The Black Community is Tired of Telling You Why They Are Angry About Systemic Racism and Violence Against Black People. So, Maybe You’ll Listen to a White Woman from Brooklyn.

by | Jun 12, 2020

Chapter 40: Protesting On the Border of Crazy

NOTE TO READER:  Before you delve into this blog, let me first say thank you for showing up today. My desired outcome is for you to learn something you didn’t know and possibly open the opportunity for a thoughtful dialogue on racism in America. My hope is that by using this platform to initiate a long-overdue conversation, we can begin to bridge the divide between Black, Brown, White, and Blue. I will not demonize any group.  It is my wish that by reading this blog, we can take the first step and begin healing from of a long, sordid history that we must mend together. Person by person. Day by day.   

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Let’s start by taking a breath, a deep breath. Feel the air fill your lungs. Hold it for a minute. Then breathe out. Repeat two more times.

What you just did, merely breathing, is something George Floyd will never do again.  

Take another breath and channel a loved one.  Someone special to you, a child, parent, sibling, friend.  Then please begin reading this blog with them in mind…

Together, let’s imagine if…

Imagine if…you got a call from the Police to say that your husband was dead because he was killed by the Police as they suspected him of being the person who used a counterfeit $20 bill to buy a pack of cigarettes. HIS NAME IS GEORGE FLOYD (2020, M.N.)

Imagine if your 25-year old son went out for a jog and you received a call from the Police that he was shot and killed at close range by three White men in broad daylight…HIS NAME IS AHMAUD ARBERY (2020, TN)

Imagine if…you’re living in London and get a call from the Police that your son was pulled over for a speeding violation. The Policeman calls for a tow truck cause your son’s car won’t start again. While they wait for the tow truck to arrive, they hold him in the backseat of the police vehicle.  Something escalates and this results in the murder of your unarmed son…HIS NAME IS MAURICE GORDON (2020, NJ)

Imagine if… your brother was birdwatching and simply asked someone to follow the law and place a leash on their dog. He proceeds to tell you that the woman called the Police on him saying that “an African American man was threatening her”…HIS NAME IS CHRISTIAN COOPER (2020, NY) 

Imagine if…your sister is sleeping in her bed next to her partner. Suddenly, armed men burst through your front door guns drawn and shoot your sister eight times, killing her instantly. HER NAME IS BREONNA TAYLOR (2020, KY)

Imagine if…your 12-year old child was playing in a park with a toy gun with his friends. You get an urgent call from the Police that your son was shot and killed because they mistook it for a real gun. HIS NAME IS TAMIR RICE (2014, OH) 

Imagine if… you let your 19-year old son go to Bensonhurst to buy a used car.  You make sure he goes with some friends so he is safe.  Later that night, you get a call from the Police that your son was beaten and then shot to death by a White mob….HIS NAME IS YUSEF HAWKINS (1989, NY)

Read each name. Take a breath.  Say them out loud. Pray with me.  

George Floyd, Maurice Gordon, Tony McDade, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Dreasjon “Sean” Reed, Jamar Clark, Philando Castile, Botham Jean, Michelle Shirley, Sandra Bland, Redel Jones, Kenney Watkins, Trayvon Martin, Stephon Clark, Eric Garner, Laquan McDonald, Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, Samuel Dubose, Walter Scott, Terence Crutcher, Yvette Smith, Jordan Baker, Sean Reed, Yusef Hawkins, Freddie Gray, Oscar Grant, Emmett Till…

And while these are the extreme and most heinous examples of racism, there are everyday examples of the way the Black community has been targeted throughout American history. Our history is stained with crimes (illegal and legal, covert and overt) against Black people.  Not to mention the incredible strain that COVID-19 has placed on the world and specifically Black and Hispanic communities as they have been hit the hardest by this pandemic.

All too often, I’ve witnessed the inhumane, ignorant, and divisive ways the Black community is targeted because of their skin color.  Let’s just say that again, because of their skin color. 

Throughout my life, and over the past two weeks, I’ve sat and listened to many personal stories from my Black colleagues and friends.  Through tear-stained faces, my friends have exposed their pain and fears.  The trauma they battle as they walk out of the sanctity and safety of their homes. And the most breath-taking, soul-crushing stories were the ones that described the distress they experience in their normal, everyday lives and routines. 

