On Race and Equity
6/10/2020
//
To preface this post, I have grappled with the public side of my internal journey as the racial turmoil in our country has unfolded. I am not (yet) educated enough to be a guiding voice, I don’t think action needs to be publicized, and I think change is shown in action over the long term. Those conclusions unfortunately mean that I have failed in my personal education on racial injustice, so I am writing this to own my past lack of effort and hold myself accountable going forward. That said, I unequivocally believe that Black (BIPOC) Lives matter and are actively threatened not only by unjust policing, but also by longterm systematic inequity in our country and I think it is ethically imperative to work to change that.
I will be informing my action with my general beliefs about activism:
Education is paramount: Education is the foundation upon which we can create personal, local, and global change
Change Starts Inside: Through education, we must form our hearts and minds
Start Locally: I could talk for days about the importance of localization of all resources, and I think it applies to activism. Each community deals with different issues and requires different solutions, and we have the most knowledge and power in our local communities and government.
Baby Steps are Big Steps: I believe that all steps towards positive change are important.
Use your Talents: Every person has an area of expertise and all skillsets are necessary. Activating our areas of expertise is often the most high-leverage way to fight for justice. Example: Adrian Brandon using his art to tell powerful, heart-wrenching stories.
With those principles in mind, I will commit to the following:
Get Educated: I will actively develop a foundation of knowledge about the history of race issues, and dive deep in to the current issues, especially surrounding incarceration, police brutality, and policy
Financial Support: I will be making quarterly donations to City Slicker Farms and East Side Arts Alliance
Donated Shoots: I will continue to work with organizations I already support (Fibershed and Farms to Grow), and will seek out additional BIPOC-owned and BIPOC-suporting organizations. Goal is 5 donated shoots per year.
Vote: I will vote not only in presidential elections, but local and county ones as well
Have the tough conversations: I will challenge my peers and happily be challenged by them. I adamantly believe that we, as a country, must be open to tough conversations and approach them with sympathy. If we cannot talk to people we may disagree with, we will only build tension instead of progress.
Generally speaking, I have typically supported non-profits in the environmental/outdoors sectors and will continue to do so, but will spend time, money, and focus specifically targeting racial justice. I am committing to a process and journey, and look forward to taking action.
Assorted Resources/Orgs:
White 2 White Topics
W Kamau Bell talk with Conan
Creatives for Black Lives
Critical Race Theory
Justice in June
Richmond Composite