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Justice and Compassion for All, not just the Animals
This week's protests in Minneapolis, Charlotte, and almost every major city in the US show that people of color continue to be pushed to the brink of what they can bear and are forced take to the streets to express their frustrations.
And they are right to do so.
I've asked myself so many times - what can I do to help as a white small business owner...
If you're looking for some ideas on how to start the work, here's a few:
Read a pile of books. (Some good ones to start with are just below)
Support Black owned businesses with your time and dollars (links are below)
Donate to causes and bail support funds (links are below)
Call your friends and family out, and be willing to hear being called out yourself, if it feels like racism is guiding choices or conversation.
But we have to do SO MUCH more. We have to stand with Black people in protest. Believe them when they tell us they can't breathe, protect them when they're unfairly harassed by the police, understand when they speak out in frustration or fear or anger. Be consistently present. Consistently helpful. Consistently allies.
All it takes to understand those strong emotions and feelings is to sit quietly and empathize. Why is that so hard to do?
We talk about compassion and empathy a LOT in the vegan movement - but we often fall short of showing our fellow humans as much kindness and respect as we do the animals. And that has to change.
Tabitha Brown posed the question today:
Why are we not seeing Black people as human?
"Killing, hurting, hating and fearing people because of the color of their skin means they aren’t being seen as human!" I can't agree more. We all agree on how vitally important it is to treat the planet and its animal inhabitants with love and respect, and we must learn to include ALL humans in that circle of compassion as well. And once we've made that decision and done our learning, to LIVE THAT WAY. Consistently. And demand it of our friends, family and neighbors as well.
There are so many ways to get started in this work, but below are a few of my favorite resources and books. Have something you'd like us to list here? Send it my way and I'll take a peek. julia @ nourishcharlotte dot com :)
Thank you for reading, and for your empathy and compassion. #blacklivesmatter
Charlotte Bail Support Network
Black-owned Businesses in Charlotte
Donate to bail funds for protests across the country
Guidelines for being Strong White Allies
75 Things White People Can Do For Racial Justice
BOOKS