To Where Do We Go Now?

Something fantastic happened in Raleigh this weekend as this message was painted by volunteers in front of CAM Raleigh on Martin St.

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It is everyone’s responsibility to make sure our young, black or brown girls and boys live long, full lives. I don’t tolerate hate or racism.

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I cannot imagine not having a diverse inner circle of friends, a diverse base of clients, diverse committees with whom I volunteer and a diverse neighborhood in which I live.

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Decisions made by diverse groups are higher quality, wiser and more apt to have a more positive impact than those made by like-minded groups. When interacting, “I see your color, honor you and value your input” is the goal, not “I see no color.” Y’all, I firmly believe we are better together, and, together, everyone achieves more; those are not just cliche phrases but, instead, are actual mantras.

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In today’s world, if you’re not angry, you’re not paying attention, and we must take peaceful steps toward living together as equals. It’s never too early to start having these conversations with the next generation as well as our peers. As I heard recently, “Until all of us are somebody, nobody is anything”.

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As my friend Jim Scott shared recently, those who are disparaging the character of George Floyd are completely missing the point of the recent #BlackLivesMatter protests; these aren’t about how George Floyd lived, but, instead, they’re about the far too many black and brown individuals who have died way too early in life.

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We all must do better. As a white woman, I will be educating myself, listening carefully, proceeding with empathy and always taking action. Know that we are better together.