Between the COVID-19 pandemic and the racial pandemic, parts of the world have seemed to be paralyzed. But you can either stand still or be part of the movement.
Sometimes being part of the movement doesn't mean standing on the front line of a protest. It can be stating where you stand when it comes to the reasons behind the protest. Your voice has power.
It's clear that businesses, corporations, and organizations around the map have been advised to make a statement regarding where they stand when it comes to racial injustice. As mentioned earlier, our voices have power and it's important that everyone voices where they stand, even if it's on different sides of the movement. Some beautifully written and moving statements have probably landed in your in-box and shown up in your social media feed from businesses, corporations, and organizations that stand in solidarity with the protesters and justice for George Floyd and those who have suffered from acts of racism. And although a great deal of these businesses, corporations, and organizations more than likely consulted with African-Americans and used African-American copywriters to create the text, that's just a first step; a much needed first step. Actions speak louder than words, and now for the action.
This is about racism beyond police brutality. It's also about racism in the workplace, racism in the financial industry (which many experienced from banking institutions when it came to the COVID- 19 PPP), racism in our schools, racism in the publishing industry. It's about racism, period!
Click the link below for a list of influential books on race and the black experience published in the United States for each decade of the nation’s existence.
There are ways to support the movement other than by making a statement.
Below is a link made available through Black Lives Matter of things you can do to continue to support the movement once it's no longer trending in the news and on social media.
Resources shared by Writer's Relief to help white parents raise anti-racist children.
Below is a powerful quote from Black Mountain Institute located on the campus of UNLV (University of Nevada Las Vegas) in Las Vegas, Nevada.
"The work to dismantle white supremacy, and the institutions that enable police brutality, is ongoing. This work must remain active and consistent among white people and non-Black people of color, even as the media moves on from these injustices."