimberley H. 

Jensyn Hallett 

Gin Hartnett

Tanya Hollifield 

Adele Holmes 

Wendy Holmes

Devon K.

K8 

Jen Karetnick 

Janis F. Kearney 

Danica King 

Anna Kimmell

Holly Kinnamont

Marjorie Lacy 

Laura 

Learning Instigator & Love Activist 

Oriana Leckert 

Julius K. Lindsay 

Emily Loker 

Omar McFarlane 

Kerri Michael 

Mac and Ashley Murphy 

Andrea L Neal

Rhonda Owen 

Paloma

Ashley Papineau 

Jessie Parker 

K. Parker 

Alexandra E. Payne 

Mary Pamela Perez 

Petra Philana 

Michon J. Pittman 

Nicole Pitts in Detroit, Michigan

Heather E. Pristash 

Jamila M. A. H. Robinson 

The Rodgers Family 

Jamila Rowser 

SJ 

Martin E. Stein and Scott A. Saxon 

Jaquay Smalls 

Rebecca Lynn Gaylor Snyder 

Shan L. Spyker 

Kristal Rose Stockman 

Melissa Struthers 

Erica Swallow

Shawn Sweeney

Sara Swisher 

Ivanna Terrell 

Benjamin G. Thompson

Luis Torres 

Trust Tree 

Hilary J. Trudell

Joyce Turley

Stephanie Vanderslice 

Shan Ware 

Liyah Wasson 

Shanika Whitehurst 

Tyler Williams 

Brett Wood 

Yvonne, Curly Girl

We Did It! Kickstarter Funded 129%

WE DID IT, together!

175 Kickstarter backers supported From Cotton to Silk: The Magic of Black Hair by Crystal C. Mercer and we finished in 30 days 129% funded with $9,528 pledged. We are SO grateful to everyone who helped us climb to the top.

Although we didn’t reach our full stretch goal, we got close enough that you can expect to see HAIR. SEEN. Heard. Conversations About Our Crowns cards.

THANK YOU! This outpouring of support has helped us dream big, and we are just getting started.

Happy Giving Tuesday! We're 66% Funded and We Need Your Help!

It's giving Tuesday! We love supporting Central Arkansas Library System, Celebrate Maya Project, The C.D. Wright Women Writers Conference, Women's Foundation of Arkansas, and other organizations promoting literacy for all and strengthening women (especially in their creativity).

Crystal C. Mercer's Kickstarter for her book From Cotton to Silk: The Magic of Black Hair is an incredible way to support a Black woman artisan in her craft--an entirely hand-stitched children's book representing 467 hours of sewing love. With 80 believers, it's 66% funded! But it's all or nothing and your support means everything. There are loads of handmade rewards at all levels to thank you for backing this project that is unique in all the world. Hope you'll spend a few minutes with "Auntie CC," to see a couple of book pages and learn more!

And whomever you choose to give to today, may you be awash in joy and appreciation for your gifts!

Join Et Alia on Our First Ever Kickstarter with Crystal C. Mercer!

Has this ever been done before? If so, we haven’t seen it! Every page of From Cotton to Silk: The Magic of Black Hair shares a bold, beautiful, masterful hand-stitched textile rendering that reflects dozens of hours of skill and love from the hands of Crystal C. Mercer.

The numbers speak: of the 3,716 books surveyed by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) in 2019, Black/African main characters made up only 12%. Don’t you agree that this just won’t do?

With your help, we can position this book as a beacon of self-worth for young Black girls!

Your Kickstarter support will:

• Cover Crystal’s cost of textiles and sewing materials

• Pay for textile photography by Arshia Khan

• Cover book layout design by Dave McClinton at African American Design Group

• Bring the retail price point from $21.95 to $19.95 to align it more closely with consumer expectations and make it more accessible to the girls who need its message most

• Ensure that publishing costs are covered prior to publication so that we begin public sales with profitability

We are overjoyed to share this book and related rewards at all price points with you, including custom jackets and custom fabric portraits, as well as kente cloth bookmarks and kente totes—
all handmade by Crystal!

If we surpass our goal of $7,350, we’ve got some big surprises up our sleeves.