Hello-

We are hurting for our country right now. 

The killing of George Floyd, and police violence against Black people in cities across America has brought us to this point, where protestors are showing up and insisting that this time really has to be different, that there is no going back to normal until America actually shows—through action—that our country values Black lives. 

Earlier today I posted a video sharing thoughts about the events of this past week and ways this community can get involved. Please watch it here:

We are hurting, but not all of us are hurting the same. And I know that Black people are feeling the burdens of this moment, as they have felt the burdens of racism and the experience of pain, violence, and marginalization throughout American history.

The harms of racism, and the consequences of white supremacy, could be fatal to the American way of life—we see such profound damage to our country, not because of the protests, but brought to light by the protests. 

After all, white supremacy is the thing that has come closest to ending America, from the Founding to the Civil War to today, the single force most likely to wreck the American project in this century.

Unless we change that. And courageous leaders through history and in this moment have been acting to bring that change about. Black voices are and ought to be leading the way. They are powerfully doing so. So much so that like many white allies, I wonder whether to speak right now. Mindful of my privilege, and of my own faults and imperfections, I hesitate to add the sound of my voice, since the focus ought to be on amplifying Black voices at a time like this. But at the same time, I know that none of us can be silent right now—especially white Americans, who have grown up in a racialized society where whiteness is treated as the norm. 

White people with good intentions are thinking a lot about race, right now. But Black people and people of color are compelled to think about race every single day. Maybe that’s why the most consistent thing I hear from Black friends and allies is a sense of exhaustion.

Now, we need to show up, all of us. And as a white person, I believe the best thing I can do is show up to listen, to educate myself, and to continue to be part of the effort to replace racist policies and practices in our country, not with neutral ones but with anti racist ones. 

In the days ahead I’ll be looking for ways to use my platforms to lift up Black voices and I hope that you will seek out these voices, and support organizations bringing change. If you can, right now please join me and donate to these efforts: 

• The National Bail Fund Network is helping free people facing pretrial incarceration
• Color of Change is advocating racial justice through specific efforts to change corporate and public policies 
• The Advancement Project is supporting organized communities in their struggles for racial and social justice, providing legal, communications and campaign organizing resources
• Collective PAC’s Justice for All Fund is working to recruit, train, and fund Black judicial, prosecutorial and attorney general candidates to ensure more representative leaders for the criminal justice system

We can build a better American life than what brought us to this point. All of us can take concrete steps to help make that happen. I know I can look to you for action -- and for ideas -- as we continue this journey together.

Stay well, and be safe.

Pete