"Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." Barack Obama

I'm sure we're all painfully aware of the current state of our country. We're full to brim with instances of police brutality, peaceful protests turned target practices, and citizens from every corner of the country coming together with a resounding rejection of the way things are.

Black citizens in this country are being targeted- by our systems, our institutions, our ignorance. The countless deaths of black men, women, and children at the hands of the people who are meant to protect and serve are a direct consequence of the institutionalized racism and oppression on which our country was created. Although we do not have the ability to change the past, we do have the power to reject and abhor the acts of ignorant violence that plague so many people today.

This message is specifically for those who are privileged enough to be silent. It's for those of us whose appearance protects them from so many harmful structures and ideas that run rampant in our current society. The privilege of staying silent is one that we simply cannot take advantage of. In the current climate, staying silent on issues of injustice is choosing to turn a blind eye to an entire community of people who need the protection, support, and lifting up from each and every single one of us. Staying silent when black men, women, and children are being murdered is an act of violence itself, and it should not be tolerated anymore.

If you're not sure where to begin in this fight, start by listening. The sooner that allies stop trying to speak for the oppressed and instead lift up the voices of those being repeatedly silenced, the sooner we can all begin to heal as a community. Educate yourself on how to be a better support system for those who need it. Donate what you can to causes that you feel are trustworthy and worthwhile in this fight. Start those conversations with people who don't seem to have any grasp on the atrocities happening in the world around them. Be courageous with your actions and your words. Create safe spaces for a wide spectrum of people, not just for people who act, think, and look like you. Do your part to start changing the narrative of our country and how we treat its citizens.

There is never time in the future in which we will work out our salvation. The challenge is in the moment; the time is always now." James Baldwin

Link to more resources on what organizations you can donate to!

Link to a list of resources to educate yourself on the Black Lives Matter movement!