  • For instance, my friend, who has a son that is eight years old, doesn’t let him wear a hoodie because she fears for his life.
  • Another friend won’t jog in a neighborhood he is unfamiliar with because he fears for his life.
  • Another friend gets pulled over again and again for merely driving his car at night in his neighborhood that is predominantly white, he fears for his life.
  • Another friend makes her teenage son call home every 20 minutes to be sure to check-in because, she fears for his life.

These are human beings. They are mothers and fathers, sisters, and brothers, JUST LIKE YOU. For them, there is no rest, nor is there peace. Black people do not have the luxury of living freely in the land of the free.

Truth be told, they’ve unanimously said that while the lynching of Black lives is horrific, criminal, uniformly unacceptable, and the most overtly wrong; it’s the Amy Coopers of the world that they fear the most. She represents the inherent and systemic racism in modern society that inhibits the Black community from advancing. Because it’s not “criminal.” Yet this unconscious bias impacts and inhibits the Black community exponentially and expansively.  And often, it’s the Amy Coopers of the world who are mostly unaware of their prejudice and biases.  

During one of the many conversations I’ve had with people of all races during the past two weeks, a White man told me that people just don’t care about racism or the plight of the Black community.  He said that it isn’t an issue most White people consider their responsibility to fix.  While this was infuriating to hear, I listened.  And respectfully and wholeheartedly disagree.  I have greater faith in people.  I have hope that there are many people who DO care about other humans and are willing to evolve. 

With hope in my heart, let’s begin…

Black lives matter. But sadly, they don’t matter to everyone.  

Saying that Black Lives Matter does not mean all lives aren’t valued. Or that if you support Black Lives Matter it means you are against the Police. I am part of a family of Police officers who are good people and upstanding officers. They don’t deserve to be grouped with the Police officers who have taken their badge to mean judge, jury, and executioner.  But there are Police officers and entire law enforcement departments that need better training and accountability.  Most of the Police officers I know wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment. 

However, there is something called the blue wall of silence, also know as blue code or blue shield, that denotes the informal/unspoken rule among Police officers not to report a colleague’s errors, misconduct, or crimes, including Police brutality.  So even the good cops are silenced and may not report the transgressions and abuse of another officer.

I’ve seen and heard so many arguments about Blue Lives and All Lives… But we cannot say ALL lives matter until the day when BLACK lives matter just as much as White lives. When they are valued equally. When they are not targeted or limited because of the color of their skin.  Again, think about it…the color of their skin.

I am not Black. 

…and I do not speak on behalf of the Black community. Neither am I an expert on racism or diversity. 

I am a white girl from Brooklyn who has witnessed systemic racism from the home I grew up in, to the school I went to, and throughout the 25-year career, I’ve had the privilege to pursue without the limitations imposed on my race. 

I am also a white girl from Brooklyn who chose to challenge my own racism and bias. To learn more and grow from people comprised of People of Color (POC), the LGBTQ+ community, and people of varied religions. I sought out people who were NOT like me because I was curious by nature and an advocate for those that were different. Maybe I always felt different than my own culture and race. Perhaps I never belonged and sought those who were like-minded.

Let it be known that I’m not in any way ashamed of being White.  Nor have I ever been asked by a Black friend or colleague to apologize for being White.  Nor would I ever think to do such a thing. 

However, I’m saddened and angered by how some people in the White community are responding to the BLM movement.  Whether through silence and apathy or rage and anger against looting and rioting, that diverts from the most important issue we need to take head on; the obliteration of racism in America.

Good people are also racist.  

We are ALL born and develop unconscious bias over time.  Unconscious biases are social stereotypes about certain groups of people that individuals form outside their own conscious awareness. Everyone holds unconscious beliefs about various social and identity groups.

These biases begin with your parents, your extended family, and then reinforced by your community.  From there, school and your profession can also affirm your unconscious biases.  Particularly if we grow up and work in homogenous environments.

Once we understand and unpack these biases, we are better equipped to change the behaviors that accompany these biases. Racism is a learned behavior and belief system.  We are NOT born racist.

This does not make you evil.  However, if you never challenge these biases, you develop discriminatory behavior that can often lead to violence.  Inevitably these biases lead to microsagressions, discrimintation and outright racism.

And if you are among the well-intended people who say, “I don’t see color.” Please note this is not possible and not true.  We are all different.  And we need to relish and celebrate those differences. But know that what makes us different does not make us less valuable.

