Black Lives Matter

photo by Taylor Simmons at our first day of protest

This nice thing about being a business owner right now is you don’t have to approve anything through a boss. I get to speak on things I care about and THIS IS IMPORTANT.

The last couple weeks I have had some convos with friends who want to speak up at work and are scared. Scared to stand for something that to me does not seem controversial or political. It should be something that ALL humans agree on. And it’s going to take ALL of us. So speak up. Be loudly anti-racisist. BLACK LIVES MATTER. And they don’t right now. Which is why we are fighting.

I will be honest - I went to a very white school and grew up in a very white neighborhood and went to a very white church. I didn’t have to confront the discomfort of systemic racism for a while. Or truly understand my white privilege. Our white washed black history that was briefly taught in high school. The black TV shows that my dad (who was raised in a small town in Kansas) frowned upon was probably my only connection to black culture. And 90’s R&B of course. Over the years and especially over the past few weeks I have had a lot to unlearn. And have a lot more to learn. I am humbled by my ignorance.

So, I am here to hear more BIPOC voices. To do the work. To donate my money (recently just posted that a PORTION OF EVERY SESSION AND WEDDING WILL GO TOWARDS BLM, see below where I am giving). To talk to my other white friends and dear lord, my very white family. To be uncomfortable. *SIDE NOTE - The first Thursday we showed up for the protest - we heard gunshots. I was uncomfortable. Everything in me said - let’s just go to CHIPOTLE and then HOME. Safety. Whisky. No thank you. We tried and yup, I’m out.

But, we stayed.

Which maybe was a crazy thing to do. We were not there for “fun.” This was not an “exciting night out.” I could only think of what black people feel every damn day. And the privilege I have. And so we kept going. Protest after protest.

I am writing this at day 12 of the protest (I believe - quarantine has definitely messed with my perception of time). And day one I was whispering “no justice, no peace” - my throat was clogged by emotion. Now I wake up with anger, and anger = action. And I yell those chants. My life doesn’t depend on it. But the girl next to me - it does. And the her son’s life. And I haven’t been to church in A WHILE. But this - this is what loving your neighbor looks like. We must love and support one another. We must fight and keep showing up. We must listen and do the work to change our country - and as a 7 year old said at one of the protest - “change our planet.”

So - I commit to keep showing up. To doing the working to educate myself. To ask my friends to keep me accountable. If you are reading this and want resources on where to start - I have some on my instagram or feel free to send a message. You can start here to learn about the movement and you can sign petitions here. Also feel free to send me some of your resources!

For now I will be giving a portion of every payment towards the movement in someway either Locally, National, or by supporting black owned businesses. We must keep educating ourselves and fighting and marching and demanding a change.