BLACK LIVES MATTER

Illustration by Aline + Celia

Performative acts of solidarity remind us that change is not transactional; it is transformational. There are levels and steps to get us closer to our goal, many of which cannot be skipped. The first step — you have been made aware of the problem — there was/is a loud rally cry. The second step: you must now determine why there was a problem and what part you played in it. The third step: You make a contribution and create a partnership for change. That is when change becomes relational and collaborative (Pro-tip: This is a true philanthropic practice. Make change relational, not transactional, if you want it to last and have true impact.).

To state that you are in solidarity with a call for change — to stop white supremacy and dismantle racism is a step. To immediately act with a pledge of financial support reads as transactional. It does not read as any level of reflection or true partnership. It sounds as though the work is now passed on and not in partnership. We have seen funding, and we have seen policies and practices. We have seen laws. Our parents and grandparents fought to ensure these measures would be in place so we would not only survive in this country, but also succeed. 

We have learned from our past, and we will now require true ownership and accountability for changed behavior. This is a belief system that pervades families, companies and communities. It shows up as a whisper as much as it does as a bullet. This is the time we ask for all assassinations to end — those on our bodies, minds, spirit, livelihood. 

We require justice, a change in our laws, and in our policies — yes. Keep going. We require a shift in institutional practices so there is greater access and opportunity — yes.

We also require a change in behavior, a change in culture, a new way of being beyond what we have tolerated, denied, ignored or, for many of us, challenged at nauseam. So yes, pledge financial support for the work to continue beyond this moment.

Know that to truly invest in the change is to explore why the change didn't take place before... There is a reason why, and that is what needs to be addressed first.

Break the pattern.