Hi Viewers,

I am not political on this blog usually. I am not being political now, in my opinion, I’m speaking about a human rights issue. I realize that I don’t want to talk too much and take away from the voice of black people right now. I also realize that with privilege comes responsibility and this is what I’ve learned and want to pass on!

There’s so much that you don’t see on social media. So many conversations that everyone is having that have an astronomical impact. In the last few days, my opinions have evolved because I’ve learned from different sources and talked to all different people. I’ve learned new perspectives and had some of the most meaningful conversations I’ve ever had. I have learned how to approach confronting people on their racism which is something I used to be afraid of. I’ve found in the conversations I’ve had, that making sure the person knows you aren’t personally attacking them encourages them to be more open to listening. I’ve also learned how increasingly crucial it is to be well informed. I’ve never been as informed about a current (and historical) group of events than I am right now. And I still have a long way to go, but it’s invaluable because it allows me to support the movement and spread awareness in a much more powerful way.

The current events are all consuming and so terrifying but it’s also so important. The the exhaustion that white people and allies are experiencing from trying to fight racial injustice and having difficult conversations is just a tiny tiny tiny (*a million) piece of the lifelong exhaustion that black people and POCs experience on a consistent basis in the face of racism. Don’t turn it off because you’re tired, don’t turn off your compassion. The fact that I’m choosing to care and choosing to work to align myself in solidarity with BLM whereas black people don’t have that choice, speaks volumes to me.

It is not new that this violence is happening but nonblack people (sadly including me) somehow haven’t been paying attention because it’s easy to ignore when it doesn’t actively endanger your own life. If you’re not pushed out of your comfort zone right now, you’re not paying attention or being an ally. If you aren’t speaking up and supporting Black Lives Matter, you aren’t understanding what America is and what the right side of history is. It can be scary to speak for fear of saying the wrong thing, but there is time to learn and it’s so important to try!! I’m working to become a better ally and I really hope that you will join me. Thank you for taking the time to read this 💙💙💙

XOXO. S.