Hello! I’ve enjoyed doing these occasional Uni Watch posts over the past few weeks. It’s not something I plan to do long-term, but it’s been a fun little diversion. And it occurred to me the other day that we are fast approaching the key date of May 17.
And that means it’s time for Purp Walk.
It’s been a while, so here’s a quick refresher: The very first post on the Uni Watch blog was published on May 17, 2006 (not to be confused with the very first Uni Watch column, which was published in The Village Voice on May 26, 1999). On the blog’s fourth birthday — May 17, 2010 — reader Tim Cox suggested that I create a 24-hour window for people to order Uni Watch membership cards with purple-inclusive designs, which up until then had been banned. I thought that was a fun idea, and thus Purple Amnesty Day was born.
Purple Amnesty Day — or Purp Walk, as it came to be known (a nickname coined in 2015 by membership card designer Scott M.X. Turner) — eventually developed into an annual Uni Watch tradition. It expanded beyond the membership card loophole and became the one day of the year when I’d grudgingly acknowledge, and even celebrate, the world’s most accursed color. The day had its own T-shirts, slogan (“For People Purple Who Get It™”), purple-centric articles, reader gatherings, and more. A couple of times I even dressed head-to-toe in purple!
We retired the ritual after I stepped away from Uni Watch in 2024. But now that I’m occasionally posting again — and with this Sunday, May 17, marking the blog’s landmark 20th uni-versary — I thought it might be fun to revive Purp Walk. I asked Scott Turner if he’d be game to design some purple membership cards, and he said yes. Our old card printer, Bob Sullivan, is also on board, plus designer Bryan Molloy is working on a new Purp Walk T-shirt as we speak, and purpologist Kary Klismet is whipping up a report on a purple-themed uni topic. It’s like we’re getting the old band back together! (I should add that I only came up with this idea two days ago, so all of these people have generously agreed to participate on extremely short notice. Amazing!)
Since May 17 falls on a Sunday this year, Purp Walk (Observed) will take place on Monday, May 18. On that date — and only on that date — I will accept orders for purple-themed Uni Watch membership cards. We’ll also have a 24-hour ordering window that day for the shirt that Bryan is working on, and that’s also when I’ll publish Kary’s purpology piece. See you back here then.
Paul, is there any chance to get a replacement membership card? I lost mine in an international move.