“Take a survey of your life; if it’s monolithic, then change it.” – DP, CEO, 2020

Ask yourself, do I have any Black friends? Colleagues? Family members? Have I ever?  

If your answer is no…then ask yourself why? Circumstances? Upbringing? Lack of exposure?  

If you do, have you ever been to an event, party, or cocktail hour where you were the only white person? If not, ask yourself why? If you did, how did you feel? Were you uncomfortable? If yes, then ask yourself, why? Then imagine what it would be like if you were ALWAYS the only White person in the room. 

Has a Black person been in your home as a guest for dinner? Been to your wedding?

Have you ever had a Black manager or company leader? Ask yourself why? Ask yourself how you would feel reporting into a Black person?  Have you ever hired a Black person?

Ask yourself if you’ve ever witnessed racism or discrimination? Was it overt? Was it coded (see definition below)? Did you say anything to call it out? If you didn’t call it out, ask yourself why? If you did, how was it handled? 

Holding myself to the task, I’ve examined my own life.  Here are my answers to the questions above:

Yes, I do have Black friends and colleagues; thankfully, throughout my life, I’ve had a diverse selection of friends and colleagues that have enriched my life and informed who I’ve become in profound ways.  

Yes, I’ve been to a few parties and events that were predominantly Black—some, not a lot.

Yes, there were times it was uncomfortable at first. It wasn’t something I was used to.

But after the initial discomfort, I had the best time connecting over the impending arrival of my friend’s baby to cheering alongside a massive crowd at a concert. However, I don’t attend events or parties predominantly attended by Black people very often, so I am challenging myself to do that more often. 

Yes, I’ve had Black friends in my home for dinner and parties.  Yes, Black friends (not many) attended my wedding.

Yes, I’ve had one Black manager. In 25 years in the entertainment and media industry, I’ve only had one. Truth be told, I was young in my career, and my manager and I didn’t exactly click. But it never occurred to me that it was different or strange to have a Black leader. Growing up at Time Inc., our team was diverse; it never seemed to be an issue there. Or maybe I was just blinded and youthful.  

Yes, I’ve hired many Black people, women and men, on my team over the past 25 years. 

However, in a quarter of a century, I have not attended an internal meeting or client meeting where the majority (or ALL) of attendees were Black executives.  Ask yourself, how often do Black executives have to enter rooms of mostly or ALL White people.  How do you think that feels?

Until you have experienced it, you will never understand.  There is minimal chance of this happening due to the power, social, and economic structures in America.

Yes, I have witnessed overt and coded racism at school, at work, and with my friends. I’m happy to share that I have said something most of the time and, more so, did something.

I mentor many people, among them Black colleagues. I created a diversity initiative that launched three years ago and, with our team, helped increase representation and diversify our employee population as well as helped pipeline future diverse leaders.

But there have been times I didn’t speak up. Out of shame or shock or just complete disgust; wondering if it was worth engaging with a person who was clearly blinded by their own rage and racists beliefs. But even in the moments I missed, I held myself accountable to be better next time. 

Let me just say, I still have biases. Unconscious and conscious. I’m just like you. All I’ve done is acknowledge my own biases, challenged myself, become more self-aware, and continue to learn and grow from these experiences. I’ve said stupid, ignorant things to some friends, I’ve tripped over ways to communicate appropriately. And with each mistake, I call myself out and learn through feedback and self-reflection.  

If you see something, say something

The silence over the past few weeks has been deafening. The only time many of my White friends/colleagues/family have spoken up was related to their outrage against crimes against Police Officers or anger over the looting and riots around the BLM protests.

While silence is bad, diverting, and ignoring the actual issue of racism and violence against Black people is even worse. Focusing solely on the crimes and havoc caused by looting and rioting sidetracks the conversation from crimes against people to crimes again property. It zeroes in on the destruction of property, not the systematic and perpetual destruction of Black people as a community. This is called dehumanization. After all, a building can be rebuilt; someone’s life cannot be replaced. 

Let me just say it as clearly as I can, I DO NOT in any way advocate for violence against the Police or ANY violence against any citizen. In my view, violence begets violence, but the violence that needs our immediate attention is White supremacist oppression and the systematic murder of Black people. 

Don’t compare LGBTQ+ and other POC groups with Black Lives Matter                       

Someone said to me recently that because they support LGBTQ+, it’s the same as supporting the Black community. While well-intended, each marginalized group comes with its own story of hardship, racism, sexism, homophobia and violence. The origin story is different for each, particularly the Black community. Many Black people in this country descend from enslaved people. (NOTE: not ALL Black people in this country are African-Americans, some are Guyanese, Afro-Latino, Caribbean, etc.).

