Black Lives Matter Statement

In lieu of a performance tip this week, I want to make clear where I stand on current events in the US and around the world:

I believe that Black Lives Matter, and unequivocally support the Black Lives Matter movement. If you are offended by that, or if you prefer that I say “all lives matter,” you can ask about it or find a source to explain it (the language is very intentional); you can also feel free to scroll to the bottom of this newsletter and unsubscribe.

We are well past the time to just hope and pray that things will get better. I am doing my best to learn about the Movement and how I can best stand - or kneel - with my brothers and sisters and take action as a believer in unequivocal equality and in the deep and urgent need to break down the systems of racial and socioeconomic oppression upon which this country was built and from which I, as a White man, benefit. I didn’t create these systems, and I am not to blame for their existence, but I participate in them, and I am responsible for doing my part to change them.

Being part of that vital and long overdue change will require us - white people, I mean - to humbly self-examine, acknowledge our privilege, and become educated. To study the history of the Black struggle for freedom and humanity in this country. To see the oppression and racial injustice inherent in our institutions. To recognize the militarization of our police, and the brutal and tragic consequences of unchecked and unaddressed racism. To see that the murders of individuals like Trayvon Martin, Freddie Gray, Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd (and many, many others) are symptoms of something much deeper and more insidious.

Most importantly, we are being called on to listen to the voices of people who know, who have lived the experiences, the anger and frustration, the constant fear; people who have showed stunning compassion and strength in the face of generations of brutal discrimination. Black and Brown communities, activists, children, freedom fighters, and everyday people are our fellow human beings, flawed and beautiful and deserving of our compassion, respect, humility, attention, and effort.

It’s not just about knowledge though, because that is only the first step. We must also act. The system seems too huge, immobile, intractable, unchangeable, but it’s not these things. It’s just that huge injustice requires huge change, and change needs a catalyst. This time, this movement, the righteous anger and frustration and ENOUGH that we are seeing from communities and people of color who simply want to breathe free is that catalyst, and we must seize the opportunity to act.

That action can start small. It’s up to each of us to figure out what we can do; but do something, because our brothers and sisters, each of us, and our children deserve our best. We can:

  • Learn to be discerning with the information we take in, and find sources that present truth without ideology, speak with compassion, promote accountability with inclusivity, and offer real, grounded and considered and transformative solutions with conviction and clarity.

  • Listen and give honor to the voices of people with experiences different from our own, people who live the struggle and oppression and violence, and use what we learn to make changes within ourselves and our circles and communities.

  • Root out, examine, and work to transform our own biases and unconscious participation in systems of oppression.

  • Be conscious of the companies we support and buy from, and withdraw support if their behavior does not align with core social, environmental, and racial justice and human rights values.

  • Support, in whatever way you can, causes that fight against White Supremacy and that promote and act on racial justice, inclusivity, voting rights and access, truthful education, environmental justice, social activism, and institutional change.

  • Practice, for yourself and others: Awareness, compassion, forgiveness, kindness, mercy, and humility.

  • Work together to cultivate unity and courage in the face of division and fear.

  • Hold ourselves and the people around us accountable with kindness, and truth.

  • Vote. We have a critical federal election coming up; make sure you’re engaged locally too, as many of the ground-level policies that will help change the system are decided at the local and state level. Be engaged in the process.

This is not an exhaustive list, and I am not an expert; I’m just a flawed but determined human being trying to be better each day. Each of us has to decide what we truly value, what our principles are, what we are willing to “get fired over,” what kind of people and nation we want to be and what kind of world we want to live in. This means having tough conversations and looking at our own Darkness; yet, in the process, we are guaranteed to find Light.

Stay safe, stay humble. Reach down, reach out. Keep on loving.

- Aaron

 

Originally Published on June 6, 2020

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