What can you do? Do something.

‘What do I do?’ is a question I’m sure many, if not all of us, have asked ourselves over the past few days. Especially us white folks. Should we post on social media? Not say anything and let others engage? Who do we speak to and how? This topic feels so big – so much bigger than any one of us. What can we actually do about this? Can we do anything?

This is such a complex issue, with years of history and suffering – much of which is not even known or understood by the average non-Black person – that it feels insurmountable to engage with or to learn about. But like anything that we can learn in our lives – when there is a will, there is a way. And there are many actions that we can take to help educate ourselves and others, to donate time and money, and to support the Black community in our daily lives and businesses.

First, try doing something. Almost anything is better than nothing. Honestly, just start by Googling “white people to learn about black protests” and start reading.

If you want an extensive list of things to read, watch, and/or listen to, consult this: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BRlF2_zhNe86SGgHa6-VlBO-QgirITwCTugSfKie5Fs/edit?usp=drivesdk . You can donate money to a cause supporting Black folks: https://www.gofundme.com/f/a-fund-for-blackled-mental-health-supports?fbclid=IwAR1GdOW9Y0-aRA3U8VajX4iwlL83YYUGu8njyOcYzyFEjPxEaYynaeBw5GM . Or read this article discussing some other options available: https://thekit.ca/life/black-lives-matter-movement/?fbclid=IwAR3aNbQ6ZB4l8BugJJf1xO6YrLP_LmIdcxlTZP6hmsfRj-iV_faNlZgsG6o . Or this one: https://www.forbes.com/sites/danabrownlee/2020/06/01/dear-white-people-here-are-10-actions-you-can-take-to-promote-racial-justice-in-the-workplace/#497f9cf84a92 . Find initiatives that you can start immediately, and ones that you can work on over time.

Over the past 5+ years, here are some of the avenues I have utilized to educate myself on anti-Black racism and social issues and get involved with people pushing for change. These are ways that you can learn/get involved, as if I can do it, you probably can too:

• Listened to podcasts including Code Switch (https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch), Our national conversation about conversations about race (https://www.showaboutrace.com/), Still Processing (https://www.nytimes.com/column/still-processing-podcast), and Racist Sandwich (https://www.racistsandwich.com/)
• Reached out to Black friends and colleagues to inquire about their experiences in the world, showing curiosity and a desire to learn more, without assuming that everyone’s experiences are the same
• As part of Matrix360, we are working to evolve the mindsets around inclusion in our industry (https://matrix360.ca/)
• Read blogs and articles on social media, Reddit, and https://everydayfeminism.com/
• Involved myself with groups looking to create change/impact in society like the Commercial Real Estate Equity & Diversity Council (www.equitymatters.ca) and Resource Movement (https://www.resourcemovement.org/)
• Attended events looking to create positive social impact, to hear the stories and experiences of others, like Canadian Association of Urban Finance Professionals (https://caufp.ca/) and Anda Residency (https://www.andaresidency.com/)
• Started a Mastermind group with friends to discuss personal challenges in business including those associated with race in the workplace

Second, I have an offer. Do you have a question about everything that is happening related to anti-Blackness that you are afraid to ask? Do you not understand why the sentence "all lives matter" is so controversial? Do you want to support protests but don't understand the need for violence? Do you want to understand why people are pushing to defund the police or why all police are being grouped into being corrupt when you think it’s probably a few bad seeds?

DM me. Please don't message your Black friends these questions. Please don't add these comments and questions to public posts. Google is your friend, and I am willing to put in the time and effort to explain further. You can ask me those (or other) questions and share your opinions. I will do my best to share resources and thoughts with you and perhaps expand your perspective. If you message me, I will start from a place of being non-judgmental and assuming we are all trying to learn and be the best we can be. It does not matter if we 100% agree – to open dialogue and engage in conversation is better than being lost on our own.