As an “influencer,” and really as a person, I often ask myself what my purpose is. Am I here to try to help make a difference, or not?
I know many influencers tend to shy away from “hard” and heavy topics of [violent] racism, such as #justiceforgeorgefloyd #justiceforbreonnataylor #justiceforahmaud #christiancooper and the list tragically goes on. But who are these topics hard for? Certainly not as hard for those of us who are not Black and who don’t live the reality of constant threat of harassment or death.
If I am to “influence,” I’d personally 100% prefer it include meaningful, social and racial justice topics than not. Because what good is this platform of mine if I ignored reality?
If I did that, if I ignore the painful and scary parts of the country and world we live in and brushed over real issues, it would in a way make my whole MOM brand personally feel fluffy and 𝘧𝘢𝘬𝘦.
If I hope to empower and inspire all women and moms, I can not *ignore* racism simply because I’m not exactly sure what to say or whether whatever I do say is the right/helpful thing to say. The reality is Black families and communities unfortunately have to deal with and navigate a world full of racism, a world I would be 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭 in if I chose to do nothing, to stay silent.
So while a world full of peace and equality seems too far out of reach sometimes, we have to continue moving toward that goal. It’s not simply about loving one another more or choosing love over hate. That’s part of it. But you don’t have to love someone, or even know them, to respect them and treat them with dignity. It’s not about being color blind because unless medically so, we in fact see color very much.
It’s about practicing compassion. And it’s about confronting racism head-on— that means learning about + actively adopting anti-racist ideals and behaviors, and holding our circles accountable.
In my highlights are anti-racism resources I hope are of help. While systemic change is very needed, change starts at home — with each and every one of us.
We need to do better, and be better. I know we can, I just hope we will.
