June 11th, 2020

I want to be clear where I stand: Black Lives Matter

Photo by Maria Oswalt on Unsplash

Let me be to the point and abundantly clear where I stand: BLACK LIVES MATTER.

Black Lives have ALWAYS mattered.

But saying that simply isn’t enough.

How can it be when George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and so, so many others’ lives have been taken?

How can it be when black women pray every day their sons will make it to adulthood and thrive?
How can it be when here in the US a black man still only makes 69.7 cents for every dollar a white man makes, and a black women only makes 60.8 cents compared to that same dollar? *

There are centuries of pain and a deep wound that is calling out to be healed.

As a white woman, I have a lot to learn.

This last two weeks have been cracking me open and I’m being called to look deeper within myself and make changes.

I have been looking back through my life and career and seeing all the moments where I haven’t created real equity and inclusion in my business and my life.

Many moments when I could have done better.

It has brought me to tears many times.
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It’s time, in fact it's long overdo, to know better and do better.

I have been listening, reading, having conversations and attending trainings so I can learn more about what it means to be anti-racist, and what steps I can take right now to create more safe space, reduce harm and take an even stronger stand for racial and economic justice.

I don’t have all the answers — I know I’ve made mistakes and will make more mistakes I’m sure — but I’m committed to developing a greater awareness of what’s going on and what black, brown and Indigenous people are experiencing so that I can best serve all of my clients and students with understanding, respect and dignity.

Kathryn

*Source: Economic Policy Institute. From 2017
https://www.epi.org/blog/black-workers-have-made-n...