Let’s be clear, the Africans that were brought to this country as enslaved people four centuries ago is not voluntary immigration (as with the Italian and Irish immigrants). They were considered property. They were beaten, abused, demoralized, murdered FOR GENERATIONS! Once they were given “freedom,” it took over two years for it to reach the South…learn about Juneteenth here The History of Juneteenth

And do you think the government or White community who just lost free labor helped them with a plan?  Do you think they gave them back wages?  Do you think they got medical support, a train ticket, new clothes?

The answer is unequivocally NO!

So why should this matter to YOU (the White community)? 

You, who has likely never experienced discrimination or racism because you are White. 

Have you considered how you would feel if White people were being targeted by Police?  Or how you would feel if you couldn’t get a loan for a house because you were White?  What it would be like to not be able to walk down the street or drive your car without being stopped by the Police without just cause?  How would you feel if that traffic stop inevitably escalates to your untimely murder?  Again and again.  Over and over…for decades and decades, centuries.

How would you respond to Amy Cooper if she were Black and you were the White bird watcher asking her to follow the law but she didn’t want to follow the rules and called the Police to say you were threatening her life?

What happens when you get a new job and your boss is Black? 

How would you feel if your White daughter brings home a Black man that she is in love with?

Or when your grand babies are bi-racial?  Will you love them the same?  Will their skin color matter? 

How will you feel when White people become the “minority” in 2045. For the record, that’s just 25 years away. 

During that year, Whites will comprise 49.7 percent of the population in contrast to 24.6 percent for Hispanics, 13.1 percent for Blacks, 7.9 percent for Asians, and 3.8 percent for multiracial populations?

Does the power shift concern you?  Are you ready to receive a more multi-racial, diverse world?

The great news is that we can all evolve, we can all be better together, as the HUMAN race…and it starts with you.

In order to move forward, we need to begin with the basics…the words, phrases, definitions as well as critical moments in history that will shed a light on why unconscious bias, microaggressions, racism and discrimination continue to thrive in America today.

PHRASES & DEFINITIONS 

Unconscious Bias: Bias is a prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way that’s considered to be unfair. Biases may be held by an individual, group, or institution and can have negative consequences.

Unconscious bias is an assumption we make about another person or group of people based on shared cultural stereotypes, rather than a thoughtful judgment. 

 There are types of biases: 

1. Conscious bias (also known as explicit bias) and

2. Unconscious bias (also known as implicit bias)

It is important to note that biases, whether conscious or unconscious, are not limited to ethnicity and race. Though racial prejudice and discrimination are well documented, biases may exist toward any social group. One’s age, gender, gender identity, physical abilities, religion, sexual orientation, weight, and many other characteristics are subject to bias.

For example, girls can only wear pink and play with Barbie dolls, or overweight people are lazy, men are supposed to be tough and not be emotional, etc. Here’s a great article I found from Time Magazine that explains further Jennifer Eberhardt: Overcoming implicit bias

Unconscious bias is far more prevalent than conscious prejudice and often incompatible with one’s conscious values. Certain scenarios can activate unconsciousattitudes and beliefs. For example, biases may be more frequent when multi-tasking or working under time pressure.

  1. Lives in our subconscious: our brain is putting labels on people. When we see someone in the first moment, we make instant judgments based on what they look like. And then we create a narrative about them
  2. Doesn’t always match our declared beliefs: for the people who say they are not racist, sexist, etc. however, unconscious belief relay’s a different message. We need to be intentional in checking our bias
  3. It can show up in the form of a “compliment”: always one person who comes up and says, “you are so well-spoken. So articulate.” Words don’t always match what we intend; this is called microaggression
  4. We all have it! No matter who or what you are Black, gay, straight, male, female, we ALL have unconscious bias. Unconscious bias becomes an issue when you can’t be moved from your original judgment. 

Interested in seeking to identify whether or not you have an unconscious bias?  Take the Harvard University test: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/research/registration/Register.jsp

What Was This Study About?

In this study, Harvard examined people’s evaluations toward pictures of the White person, and the Black person and how these relate to the behaviors learned about them and to the social groups they belong to. 

They sought to identify which of these two sources of information (the individual’s behaviors, the social group) matters the most, in forming a judgment about the individual.

