If you are not currently taking the time to educate yourself and open your mind to social injustice and black lives matter, you are making a conscious choice to live with the racism you possess. You are saying a 1 minute read about how you can easily impact change is not important to you. You are saying that the words and pain of others is not important to you because it is not something you can relate to.
If you are ignoring current events, it’s because you have the privilege to do so. It’s because you know that you can carry on with your life and nothing will change. It’s because you know that you don’t have to worry about confrontations with cops or being racially profiled. It’s because you are comfortable.
For those of you who are aware of your friends, family members, and those you know not taking part in the conversation – don’t choose to accept them for who they are, choose to keep fighting louder until they understand. As Amy Poehler has said, “it takes years to unlearn something that has been taught.” Continue to teach and push forward. This is not about keeping them comfortable, it’s about changing the narrative from their comfortableness to change for those who are uncomfortable.
On the other hand, I know that the unfollow button is cleansing. I have used it quite a few times in the last few days. If racism is obvious, unfollowing is not a sign of weakness. Some people are not worth the challenge.
Earlier today I shared an incredible organization that is dedicated to providing therapy and mental health initiatives to women and young girls of color called The Loveland Foundation. As I pointed out, this is not a direct reaction to George Floyd’s death or other police brutality instances that have happened, but a cause that does go hand in hand. Watching your brothers and sisters die for simply the color of the skin is mentally and emotionally scarring. Not knowing if your sons or fathers will return is a burden no one should have to bare. Learning about this organization has opened my eyes to how deep social injustice goes. It stems far beyond police brutality. It’s engraved in every aspect of life. I realized I was privileged to think everyone has access to help with their mental health. I was wrong. I need to be better. I want to be better. I’m going to be better.
The biggest thing to embody right now is that silence is deafening. As I said before, there is an abundance of information going around to educate and inform those who wish to learn how to be better people and be part of systematic change. Individuals, although it is not their responsibility, have taken the time to outline ways we can actively be allies to the black community right now. It is so easy to find this information, in fact it will be right here on this site. If you say you “can’t” it’s because you are actively trying not to.
As a dedication to social injustice and Black Lives Matter, myself and our contributors will be putting together resources and pieces that reflect the current outrage, need for information, need for donations, and need for understanding. Through our resources provided, everyone will be able to educate themselves, know how they can help, both socially and financially, and see the ongoing impact social injustice, police brutality, and inequalities people of color face every day.
If there’s anything the women of Babes Who Ball have taught us is that we are at our best when we are vulnerable and honest. Personal stories from people of color will be shared, teachers will reflect on how they approach racism and the current social climate in the classroom, and you will hear from social workers and their experience being dedicated to those who are oppressed.
This is an inclusive initiative that we hope will contribute, in some way, to everlasting change.
Now is a great time to reevaluate whom we keep close to us and whom we wish to grow with. Your tribe attracts your vibe. Now is the time to question ourselves and realize our privilege. Now is the time to be active in making change. Now is the time to listen to our black friends and be a voice for them and with them. Now is the time to put our money where our mouths are. Now is the time to stand up and be the change.
Please be aware that Babes Who Ball was founded on a love of sports and female empowerment. There will still be content relating to that interspersed with this initiative to be an ally for black lives. You can still expect sassy instagram posts, sports stories, and the overall voice of BWB to continue on. We are aware that everyone needs a release and we want to be that for you as well. In order to keep up the fight and not burn out, we think it’s incredibly important to find a way to be harmonious with being socially active and staying true to our roots. Please don’t be off put by diverse content. We want to be an outlet for both change while also entertaining you. We thank you for bearing with us and want you to know that your support means the world.
I want to leave you with this quote.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO PUT YOURSELF IN THE SHOES OF OTHERS, YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE OPPRESSED.
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