“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.” Desmond Tutu I can’t even tell you the first time the name George Floyd appeared on my screen. What I will tell you is that I didn’t click the video. In the back of my mind I just said, “another one,” and moved on with my day. I have become that numb and indifferent. And that’s a problem and it’s disgusting. I am convicted; therefore, I will not remain silent. I am not an activist. I am not the person protesting downtown. I am not the person urging you to call or text a number to hold someone accountable for using their power incorrectly. But I am a Christ follower and that is enough for me to leave the comfort of my head and write this. I honestly didn’t know how to or think I’d speak on the issue because I rarely do publicly. I always wrestle with it because I think to myself, “they don’t need my two cents.” And I still think that but only because I am not qualified to speak on the injustices against the black community around me, and I never will be. With that being said, I do genuinely offer myself and my business to fight injustice the best way I can. So, I am here to tell you that I am not neutral. It is not hard for me to side with you. I believe you when you say your life is hard. I believe your trauma. I do not choose the side of the oppressor and I never will. You are not less. You are worthy. You are enough. I am sorry if my silence contributed to the pain you feel. I choose you. I choose to speak up for you. I choose to defend you. I see you. I hear you. I am with you. ---- I know and you know that words are not enough. So, I will make sure my words aren’t empty. And if you find yourself needing proof of this, please reach out to me personally. Love, Gaby *** Updated June 4, 2020 below this line *** These are some links and other resources (some are repeated) I've collected for my own use, which I'm adding here for future reference and if you need any direction about what you can do right now. Ways to Help - When You’re Done: Educate Yourself. This Doesn’t Go Away Once The Topic Isn’t, “Trending.” https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/ Master list of Resources and Actions https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u_YdicYNxwquI3uOINEsbulUTYveMizfghBP2oa0y8I/edit Petition - Join our mission as we call on major retailers to pledge 15% of their shelf space to black owned-businesses https://www.15percentpledge.org/ Anti racism resources https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BRlF2_zhNe86SGgHa6-VlBO-QgirITwCTugSfKie5Fs/mobilebasic What is Systemic Racism? https://www.raceforward.org/videos/systemic-racism Fight For Breonna https://justiceforbreonna.org/ https://tinyurl.com/breonnataylorky How to help Black Lives Matter: 9 things you can do for the George Floyd protesters right now https://www.fastcompany.com/90511515/how-to-help-black-lives-matter-9-things-you-can-do-for-the-george-floyd-protesters-right-now Email for the Minneapolis Police Department for George Floyd https://tinyurl.com/emailforfloyd *** updated March 9, 2021 below this line***
I received an incredibly nice email with more resources to share with you! This link provides a list of nearly 200 Black-owned businesses (sorted by category!) where you can shop and continue to support those affected by the ongoing pandemic as well as the fight for racial inequality. will add more as I come across them <3
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AuthorMy name is Gaby. I am the founder of Pinales Illustrated, where my sister and I share our art in various forms with the world. Categories |
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