Our weekly production meeting lingered in the back of my mind as I consumed the news and social media this past weekend and connected with loved ones. What could I share with the team that would feel even a bit inspirational during this time of deep hurt and unrest? It’s hard to be positive right now, and all I can think about is the murder of George Floyd and the overt racism experienced by Christian Cooper in Central Park. The unrelated piece I wrote last week seems pretty insignificant right now, and being quietly outraged isn’t enough.

So I’m shifting my focus to sharing ways to learn and support the revolution taking place. I’m calling myself out - I know I personally have a lot of overdue work to do as a white woman - and I can’t put that responsibility on others. My questions may be awkward. I may not always say the right thing. I’m having conversations I should have initiated months, if not years ago. But I’m going to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, and above all, listen.

If you’re reading this, please ask yourself how you will truly show up during this time, and how you will encourage others to do so. Here are a few places to start.

Public Address on Revolution: Revolution Now | Rachel Cargle

Killer Mike Delivers Emotional Speech to Atlanta Protestors at Mayor’s Press Conference

Anti-racism resources Google Doc created by Sarah Sophie Flicker and Alyssa Klein

And finally, a few words to take into the days ahead from Rupi Kaur’s “the sun and her flowers”

A personal reflection on the work that needs to be done.

Revolution

Regular

I know for many of my friends, it’s been a long few weeks, riding the coat tails of what was a long few months. They. Are. Spent.

And what I want to do is pick them up, hug them and tell them it will be okay. But that’s not enough. There is more to be done. And there is a long road ahead for all of us.

While Mrs. Obama’s words were meant for the graduating seniors of 2020, they hit me hard. I believe they were meant for me too. And you. And you and you and you.

So here’s a brief excerpt, but please listen to them all. Maybe a few times? And share them with your friends and family. Now isn’t the time to rest. We must keep pushing.

“…a lot of us are reckoning with the most basic essence of who we are. 

So, I want you to know that it’s okay to be confused. It’s okay if you don’t understand exactly what you’re feeling. We’re all sorting through this in real time. But here’s the thing: While this period is certainly unprecedented, it is not a complete anomaly, simply some random coincidence to be dismissed.

No, what’s happening right now is the direct result of decades of unaddressed prejudice and inequality.

The truth is, when it comes to all those tidy stories of hard work and self-determination that we like to tell ourselves about America, well, the reality is a lot more complicated than that. Because for too many people in this country, no matter how hard they work, there are structural barriers working against them that just make the road longer and rockier. And sometimes it’s almost impossible to move upward at all.

Because if you’re required to work during a pandemic, but don’t have enough protective equipment or health insurance from your employer, or paid sick leave, what is more essential: your work or your life?

If you don’t feel safe driving your own car in your own neighborhood, or going for a jog, or buying some candy at 7/11, or bird-watching — if you can’t even approach the police without fearing for your life — well, how do you begin to chart your own course?

And as so often is the case, these questions compound upon themselves. See, if you’re struggling already just to keep your head above water, if you’re living in a constant state of fear, how much further behind will you be after months in quarantine and without a job?

These are uncomfortable questions, questions that have dogged this country for generations but are now staring us in the face every time we look at our phones or hear helicopters circling our neighborhoods.

And the tough part is, nobody has all the answers — if my generation did, trust me, we’d have fixed all of this a long time ago.

But that doesn’t mean we should feel hopeless.

Just the opposite, because what we finally do have is focus — we see what’s happening in stark relief; we see how these inequalities are playing out on our streets.

And it’s not just the communities most affected by these challenges that see it now — it’s folks all across the country who for too long have had the luxury and privilege of looking away.

We all have no choice but to see what has been staring us in the face for years — for centuries.

So the question is: How will we respond?”

Michelle Obama's 2020 Commencement Address