Three Things Thursday No. 21: What I’ve Been Up To
Hey there!
How are you doing? I’ve been quiet for a while. With all of the social unrest happening right now, my first instinct was to jump in and shout from the rooftops how passionately I believe in equality and justice.
But I have never experienced racism. I worry about saying or doing the wrong thing. Of offending someone, or worse, hurting them in my ignorance or error. Of being presumptuous when speaking on issues that affect people of color.
On the other hand, I believe with all of my heart that human beings are beautiful in their diversity and noble in their spirit. That we are members of one human family and like flowers in a garden we come in many beautiful colors.
Because I am white, it would be easy to avoid uncomfortable conversations about racism.
Because I care deeply for my fellow human beings, I cannot remain silent.
“Be as a lamp unto them that walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression.”
How each of us chooses to respond to systemic racism is something to consider with heart, mind and spirit. I am not perfect and I’m certain to make mistakes. I apologize in advance if one of those mistakes hurts or offends you.
But I have decided that the most important first step is to show up.
Here are three things that I am doing right now:
Thing 1: Accept & Acknowledge
Like many people, conversations about racism make me incredibly sad, painfully guilty, and deeply uncomfortable. This lighthearted but impactful video from James Cordon and writer Olivia Harewood, helped me to understand how important it is to set aside my discomfort and use the power of my privilege for good.
Thing 2: Listen & Learn
I subscribe to the Pigeon Letters from artist and art educator Peggy Dean. In a recent, beautifully moving email, she shared resources to help people become allies of the Black community. One of these resources was a powerful video by creativity and mindset coach, Iverlei Brookes, entitled, “White Women Who Want to Help, Here’s How.” I was so moved and inspired by this video and I think it has power whether you are male or female.
Thing 3: Make a Commitment
As a minimalism-in-training, one of my favorite newsletters is from Courtney Carver from Be More with Less. She is wonderfully gentle, insightful and inspiring in my journey toward letting go of excess stuff. In a recent newsletter she shared some personal thoughts about being uncomfortable that I deeply appreciated (you can read a copy of the newsletter here).
She also shared that she had taken the Anti-Racism Small Business Pledge, and I have now taken this pledge as well. I am still a one-woman business, but I have made the commitment to grow in diversity as I grow my business.
I am deeply committed to creating a safe space at Simple Creative Home that celebrates stories, homes, holidays and experiences from people of many colors, faiths and walks of life. If you are or know a Black, Indigenous or Person of Color who would like to be a guest author for Simple Creative Home, please let me know or send them my way.
“The supreme need of humanity is cooperation and reciprocity. The stronger the ties of fellowship and solidarity...the greater will be the power of constructiveness and accomplishment in all the planes of human activity.”
Bonus Homework: Continue to Learn
There are many lists of books on the topic of racism, but Peggy Dean recommended one that I’ve seen mentioned frequently to white people hoping to support the Black community: White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin J. DiAngelo. It is very hard to find in print right now, but it is readily available in electronic versions from Amazon. I have given myself the assignment of reading this and will be reporting back when I’m done.
I’ve also found it very powerful to follow the hashtag #amplifymelanatedvoices on Facebook—hearing the stories from people of color and their experiences with racism are educational, moving, inspiring and heartbreaking, all at the same time.
That’s it!
Thank you for reading, I appreciate you more than you know. I know this isn’t my usual topic, but the connectedness of all human beings and true equality and justice are too important to not talk about them. Thank you for hearing my thoughts and what I am doing.
I’d love to hear your thoughts and any resources you know of that we can use to support the BIPOC community. Share them in the comments below.
All my love,
P.S. Here are a couple of bonus books to check out, both recommended by Courtney Carver. These are next on my list after I finish White Fragility:
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla Saad
Many thanks to the generosity of photographers whose work is shared for free on Unsplash: Andrew Neel and Aarón Blanco Tejedor.
