A Message from CreativeMornings HQ:
Black Lives Matter.
To the Black members of our global community: We see you. We hear you. We stand with you. We recognize the pain and trauma that recent events — the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery — are causing, and that this pain and trauma has systemically been inflicted upon Black communities for generations.
We are heartbroken and angry by the treatment of Black people and People of Color in America and around the globe. We will make it clear with our actions moving forward that there is no grey area when it comes to racism, violence, and injustice — and we will not tolerate it.
To the activists in our community, who have long been working to address equity, speaking out about racism, and helping all of us to understand and act in a way that brings justice: We recognize that this acknowledgement is long overdue.
Everyone is welcome. As a global, American-based organization, we own that there is power in our platform and that we have work to do. We realize that saying “everyone is welcome” in our manifesto is not the same as intentionally designing an inclusive space that is welcoming for all people. We want to do better.
We are working on a plan as an organization and as a team to engage in the work it takes to exist as an anti-racist organization, and furthering the work that our community is already doing. Our commitment is not just for this moment, but for the long term and as an ongoing practice.
We admit upfront that we do not have all the answers and might get things wrong in the process. We admit that we do not know the best way to embark on this journey and are learning. Most of all, we admit and see that we have been silent for too long and that it is time for us to step up, and do the work as an organization to appropriately scaffold a global community that is at its core, anti-racist.
A creative life requires bravery and action, honesty and hard work. To our non-Black members new to anti-racism, we urge each of us to relearn our shared history. It is okay to be honest about not knowing. We recognize that becoming anti-racist is an ongoing process of acknowledging, educating, un-learning, examining, uprooting, and speaking up.
Here are some questions that we are currently asking ourselves:
What biases and blindspots, implicitly and explicitly, do we have as an organization and as individuals?
How can we learn (and unlearn) in a way that supports real, sustained change?
How will we use our platform to be more inclusive and intersectional when we share the work of creators not just in this moment, but year round?
What does it look like to show up with humility?
Are we willing to engage and to make mistakes?
Let us open up the dialogue to educate each other, accept gaps in our lived experiences, and press through the discomfort that often accompanies growth. Engaging in the hard conversations is where critical change can be made.
We are here to support you. We will continue to further amplify the voices and projects of Black business owners, creators, writers, directors, activists, and others in our community. For our first step, we have compiled and shared a list of informative resources, tools, and platforms that we have found helpful in beginning this journey.
We stand with our Black community and Black creatives in the fight against racism and violence, and we urge us all to do the same.
— The CreativeMornings HQ Team.
Helpful Resource and Tools
Why it’s not enough to be non-racist.
Justice in June: Commit to an action a day to become more informed.
Educate yourself and ways to help (via Black Lives Matter).
CreativeMornings talks on the theme of Justice, Equality, and Empathy.
Baratunde’s World-Saving Books Bookshop is an online bookshop on Black history, taking action, children’s books, and more.
It’s Nice That compiled a list of petitions to sign, funds and charities to donate to, and resources for educating yourself and those around you.
20 actions White people & non-Black People of Color in corporate (and otherwise) can take to show up for Black people right now.
The White Shift is a new podcast and resource for committing to justice and ending White silence.
On the power of mutual aid publishing during crisis.
