BLACKOUT JUNE
/I’m pretty sure this blog is going to last longer than me — unless the internet self-implodes or a giant asteroid strikes Earth — and because of that, I want my kids and my kids’ kids to know what their mama stood for. …and how she woke up from her convenient white unconsciousness.
I’ve always known BLACK LIVES MATTER. Like, of course they do. But I hadn’t ever really given thought as to how I should ensure that truth in whatever way I could in my own white, privileged life. Why? Because I’ve lived a white, privileged life…and never HAD to. Oh my goodness…What have we done? What have we inadvertently allowed to happen?!
BLACKOUT TUESDAY - On June 2nd, 2020 a collective action to protest racism and police brutality took place on Instagram in response to the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor (amongst many many others before them). Social media was flooded with symbolic black squares in an initiative to go silent, pause posting your own content, reflect on recent events, and stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.
As much controversy as I saw surrounding it - with people “doing it wrong” or whatever - I UNDERSTOOD IT. The concept resonated with me, and for me BLACKOUT TUESDAY became BLACKOUT JUNE.
I was really taken aback by how many white people/women/companies felt the need to swoop in right quick and caption their take on the whole thing, in a desperate mad rush to prove how “allied” they were. I strongly felt it was not our place to WHITESPLAIN the situation. It was our time to SHUT UP and LISTEN. How can you WHITESPLAIN how much of an ally you are when we allowed this to happen in the first place? We were not paying attention. We dropped the ball. Even though we knew what was happening out there was wrong, we didn’t want to be inconvenienced by speaking up and taking action, and guess what: PEOPLE DIED. PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DENIED ACCESS. You cannot Instagram caption how WOKE you are once you’ve AWAKENED. You first need to come to terms with the insidious SLEEP that caused the NIGHTMARE of the current reality in the first place.
MY FIRST PROTEST - I attended my first protest on JUNE 1st and it was incredibly impactful on me, especially the family of five below holding up signs that read CUTE LITTLE BLACK BOYS TURN INTO STRONG BLACK MEN AND THEY ALL MATTER!!!
I think of the mother in that photo - who must live with incessant daily worry about her whole family of black males existing in a system that - in essence - dehumanizes their blackness and has for centuries. It’s NOT right. It has to stop. Reform must come. (BTW…HUMANIZE BLACKNESS tee)
The rest of this post is a round up of resources and media from the past month that have helped inform me, personally, of why and how I could do better. My learning and unlearning alongside action and unity with black Americans will go on long after this post is published, but this has been my start.
I learned what BIPOC stands for, and why we should consider using it over POC to be more inclusive.
I LOVED this post by @beabridgebuilder because it put into words what I’m starting to understand as a white woman. That I need to “learn to be still and listen and learn…[take action] from a posture of awareness and humility, always being open and flexible to change your process as you learn from Black people.”
This newsletter by illustrator Octavia Bromell had a great link list in it for different ways you could help put energy into learning the facts and being actively antiracist.
This YouTube video was powerful and at a minute into it Jennifer Lewis’s “Take Your Knee Off My Neck” gave me chills.
This segment by John Oliver on police brutality is a MUST WATCH all the way to the end with how he closes out the show.
The principal of my school encouraged us teachers to share this children’s book entitled “Momma Did You Hear The News?” with our students the week after George Floyd was murdered.
This book and books like it are important for our kids in today’s world. Often times, we teachers have agendas and curriculum to attend to, but kids will never absorb the curriculum and develop new skills if they are walking in to our classroom with fear and confusion.
@thetututeacher is a kindergarten teacher on Instagram whose feed is full of a great round up of picture books that address different social issues kids might face in the world today. Thanks, Vera!
My amazing friend Nita Patterson - who I met when I worked for The Happy Planner years ago and made sure was put on that year’s design team because of her innovation and creativity - posted this video on her Black Experience in The Planner Community.
She is such an inspiring presence (we interviewed her on the podcast) and after watching this video, my biggest take away - as a white woman and as Nita’s friend - is the bravery she showed. Her voice shakes at times, but she is steadfast in her conviction and it was - for me - a way to see how speaking up can be done.
Dave Chapelle’s impromptu purging of feelings and thoughts delivered during his show in Ohio on June 6, 2020 is necessarily chilling. I saw brief few second intervals of George Floyd’s murder and couldn’t take much more of it, but the impassioned way that Chapelle describes the nuances of what happened is a must-watch.
Along with this video, he encourages the support of the Equal Justice Initiative and the protection of human rights. For more information on the EJI or to make a donation please go to https://support.eji.org/chappelle.
On June 12, 2020, Rayshard Brooks was fatally shot by Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe after he fell asleep at the wheel at a Wendy’s drive thru. In the midst of our protest-ridden, pandemic-stricken, racially-polarized world ANOTHER black man - ANOTHER BLACK MAN - was murdered at the hands of the police officer.
On The Daily Show, Trevor Noah addressed the death of Rayshard Brooks saying “You don’t deserve to die for being drunk” as well as other really important points like what it truly means to PROTECT & SERVE.
‘This Is Us’ Star Lonnie Chavis wrote an open letter about racism, saying ‘This Is What the World Looks Like for Me’ as a 12-year old black boy.
JUNETEENTH - Morgan Harper Nichols is one of my favorite presences on Instagram, and her post and collection of artwork for JUNETEENTH was beautiful and worth reposting. She is always so poignant and inspirational. // I read the kids the picture book “Juneteenth for Mazie.”
I love the artwork and planner stickers by Capitol Chic Designs™️ and bought some of her BLM and Black Power themed dolls for an upcoming spread in my Passion Planner. I’m obsessed.
Azzari Jarrett has beautifully designed Black Lives Matter cards you can purchase by donating to one of the organizations she listed, and Kelly Purkey also collaborated with Candace Carson and Salomée for BLM products as well.
I learned about Elijah McClain - who was killed nearly a year ago in Colorado after police responded to a call about a suspicious person. Having anemia, he'd worn a ski mask to stay warm while going to the convenience store. // You can sign the petition to demand just for Elijah.
I finally watched The Hate U Give, and 13TH on Netflix is a must see.
MISH MOSH. That’s what this post is: a mish mosh of tragic stories we can’t allow to happen again, motivation to make change happen, inspiring black artists follow, black businesses to buy from, and black media to watch. ...and there is no real end. We have to keep pursuing change and acting to right wrongs, include, keep safe, and grant access. ENOUGH.
I am not black, but I see you. I hear you. I mourn with you. I will fight for you. Today, tomorrow, and always.
