A Note from Karen: Since starting this blog, I don’t usually talk about anything other than writing, productivity, change, or faith. The recent events related to social injustice compel me to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Here’s a look at how to show support for Black Lives Matter.
My thoughts on recent events in the news
The past few weeks and months have been tough for me. The senseless deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and others are heartbreaking.
And unfortunately, all too familiar.
No matter how many times I see social injustice, excessive force, prejudice, unconscious bias, and systemic racism against people of color, I am shocked and disappointed. It’s hard to believe I’m still facing the same injustices endured by my great grandparents.
In the spirit of those who fought before me, I’m taking a stand for human rights. I sincerely appreciate all of the bloggers, writers, clients, and entrepreneurs who sent me messages of support in recent weeks. Now I must speak out through my platform to bring about the change I want to see.
Ways you can help
In addition to peaceful protests, there are several ways to join me in supporting the Black Lives Matter movement through action.
In recent weeks, I’ve joined organizations in their fight against racism and injustice:
NAACP (the leading civil rights organization in the country).
Equal Justice Initiative (an organization committed to challenging racial and economic injustice).
Read more about racial and social injustice, consider buying books from a Black-owned bookstore, or donate to support grieving families and protesters.
If you decide to donate, here’s a tool highlighting people and companies that will match donations.
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere
In addition to the social injustice we see across the news, we must also examine systemic racism in other places like the publishing industry.
On June 8, book publishing and media workers committed to “a day of action in solidarity” in the long history of murders and injustice of Black people. The 1,500 workers also cited the publishing industry’s failure to hire and retain Black employees or publish a significant number of Black authors. The group donated one day’s pay to the Equal Justice Initiative and asked others to join them.
You can follow the group’s discussion through #PubWorkers4BlackLives on Twitter.
We cannot stop now
In addition to witnessing senseless acts of violence and racism, I see hope. In recent weeks, it’s been nice to see peaceful protests involving people of all races and ethnic backgrounds. I’m pleased to see people talking, learning, and growing.
But we cannot stop now.
We must keep pushing forward for the change we want to see in the world.