Global Running Day

Yesterday was Global Running Day, which is dedicated to running all day as the name suggests. I spent my morning running 3 virtual 5 k's and dedicated my runs to a few who have lost their lives due to racism. It's hard to ignore what's going on in the news over the last few days especially knowing that the violence against black people has been going on for years.

I've been reflecting a lot on George Floyd's death due to the police along with others who have been killed over the past few weeks. I see a lot of people taking advantage of the peaceful protest going on in the streets whether it's the rioters, the news media, or from politicians. All black people and people of color want is to be heard and feel like their lives matter in this country. Somehow the narrative is always twisted to fit someone else's agenda.

I am trying to remain hopeful that some things change in this country but until then I made a donation to Floyd's family and have prompted others to donate to other causes focused on racial justice. Or at the very least, stay educated on these issues and why they matter. While it's easy to  change our profiles in solidarity I think there are other ways to contribute to the cause. Here are just a few examples of other ways to help:

• Donate to Black Lives Matter to help their campaigns for racial justice. 
• Read anti-racist literature. Some examples are the New Jim Crow, Between the World and Me, Savage Inequalities
• Support black businesses in your city. 
• Check in with your black friends during this time to see how they are doing and ask how you can support them.  

While these protest continue happening during a time of Covid, this week I made some soup, read a book, and drew some of my favorite cartoon characters to destress from everything around me.It seems like every day something else comes up in the news that isn't good. What are some ways you have been unplugging from the world? Is there any other ways you have been helping others during this hard time?