Oh my heart.
I’m late to the table, I know.
I’ve been struggling to come up with something the least bit compelling to say about racism.
The truth is, I’ve been feeling very ignorant. I’ve spent the last 2 weeks searching around and learning a tonne more about the burden of systemic racism that we all carry.
I. Had. No. Idea.
I don’t typically watch the news because it brings me down. I’ve never considered myself to be a “political” person because I haven’t been interested in competing my opinions with others’. I usually avoid watching hard things because they make me uncomfortable. I have a tendency to stay quiet.
All of this has left me outside of the conversation.
These choices have enabled me to live in my sweet womb of white privilege.
I have truly thought that systemic racism was a thing we were overcoming. I didn’t realize just how prominent it still is today.
I also didn’t realize that in not shedding much light on this matter, I have actually been contributing to the problem.
We need to do better, I need to do better.
I didn’t realize that this was my issue until now. I didn’t think there was much I could do about it until now.
A racist ear will not hear a black voice. A racist eye will not see black worth. A racist mind will not understand a black perspective. A racist heart will not have compassion for a black life.
It’s my White responsibility to lend an ear, an eye, an open mind, an open heart and most importantly, a voice to our black, indigenous & all coloured brothers and sisters.
I’m pretty sure I’m at the kindergarten stage of understanding systemic racism. Certainly far from expert! So please, help me learn! Resources, books, videos, podcasts.... I'm open to it all.
I also realize my responsibility as a leader and entrepreneur to reassess how I run my business. How can I be kinder, more inclusive and more sustainable? I’m currently working on a plan but change has already begun.
There are so many things to fight for in this world. If I try to fix them all, I will be doing no service to anybody. So instead, I am letting my heart break so I can feel it all, and then take conscious action. I’ve been dreaming of a day when we can all wake up to our shared truth. As it turns out this comes with a lot of pain and unrest. I’m willing to feel it. I just hope that all of our hearts can break open a little more to let the real light of unity out into the open. To shed light on our brothers and sisters who are mistreated every day. To make positive change. To lead from our hearts more than our heads.
So, as a leader, entrepreneur, healer, and as a white woman, I am saying my messy piece. I will no longer turn my cheek to keep myself comfortable, I will not stay quiet, I will not tolerate racism or discrimination from others, I will consistently look inwards at my own ugly biases so I can release them.
To be very crystal clear, I love black people. I love indigenous people. I love asian people. I love brown people. Some of my dearest friends are of a race other than white. I just want to do better.
Let's keep the conversation going. Leave a comment if you've got some (kind) words to share.
2 videos that have broken my heart and opened my eyes this past week:
Compelling IG stories:
Love love love,
Kelsey