in the last few weeks i have been seeing headlines about how the initial support for black lives matter that surged after george floyd’s murder has waned across the country, most significantly among white americans. while i have continued to see posts on my twitter timeline, i have noticed that the initial uptick i was seeing on instagram seems to have leveled off.

there are a number of factors that can be contributing to this, including fatigue, attention being diverted to the election and the new school year, and needing an emotional break. all of these are valid, yes, but also no systemic changes will ever happen if we allow ourselves to lose interest or become distracted when it is no longer convenient to pay attention.

a few months ago i shared a list of all the resources, books, podcasts, ted talks, etc that i had found useful in my own journey of unlearning and re-learning. in the months since i have continued to engage in conversation with friends, to read and watch and learn, to share resources [mostly on instagram but also occasionally on twitter] with my networks, to support black-owned businesses, to donate to organizations working on issues of racial justice, and to encourage others to do the same. i have admittedly not been as consistent as i hoped in contacting my local representatives, so that is going to be a priority for me in the coming months. i am also awaiting a shipment of postcards to send to voters in swing states reminding them of the importance of our upcoming election.

i don’t say any of that in search of praise or platitudes, so please do not think that is my intention. i say it because part of the reason i have this blog is to hold myself accountable. if i am going to ask others to educate themselves and take action, then the least i can do is share what i am doing on all the same fronts.

the main thing i want to ensure is that this continues. these conversations cannot stop. this momentum cannot stop. the apathy our country has for ongoing racial injustices must come to an end.

please, please continue paying attention. continue educating yourselves and those around you. continue uplifting voices that have been silenced for centuries. continue advocating for those who cannot advocate for themselves. continuing doing the hard work that needs to be done to create an equitable society for everyone.

i promise i will do the same.

xx