I have sat with questions of if, how, and when our personal values and politics fit into the work we do/make/put out into the world, and I am feeling more and more resolved that they should and must be interwoven. This seems abundantly clear in reflecting on recent events in Chartlottesville, VA and the ongoing (and lethal for so many) conditions of systemic racism and white supremacy in our society and culture. In considering my implications as a white person in these times, I am committed to constantly examining my role(s) and learning how to have my work reflects my values. I will not separate my work/biz from my values. This means, in part, using what public forums I have access to, to speak up against racism and white supremacy instead of remaining silent. This is a small, one-person operation with a relatively small reach (and only sporadically active across social media platforms) but white supremacy is real and silence will not dismantle it.
Our society was established and continues to operate around structures of inequity and deeply entrenched systemic racism. It is certainly a privilege to run my own creative business and I am aware of how white privilege plays a considerable role in this. Confronting white supremacy will require us to move beyond encouraging respect and 'diversity'. It will require white folks recognizing how the world is structured primarily for our benefit and success, and mobilizing to challenge and change this ourselves via what means we can. This will mean releasing power and access.
I stand behind the idea of supporting businesses owned and run by women, femmes & queer/trans folks and I strongly encourage seeking out BIPOC (Black, Indeigenous & People of Color) owned businesses before all.
Moving forward, 5% of all Fervour's Own online sales will go towards supporting BLM and Indigenous water/land protectors.
To be clear, this is not about seeking praise, so let's not go there. I am merely offering this up as a statement of commitment and as an example of one small way I am attempting to move more towards aligning this stream of my work with my values. It is an evolving process. We need to be in constant conversation and reflection with ourselves and other white folks about how we can do better and show up for the work needs to be done EVERYDAY to contribute to dismantling white supremacy.
With love and rage and dreams of a better future for all.
Image from @jwanz on Instagram