OK, I took the test, and this was the result “Your responses suggested a moderate automatic preference for the Black person over the White person.”

In order to have context of my results, you need to experience the test. It only takes 15 minutes, uninterrupted. 

Racism: is prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s race is superior.

Referring to a group of humans as “The Blacks” or “The Gays” (as I’ve often heard) is one of the ways manypeople describe People of Color and homosexuals that dehumanizes them, minimizes their individuality and perpetuates racism and homophobia through unconscious biases that we affiliate with each of these groups. 

Systemic Racism: The collective failure of an organization to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their color, culture, or ethnic origin.  

While many businesses and corporations have ‘diversity’ policies, and many individuals in these workplaces do want a more representative workforce, many companies and corporations are still predominantly White. (One need only to look at the photos in any Business Section of a city newspaper or a Board of Directors page to see this)

Why is this the case? People tend to feel more comfortable with people who talk and act most like themselves. Because of this, institutions and systems tend to reproduce themselves in ways that perpetuate the status quo.

Currently, many companies are using the concept of “fit” in hiring practices. “Fit” refers to how a person is perceived as ‘fitting in to’ and ‘contributing to’ an existing workplace culture. It is discouraging, but perhaps not surprising, then, that white employers will, generally, see white applicants (with white, middle-class perspectives), as a better fit than people of color. 

For those that don’t fit the mold already existing and controlled by the “majority” in industries (the White community), Black candidates automatically fall off the consideration list.  This perpetuates the issue of systemic racism driven by unconscious bias; automatically a Person of Color doesn’t “fit in” to the larger corporate culture, therefore their opportunities are limited. 

Microaggression: is a term used for brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or harmful prejudicial slights and insults toward any group, particularly culturally marginalized groups or individuals. 

For example,

  • ‘You’re so articulate’
  • ‘You don’t sound black’
  • ‘I’m not racist’
  • ‘I have a black friend’
  • ‘All lives matter’
  • ‘Can I touch your hair?’
  • ‘Your hair is unprofessional’
  • ‘She has a big personality, what if people don’t like her?’
  • ‘He or she won’t ‘fit in’

Here is an article I co-wrote with a Black friend and colleague, for The Daily Feels one and a half years ago on MLK day after witnessing coded racism and microaggression. Sadly, it couldn’t be more relevant today.  Today on MLK Day Wake up to one of the most dangerous forms of racism, Coded Racism. 

Intersectionality:  the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage.

For instance, I’m a White, Heterosexual Woman.  Each comes with its own set of bias and disadvantages but also with privileges. If you are a Black, Gay, Woman, each of those identities come with established unconscious bias and discrimination in our society. In other words, the odds of equal treatment are not in your favor. 

White Privilege: Let’s clear the air on White Privilege. This does not mean that as a White person, you are rich and famous or implies that you did not struggle in life.  

White Privilege is the inherent advantage of a white person based on race in a society characterized by racial inequality and injustice. White privilege is an institutional (rather than personal) set of benefits granted to those of us who, by race, resemble the people who dominate the leadership positions in our institutions. 

One of the first privileges is having greater access to power and resources than people of color do; in other words, purely based on our skin color, doors are open to us that are not open to other people. For example, given the exact financial history, White people in the United States are two to ten times more likely to get a housing loan than people of color.  

I do recognize that I benefit from White Privilege in my professional and personal life.

The fact is Black people must send 50% more resumes today in AMERICA if they have an ethnic or “black” sounding name even with the EXACT same qualifications as a resume with a “white” sounding name.

I acknowledge that my race will never be a factor in my hiring or being pulled over in my car without just cause; and that if I am pulled over more than likely I will leave with a ticket in my hand, not a bullet in my chest.

Lynching: the killing someone for an alleged offense without a fair trial.” The word “lynching” originated in mid-18th century America. 

The purpose was to enforce white supremacy and intimidate blacks through racial terrorism. 

George Floyd and the other people named in my open were lynched. 

This may surprise and horrify you, lynching is still NOT a Federal crime in this country. And this battle is being fought THIS WEEK in the White House. Please read this article to learn more about this.  CNN: Anti lynching bill fight on senate-floor 

Code-Switching: code-switching is an age-old practice that is familiar to many Black people—and people of color—in the United States. When sociolinguist Einar Haugen coined the term in 1954, it was to describe language alternation, or the mixing of two or more languages, or dialects. Albeit, the practice had been known since the early 20th century. Linguists studied code-switching to examine when it occurs, while sociologists studied why it occurs. The findings differed across ethnic and racial demographics. 

