Now, more than ever, we need to listen.
To black mothers, living with constant and well-founded fear that child protective services will remove their children.
To black parents, who must explain to their children the brutality and inhumanity of the justice system.
To young black men, who feel the pressure to always over-perform and go to greater lengths than their peers just to be considered equal.
To black children who are labeled as threatening at a very young age, who are profiled and targeted, who society deems less innocent and more dangerous.
To the voices of George Floyd, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Amaud Abrey, and countless others subjected to racist violence.
We must listen. We must seek to understand the experiences of the oppressed. We need to have our beliefs challenged, our roots upturned. We must be willing to find out where we are wrong and be grateful for the voices telling us so.
We encourage our fellow practitioners, and all of our supporters, to examine personal biases and seek resources that educate and initiate larger conversation.
Here are some resources to help begin the conversation: