I had an entirely different post planned for today, but it is being put off until next week, because it is vital to take a moment to reflect and make it very clear where I stand regarding the current situation in America.

In the past I have made mention that I do not support the current administration, but with the wave of protests that echo the Civil Rights Movement, it is impossible to remain quiet across all of my social media platforms. It would be irresponsible to do so. I have already spoken out on my other platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. However I realize not everyone is on those platforms. Therefore, I wanted to give this subject matter its own post, instead of just tacking it onto another post as I have done previously with heavy issues.

Image Courtesy of Black Lives Matter

I stand with the Black Lives Matter movement. Earlier this week Anaheim had a Black Lives Matter protest, however Patrick and I chose not to participate due to the continued COVID-19 pandemic. In observing the protest on social media it went peacefully. Patrick and I did choose to donate money to several organizations, links of which will be provided at the bottom of this post. If you have a protest happening in your area and wish to attend, please do the research to know if it is a valid protest, as there are many false ones organized by racist groups in an attempt to give the BLM movement a bad name. Please take precautions, be peaceful, wear a mask, and practice social distancing, which I know is extremely difficult, and why we did not participate.

Now, more than ever, we need to ask ourselves what America means? We call ourselves the land of the free. We built a country saying “all men are created equal.” The ideas of America are wonderful, but our practice of them has failed. We build a better country by treating people fairly, helping each other, building each other up, and holding people who commit atrocities responsible. We all play a role in making the ideas of America a reality. Sadly racism and other prejudices have permeated our country since the white man arrived on its shores. And many of us have been silent in too many ways for far too long. Have that uncomfortable conversation with a friend or family member. Call people out. Amplify the voices of minorities. And if you can, put your time and/or money where your mouth is.

While February is Black History Month, June is Pride Month, and know that I also stand to support to the LGBTQ community as well. However June is also still very integral to the African-American community as it celebrates Juneteenth, the day that marks the end of slavery in the United States. You can read more about Juneteenth here. Even though we ended slavery over a century and a half ago, the post-Civil War era through the mid-20th century was filled with Jim Crow laws and segregation, which impacted the African-American community negatively in a way that has permeated into today’s generation. It also instilled racist attitudes that sadly continue to thrive. Today we must no longer be simply non-racist, but we need to actively be anti-racist, and take a stand.

If you wish to donate, I recommend the following organizations, all of which Patrick and I donated to earlier this week:

NAACP

Southern Poverty Law Center

Reclaim the Block

Black Visions Collective

Minnesota Freedom Fund

I also recommend purchasing from Black owned businesses. Here are some resources:

85 Black Owned Restaurants in LA via Los Angeles Times

10 Black Owned Online Bookstores via Afrotech

15 Black Owned Beauty Brands via Harper’s Bazaar

I understand that due to COVID-19, many may be barely making ends meet, however, you can help in non-monetary ways by signing petitions, reading, watching, and supporting content by Black creators, and most importantly, voting this fall.

A huge thank you to Carla in giving me guidance with this post. You can follow Carla on the following platforms:

Instagram

YouTube

Twitter

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