Being anti-racist every day

at the george floyd memorial in minneapolis, mn.

The Artful Everyday is about living intentionally, which isn’t possible without regard and love for our fellow humans and their own struggles. My mission is finding beauty in this world, which means appreciating every person and culture that inhabits our beautiful earth. Being anti-racist is a lifelong commitment and I vow to fight racism whenever I see it in my day, wherever I am in the world. I believe love and kindness will always be the better choice, and will always prevail over any kind of darkness.

We are living through a major moment in history and we all have the power to create change—it starts with us as individuals and we must stay committed to creating a better world, for everyone. I was having a hard time deciding how to frame this post, because the internet is so saturated right now with articles and resources about being anti-racist (as it should be), and as a white person I don’t want to take up too much space. Because this blog is all about the ‘everyday,’ I decided it was most fitting to write about how I’m committing to being anti-racist every day. All of the small things we can each do that will collectively add up and make a big difference. One drop as individuals but together we make an ocean.

Another topic I would like to write about is how the travel industry should be more inclusive. I honestly never realized how privileged I was a white female traveler until the last few weeks. I just never thought about it, and obviously took it for granted that my skin is white and I carry an American passport. Since much of my blog is about traveling and Europe, I plan to read more about what the travel industry is doing to be more inclusive, and eventually bring this topic to the blog for another post.

In an effort to keep things simple and not detract from all of the other important conversations going on, here is the list of what I’m committing to in my everyday life. I hope you’ll join me. If you have more ideas to add to the list, comment here or send me a DM on Instagram.

Be a mindful consumer. Make it a point to support Black-owned businesses.

Call out people when you hear racist sentiment being shared, especially among family and friends.

Diversify your social media feeds.

During the week-long #amplifymelanatedvoices movement my attention was drawn to so many amazing accounts on Instagram run by POC, and now my feed is beautifully diverse and I have some new favorite accounts.

Don’t be afraid to speak about politics.

De-escalate situations by using your privilege as a white person.

One post that I read very recently after the death of George Floyd was by a white mother, who’s teenage daughter expressed how if she had been at the scene, she might have been able to prevent Floyd’s death. During the protests, I saw many scenes of white allies in the front lines, protecting Black protesters. Now I think about how I can act as an ally if I come across a situation, my presence could potentially protect someone else. This is obviously hypothetical, but I am much more aware of what’s going on around me, rather than just being in my own world all the time.

Talk to other allies. Check-in on friends who are people of color.

Take anything you see on the news or in the media with a grain of salt. Follow people who are a part of the movement, on the ground, to get the full story.

It became very apparent to me during the riots and protests here in Minneapolis, which I wrote about in a separate blog post, that if you were only watching the news you definitely were not getting the full story. I made an effort to follow people on Instagram who were at the protests, and I myself was there and shared with my audience and my family and friends what I saw, so that the picture was clearer for them, too.

Being anti-racist every day