According to Bridging Differences: Effective Intergroup Communication, code-switching facilitates several functions: to mask fluency and memory in a second language, go-between formal and informal conversation, exert power over another, and align and unify among an intimate group in specific settings.

Read this comprehensive article that describes Code-switching in the context of corporate life. Yes Magazine: Culture Code Switching

Redlining: In the United States, redlining is the systematic denial of various services by federal government agencies, local governments, as well as the private sector, to residents of specific neighborhoods or communities, either directly or through the selective raising of prices. That redlining is illegal when lending institutions use race to exclude districts from access to loans.

Here is an article about how Redlining is still alive and well in modern times. Citylab: Redlining is alive and well and evolving

Juneteenth: Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19 that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation – which had become official January 1, 1863.

Juneteenth is not a Federal holiday yet. It’s an official holiday in 47 of the 50 States in America. Here is an article that explains why this is an essential moment in American history

https://www.vox.com/identities/2018/6/19/17476482/juneteenth-holiday-emancipation-african-american-celebration-history

This excerpt from the interview (link above) with Karlos Hill, a professor of African and African-American studies at the University of Oklahoma and the author ofBeyond the Rope: The Impact of Lynching on Black Culture and Memory helps paint the picture:

“In the United States, we do not have a commemoration for the emancipation of four million enslaved people. We simply have not commemorated that monumental moment. Juneteenth is a holiday or commemoration meant to celebrate the word of emancipation, finally coming to a group of enslaved people in Galveston, Texas. It commemorates this group of slaves who learned that they had been emancipated years earlier.”

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So now that we’ve established some of the challenges and historical events that are the root cause of racism, what do we do next?

Thank you for asking!

To make things a little easier, I’ve curated some articles, videos, and resources to help you on this journey. This doesn’t even scratch the surface and absorbing this doesn’t happen in 30 minutes, or one day or a year for that matter.

This is a process of unraveling centuries of racism and discrimination. We can’t solve this without putting in the time and effort…and even more, the heart to the task at hand. 

I learn something new every day, particularly while writing this blog and listening to my friends as they relive the immense and perpetual pain that invades their desire (and effort) to fulfill the American Dream for their family.

And while I can’t be responsible for the history of this country, I am responsible for helping to inform and change our future history, to create a world I am proud of.  A world my Black friends feel safe and supported within its borders.  To be in the land of the free, where ALL lives benefit from that freedom. 

I do not expect you to absorb all of this in one sitting. But I do hope you will use this as a future resource and catalyst for learning and maybe to investigate on your own. 

If you’ve arrived at the end of this blog, you have achieved a new beginning.  A fresh start that shows you care. And that is the root of change…kindness and empathy.

I have one last request…share this article with at least one more person.

That’s all it takes to start moving the needle toward antiracism, toward equity and reconciliation.  And then, please ask your friend to share it with one more person and so on.  

While my faith in humanity has been tested over and over again, I have hope.  Faith in you and hope in the greater good in ALL people.

I am committed to be an Ally and Advocate for the Black community and all marginalized people.  Even more, I will up the ante by becoming an Accomplice (thank you, D and Faroud for giving me that mission). 

As then I can look my half-Hispanic, half-Italian, daughter in the face and know I made the world a little better for her.

And I will do that until my last breath. 

With hope in my heart,

xoxo

Cherry Maggiore

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  • To your black community, friends, colleagues. Ask them how they are…
  • Support their choice NOT to speak with you
  • Understand if they are not ready to discuss their experience and their point of view 
  • If you don’t know of Black, talk to an Ally or reach out to someone you may not have before asking, “How are You?” “How can I support you” or just as simple, “I’m here if you want to talk. I’d love to learn more when you are ready.” 

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Cherry Maggiore is the proud single mom of her 10-year-old super-sassy daughter (aka Miss Sassy Pants or MSP); in addition to being an award-winning senior marketing executive at NBCUniversal.

Beside her side hustle as the Freak of Nurture, she also started a home design company after being inspired by renovating and designing her 1880’s home in NJ.

This insanely curious and passionate “multi-potentialite” can be found dancing the Argentinan tango, swing and Hustle every Saturday, cooking her family an Italian Sunday dinner, singing and air drumming at concerts or searching for her next adventure

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