As I begin this blog, I am aware that words are empty without real and sustained change. I am also aware that silence is not an option in the work of antiracism and social justice. You have likely been flooded by emails, posts, declarations and perhaps produced your own. My intention here is to add my voice to the collective uprising as well as to offer resources so that words become actions and actions become real and sustained change. Equal to or even more importantly, I am sharing my own awakening and inner reckoning as part of practicing anti-racism. This moves me out of my comfort zone and into new and somewhat uncomfortable terrain.
Though I have always known that racism exists, it has impacted my family, my marriage and my clients far more than I understood. I have also come to realize how deeply the pain of it lives inside of me and my body. As I navigate these new waters, I am not finding easy answers nor always experiencing clarity. But by finding the courage to engage my voice, work with my own defenses, and practice curiosity, non-judgment and receptivity, I seem to be stumbling forward in the right direction. Moments shared with my partner, my clients and others of grieving together and waking up together for me, shine the light of hope.
So many of us are looking at what this “wake up” call means and what form it is to take such that we are part of healing and reparation. Perhaps you know what that looks like for you….learning, activism, donating, sitting with uncomfortable feelings and/or engaging in a dialogue with others instead of choosing silence. Perhaps you are still exploring. Either way, my deepest encouragement is to find a sustainable path forward that is authentic to you. To add my support, I have produced a batch of resources that you can find under Resources here. There are many more resources out there and likely many more to come. I strongly encourage you to find what resonates for you as well as find a pace that keeps you engaged in a meaningful way.
In loving kindness and solidarity,
Katherine