Here are Plant Based Baby, I stand with Black Lives Matter.

I have struggled to write this post because here I am, a white woman, who has lived with white privilege my entire life so what could I possibly have to say? Right? Totally wrong. These conversations need to happen.

While I have always thought of myself as anti-racist, I definitely have not been working hard enough. I’ve done a lot of listening these last few weeks and a lot of learning. Here are the first places where I think I can do the most good. Of course this is not an exhaustive list. This is just where I am today, an ally, learning to become more and more anti-racist every day.

1. Raising an Anti-Racist. Along with being an anti-racist, this is my number one job. I am fully aware that I am raising a white male. But when do our adorable little boys become suppressive white men? Can we stop this? Of course. It starts at home. I am pledging to bring Mateo up differently.

   • Books. Books are not enough but they are a great place to start, especially for young kids. I have always had a pretty inclusive book set. I’m a big fan of the Little Feminist book subscription service. But I do admit to buying my fair share on Amazon. So this last week, I supported two black owned book shops, Ashay by the Bay and The Lit. Bar: Bookstore and Chill and will continue to shop at independently owned stores and read books to my son that feature families of other backgrounds than our own, celebrate other cultures, and specifically talk about systemic racism.

   • Conversations. I tried to talk about George Floyd, Black Lives Matter and racism and just cried. So I will try again. And again. I am pledging to have real conversations with my 2 year old son for my entire life. I know he is young, but he is listening. He is learning. The books are a great guidance to get me started but it needs to go off the pages and into the world.

   • Modeling Anti-Racist Behavior. He needs to see his mama acting as an anti-racist in our daily lives.

   • Seeking Exposure. I am pledging to more actively seek out festivals, art museums, community celebrations, etc. which feature and celebrate all races to increase exposure to diversity in this way.

2. Speaking Up. While systemic racism is ongoing, I have not seen an act of racism in person that I am aware of. So, eyes wide open, I am going to be looking out more now and speaking up and standing up no matter what.

3. Actively Participating in Local Politics. When Trump won the election I cried ugly tears, so fearful for all the bigotry that was to come. And then I went to our town’s website, and I looked up how to get involved. I went to our next town meeting and learned that only elected town meeting members could vote there. So, I got the paperwork, the signatures, ran for town meeting member in my precinct and won. I have attended and voted in every election over the last three years and am actually up for reelection in the next vote. I plan to continue doing the good work, including voting in favor of a diversity committee.

4. Voting. I have and will vote in every election for representation that promotes equality.

5. Donating. I have made donations to George Flyod Memorial and Gianna Flyod Fund Go Fund Me accounts and I encourage you to do the same. Remember, even if you don’t have a lot of resources, small donations add up.

6. Supporting Black Owned Businesses. First on my list, Southern Roots Vegan Bakery. I have a dozen vegan donuts and a half dozen vegan cinnamon rolls on the way if anyone wants to come have a social distance date some time soon! But in all seriousness, I am paying attention to where I shop. I recently learned that the CEO of Lowe’s is one of only four black men on the Fortune 500’s CEO list so you bet I put an order in there this week.

7. Sharing Black Voices. I have been sharing black influencers on my Instagram stories. (I chose to share those on my company handle, @TracyRodriguezPhotography, as I have a much larger audience there whereas Plant Based Baby is more at its infancy stage.) I am learning so much and will continue to share these amazing people with my platform.

   • The Mom Psychologist. I just learned about this youtuber and have found her content on this subject to be extremely helpful.

   • Tabitha Brown. If you don’t already follow her, trust me, go find her on TikTok or youtube or any social media and prepare yourself for something amazing. She shares amazing vegan content but also is just so incredibly inspiring and empowering and beautiful and completely hilarious. I recently learned about her from another vegan friend of mine and my mind is blown. Love her.

8. Spreading the Word. I will use all of my platforms to get this message across. I read recently that if you have a conversation with anyone, be it one neighbor, you have a platform. Make sure to use it. Change the conversation. Stand up to racism.

9. Continuing to Learn and Unlearn. These last few weeks are not over; they are a launching point. I have a huge list of documentaries and books and ted talks to watch, read and listen to. I most recently watched John Oliver’s episode on the police and it was eye opening. I had no idea that the police were established after slavery was abolished as a way for white people to control black people. It’s hard to even write that sentence. I also thought Trevor Noah’s response to George Flyod and Amy Cooper was extremely helpful to hear.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic, please comment below or message me privately.

If you’d like to, you can also follow me on Instagram and Tik Tok @plantbasedbaby.us

Thank you for listening. Stay safe. Love you, all.