The past few weeks have been rough. I can hardly put my feelings about the recent murders of innocent black lives into words. It's maddening that on top of battling a worldwide pandemic, which is disproportionately effecting blacks in the United States, we're still in a battle for racial justice, equality, and quite frankly the right to just live. If there's any consolation at all it's that this time feels different. I've been cautiously hopeful to see so many brands and businesses take a stand and vow to do their part to fight racial injustice. Make no mistake, it will take all of us to even slightly begin to dismantle the layers of systemic racism that blacks have fought for centuries.
Refinery29 challenged their followers to come up with ways that they would commit to racial justice, and after seeing the post on my feed, I decided to create a commitment plan of my own. So here it is, my ongoing commitment to racial justice.
A few points about the list...
I read a lot - I always have since I was a kid. Earlier this year I decided I wanted to diversify the types of books I read. I'm also going to read more books about racism and social justice, as well as make a concerted effort to read more books that are written by black authors. I created an Amazon list of books that fall into that thread that I want to read, or that I've already personally read. It's by no means a comprehensive list, but it's a start. Please send me recommendations if you have them - I love, and always welcome book recs!
I'll donate regularly to racial justice organizations. I've already made a donation to the Black Lives Matter Global Network, and will continue to make donations to other similar organizations. Here's a really detailed post with several suggestions on where to make donations if you're looking to make a monetary contribution, but don't quite know where to start.
I'll be volunteering in person as soon as the COVID-19 crisis allows.
I've been loving discovering so many new (to me) businesses, brands and designers on Instagram - keep sharing! In the spirit of this I created a page that will serve as a space for me to share the black designers and brands that I come across and love. I do hope you'll follow along, and also share your favorite black fashion and beauty brands with me as well!
Please let me know your thoughts, ideas, recommendations if you have them. Communication and collaboration will be vital as we continue to move forward.
