As an organization, Ridgefield Allies accepts that it cannot respond to every headline. Given the history of our country and the pace of current events, chasing headlines would divert our actions and our purpose into a meaningless blur.
However, the regularity of tragic events must never simply become background noise. Each story is a human life. In fact, each story is the shattered lives of many. Such events should motivate us to redouble our efforts, to continuously strive to become more active and effective allies. Being an Ally is NOT a one-off reaction to a particular headline, but rather is a daily, ongoing effort each of us must undertake to forge a more just path forward.
So, when the news brings us yet another tragic story like Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Aubrey, or Jacob Blake, beyond merely acknowledging the event we must remind ourselves and all people of goodwill of “3 Simple Steps” that we can and should do to become better allies. These “3 Simple Steps”, if repeated often enough by all of us, will become imprinted onto our community. That would be a good thing.
Ridgefield Allies
3 Simple Steps
- Self-Educate – Make the personal investment to educate yourself about issues such as systemic racism, inherent bias and Black Lives Matter. It is also important to become more aware of and better informed about the literature and history of people of color.
- Set a Standard – If you see racist behavior, or if you hear someone say something racist, speak up. Let them know this is not okay with you. This is especially important when it’s a family member, a friend or a co-worker. Set a standard and live those values.
- Use Your Privilege – Your words and voice have power, both socially and politically. Use this power to help bring about the positive changes you want to see in the world. Write or call your elected officials. Let them know what you want them to do.
