The Who Am I? Mask Challenge is a grassroots PSA campaign founded by longtime All Saints Pasadena member William Lucas (Bill) Walker.
#WhoAmIMaskChallenge aims to slow the spread of Covid-19 by using short, personal videos to start new conversations about masks, one voice at a time. The Challenge: to flood social media with these non-partisan, non-political videos (shot on phones by ordinary Americans) of individuals answering the question, “Why do you wear a mask?”
Earlier this month Bill, an Emmy-winning television writer (Frasier, Will & Grace, Roseanne) spoke with the Episcopal News Service about #WhoAmIMaskChallenge in hopes of getting congregations across the United States to take up this simple-yet-powerful action.
Says Walker: “The CDC says that if 90% of Americans wear face masks, the spread of Covid-19 in the U.S. can be brought under control in less than three months. #WhoAmIMaskChallenge is a simple, active step every individual can do to make that happen. Shooting and posting one of these videos is super-easy and takes less time that it’s taken you to read this.
If every All Saints member shot a video about why they wear a mask — something personal that only they could say — and encourage five friends to do the same, multiply that by all the congregations around the U.S. and think of all the conversations we could be starting. What better way to bring about a rapid end to this pandemic and return our lives to normal?”
Even if you’re not a social media person, if you shoot a video we’ll make sure it gets seen, on both the #WhoAmIMaskChallenge and All Saints website and social media platforms.
Other congregations and seminaries around the U.S. have already started to take part and are having a lot of fun with it. The #WhoAmIMaskChallenge is a great way to build community; in these times when we’re all so physically isolated, it’s a great way to connect with each other.
“Everyone’s reasons for wearing a mask are deeply personal,” says Bill. “By the simple act of sharing why you wear yours, who knows what heart or mind you might change? Your voice could be the one that saves a life.”
Website: www.WhoAmIMaskChallenge.com
