Black Lives Matter
We feel unbearable grief, anger and outrage by the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and so many others. It is our white supremacy that makes violence toward Black people commonplace.
If you’re not part of the solution, you truly are part of the problem. So what’s a concerned accomplice to do in a time like this? Follow, listen to, and read the stories of the Black leaders in the movement and TAKE ACTION!
By all means, show up at the rallies, march and vigils to send a message to elected officials and the media/public that racism and police brutality are 100% unacceptable – and we demand change. But that’s just the warm-up: you’re going to have to do more to dismantle white supremacy and become anti-racist, like:
Donate monthly to Black-led organizations who educate on anti-racism, support the health and joy of Black people, and elect candidates who share our values of justice, respect and equity. Our favorite is Soul Sisters, a fiercely faith-based, Black Womxn-led, racial justice organization focused on Black healing and liberation. The Center for African American Health is also doing amazing work addressing health disparities, even more important in this time of COVID-19.
Patronize Black-owned businesses to support community wealth-building, something that has been exceptionally challenging due to historical discriminiation and racist policies like redlining. 303 Magazine published a list here. If you’re not quite health-ready for in-person shopping check out this list of Black-owned Etsy shops.
If you are white and aren’t sure how to be an effective accomplice, sign up for a workshop pronto! Check out Soul 2 Soul Sisters Facing Racism series of 5 workshops or Regan Byrd’s anti-oppression training. If you do nothing else, please educate yourself rather than ask your friend of color to do that labor for you – here’s an amazing list of books, articles, videos and music to help you understand the many ways anti-Black racism plays out in our state and nation.
Diversify your social media feed to hear different voices – Create & Cultivate shared a great list of Black women to follow.
As a predominantly white firm that works with nonprofits and political campaigns who reach out to communities of Colorado, we know that being an ally is a verb – not a noun. White supremacy has reigned too long in the nonprofit and progressive circles and we have both benefited and caused harm because of it. We continually challenge ourselves to dismantle our unearned privilege and use it to bring BIPOC voices to the table. These past few weeks have made us realize that our previous efforts were nowhere near enough.
As Robin D’Angelo has said, “I think white progressives can be the most challenging because we tend to be so certain that it isn’t us. And that certitude is problematic. It doesn’t allow for humility, and, to be direct, it’s quite arrogant.”
With humility, we are doubling down on listening, reading, and de-centering our white experiences so that we can be better accomplices to our Black staff members, clients, and community members. We will be an anti-racist firm and we will continue to work toward justice.
Black Joy Matters.
Black Love Matters.
Black Mothers Matter.
Black Fathers Matter.
Black Children Matter.
Black Lives Matter.