I’m sorry - a starting place

We will never forget Memorial Day 2020 and the events that followed. Gross racial injustice in the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and Breanna Taylor leading up to Memorial Day and the unnecessary death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department sparked a fire whose coals were already burning. Below is a note from our Executive Director , Steph Page.

“When we look at these current events in Minneapolis and cities around the country through the lens of what we know of the injustice of human trafficking and exploitation we see that we live in a country where social constructs give more power to a certain demographic of people over another. 

All human beings have equal worth and value but not all human beings are born into the same position of privilege and power. When the group of people who have the position and power do not use their platform that they were born with to speak up against the oppression, exploitation and abuse of those who are marginalized this is the epitome of injustice; this is what we fight against.

The question that is being asked here locally and one I believe that should be asked nationally, and even globally is; what should we do now? Our eyes are finally being opened to the extreme injustice and plethora of vulnerabilities that comes with it, so now what? Especially those of us who have been born into privilege. 

The first place that I would ask we start is by saying "I'm Sorry". We choose humility acknowledging the wrongs that have been committed; our part in choosing to turn away instead of lending our platforms. And the second thing we can begin to do is listen to understand while researching to learn. 

Freedom isn't free, to gain anything of value we will have to fight, to sacrifice and to wrestle. To leave comfort behind and enter into hard conversation is messy and necessary. Freedom, equality and opportunity for all to flourish is worth fighting for. “

You can listen to her expand on these thoughts with the team at Fierce Freedom in Eau Claire, Wisconsin on the Fierce Freedom podcast.