My goal for this page is to 1. update it on an ongoing basis as I become more educated in this realm and as my perspectives, views, and outreach efforts evolve. 2. Give you, my reader, a clear and direct view of my stance on these issues.

I’m not here to BE right… I’m here to GET it right - Brené Brown

I believe, as many do, that who we choose to follow, engage with, serve, and help should be a conscious and informed decision. I know that as I’ve moved through the phases of my life, I am now more consciously aware of the choices I’m making in relationship to consumption, purchasing, following, etc. My hope is that by highlighting my stance here, you can make an informed decision as a consumer whether or not my programs, services, products, etc., are for you.

So right from the start, I want to say:

I stand with those who are paving the way for racial justice within the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) communities. I’m dedicated to serving my community from the lens of racial equality as much as I know how to do in the present, and in the future.

The first step in this fight against racial inequality is to acknowledge the white privilege that has been inherent in my life. I have voluntarily and involuntarily participated in the systemic racism that has contributed to the oppression of millions of BIPOC lives. And for that, I don’t think there are enough words or actions in the world to underscore how deeply sorry I am. As an Empath + Trauma Survivor + Trauma Recovery Coach - I want to admit that I can do better. I need to do better. I will do better.

Words are just words without action, though. In an attempt to “talk the talk,” I’ve made a list of ways that I intend to actively participate in the fight against systemic racism.

What I’m doing to ensure change moving forward

Becoming Educated and Listening - I believe the key to just about ANYTHING is education and listening. I have been doing both of those things but am committed to getting deeper into both so that I can do the hard work of self-examination, informed decision making, and supporting BIPOC leaders already bringing forth resources and education.

Moving from the Unconscious to the Conscious - I erroneously believed that I had been doing this but I realized that I was very, very wrong. I am committed, more than ever, to become more consciously aware of who I’m following, what I’m watching, listening to, reading, and purchasing from. I’m dedicated to researching, educating, and questioning what I’m consuming in order to ascertain whether or not I want to put my time, energy, money, and interest into it. I want to actively support and lift up BIPOC creators, creatives, business owners, filmmakers, authors, etc.

Stepping up in Leadership Roles - I belong to and work for several organizations at this time in my life. I have been carefully and consciously observing the way they are approaching the racial climate and racial inequalities to ensure that I’m supporting organizations that have my same interests at heart. I’m proud to say that the organization which I serve as a leader for has taken a very strong stance in the fight against racial inequality and is actively taking steps to change, improve, and grow our programs to help combat systemic racism.

Creating a “new standard” for Best Practices - We’ve all read the “rules” for online groups, gatherings, forums, etc., where the best practices usually sound like “Don’t be a jerk,” or “No self-promoting,” “be kind.” While those things are important, I don’t often see best practices that involves language or rules around racism. So I will be adding to my policies, rules and agreements that any display of racial inequality will NOT be tolerated. Any overt expression of racism will result in someone’s immediate removal from my programs, communities, services, etc. Yes, I believe everyone has a right to an opinion, but under my “house,” those opinions are not warranted or welcome when it comes to the racial equality fight.

Taking a Stand and Applying it to Professional and Personal Livelihood - This page serves not only as an educational outline for my readers, followers, potential clients…it also serves as a declaration of how I want to proceed in life both professionally and personally. I whole-heartedly believe that we can live out our values in both realms, at the same time. I intend to do just that.

Supporting BIPOC Communities with financial support - Many BIPOC leaders are not only constantly fighting the war against racial inequality, but they are often doing it with very little financial support. Going forward, I will be consciously choosing to allocate business and personal funds to support leaders in the BIPOC communities, as well as purchasing from businesses that are either owned by BIPOC or support BIPOC communities.

Holding a quarterly “gathering” to discuss these issues - An open dialogue in a safe space can be life-changing. It has the power to bring people together under the most tragic of circumstances. It allows us to connect on a deeper level, a more human level. Facilitating a quarter gathering for my friends, family, and communities will provide a safe space for that open dialogue to happen. These gatherings will have a central focus: to converse and discuss how we, as human beings, can create change in our world and what that kind of support looks like.

This list is simply a start and it’s by no means enough to put an end to the systemic racism in this country. However, I deeply believe that taking action consciously and in the best way we know how as individuals can be a beautiful start for change.

The work of antiracism is becoming a better human to other humans
- Austin Channing Brown

Updated 1/1/21