Harriet Clark, owner of Humble Standards Greeting Cards, first met Ricky Kidd in prison as a minister in 2009.
She soon became dedicated to fighting for his freedom. Kidd has served 17 years of a life sentence without parole for a murder in Kansas City he says he didn’t commit. Although his numerous court appeals have failed, Clark has stuck with him through his journey.
Now Clark is supporting him in another way.
“It was Ricky that presented the idea to me,” Clark said. “He was talking about the greeting card industry. Even though the words meant a lot, the pictures did not always coincide. So he said, ‘What if we learn how to marry real art with deep sentiment and expression?’”
Partnering with visual artists in prison, Kidd began to play around with joining the art and words. In the meantime, Clark found a printing company, and she did a dry run with a few cards.
“The cards sold well,” she said. “Everybody loved the wording and artwork. They put the artwork on their walls. Not only can you enjoy the card itself, you can hang the work on the wall as well.”
Clark registered a greeting card business in February 2012, and now all of the proceeds go to supporting the business and social causes.
The mid-range prices are intended to be cost-effective for people who want “a premium card without premium price,” Kidd said. Each card retails for $3. The company offers discounts to groups, such as mothers of incarcerated sons and daughters, who want to use the cards as fundraising items.
Kidd believes he is contributing to Clark’s ministry work toward preventing injustice.
“When Harriet Clark came along, we thought who better to share the idea with, since we knew we could not benefit from it,” Kidd said. “She had long made a difference in other people’s lives through ministry work.”
According to the Missouri Department of Corrections, inmates are not allowed to own businesses. Kidd said he has no part in ownership, and he will not receive payment for his artistic contributions. The company has yet to be profitable in a measureable way, he said, but the goal is for the proceeds to impact the community.
“Eventually, when Humble begins to turn a sufficient profit, we have dedicated our vision to make sure that causes such as bullying, breast cancer and youth violence prevention can be supported by Humble Standards,” Kidd said.
He also wants the business to provide a financial pipeline back into the community by creating jobs.
“Humble Standards is a unique greeting card company,” he said. “It began its journey from a dark place, yet our cards carry the most bright and vibrant colors. A Humble Standards greeting card is truly like receiving a gift of art.”
For more information about the company, visit www.humblestandards.org. To learn more about Kidd’s legal case, visit http://freerickykidd.com.
