Last week’s protest in Charlottesville Va and the weak response from President Trump have opened a lot of eyes to the reality of racism in America. It is an ugly issue that cannot be ignored. During the past 5 years, we have witnessed numerous accounts of police brutality against minorities, physical assaults on women and even attempts to roll back the voting rights of the disenfranchised. We have also witnessed the Presidents denial of reports from scientists on how humans are contributing to the effects of climate change. The effects of climate change are felt more on the poor and disenfranchised than on any other group. It takes longer for these groups to recover from storms and natural disasters. I dare say, all these things are connected and we must be vigilant in dealing with these issues.
The white supremacists are nervous. They see things change and are having a hard time not being in control. The far right has managed to gerrymander our voting districts with precision and made it harder for us to vote. They have made it harder for us to buy a home and now go to college. The government has now attacked Affirmative Action, in an attempt to remove possibilities for enrichment for women and people of color. This will not only hurt women and minorities, it will also hurt the very institutions people were applying to.
The people of color and the communities in which we live have become more and more valuable because we are able to continuously reinvent ourselves through our art and our music. Oh yes, against all odds, we open businesses and create new ways to contribute to society. Our resiliency is shown time and time again. This has the oppressor scared. They cannot seem to understand how, in spite of all their attempts, we thrive. It is the ultimate definition of sustainability.
I challenge you to turn up the heat and continue to stand up against this oppression. The best way is to use your dollar. Stop supporting businesses that do not support us. Our voices are heard through the purchases we make. We should not allow businesses to take our support for granted. The dollar is a very powerful tool in which we should be willing to use. This concept is not new. The business community was ground zero for the civil rights movement. Integration was forced because of the Montgomery bus boycott and lunch counter sit-ins.
We are under full attack. Society in general is not able to handle the richness we bring. We are under attack from the government, the police, our employers, the economy and neo Nazis like the ones protesting in Charlottesville VA. They underestimate our power and faith in each other and God. We must continue to be the ultimate survivors and outwit, outlast and outplay the enemy as we live day to day.
If you have ideas on how to do better and capitalize on your opportunities, please feel free to contact me thomsustainableconsulting@gmail.com or you can follow me on Twitter @tcsheff. #Resist #Wordsactionchange
