Today, I had a call with a friend. Going into the call it was like any other – we had a few things to talk about (like usual), but what actually happened is among the most important conversations I have had in years, maybe ever, and I thought I would share:

My friend is Black. Buckle up because this is most definitely going to be a hard conversation. For simplicity sake, I’m going to boil some of it down to “Black/White”. Please don’t misconstrue that. I am not color blind and my eyes are wide open to the beautiful world of colors that are suppressed daily, but for simplicity sake, I’ll keep it to this. It was one of the most important conversations because she did me the huge favor of asking me, “Why am I not more vocal about the atrocities affecting black people today?” She was very nice about it and was complementary to the fact that I choose to spend 12+ hours a day of my profession taking up the fight for equality. But, it was still puzzling to her that I’ve been quiet about BLM, George Floyd, Atlanta, etc. I explained that I’m not very vocal about anything I do on social or on Ureeka. I prefer to “do the work” not talk about it. She pointed out that might not be enough. She’s right.

I am a self-proclaimed ally. I’ve taken the next phase of my career to help bridge the divide and shatter the artificial barriers that prevent people of color (and women) from access to the things that frankly I don’t have to even think about. The mere fact that I didn’t think about these things until just a few years ago, and even early this week a different friend gave me an education about Juneteenth that should’ve happened in middle school US history, is a travesty. Much of it is new to ME, a self proclaimed ally. Ureeka was started by a group of like minded people, White and Black, with a mission to bring together allies and great companies run by those who are unjustifiably kept out of the opportunities to change it.

My friend (and many more just like her) is afraid for her husband, for her children every time they leave the house in a way I can not comprehend. I’m in a position to do something about it. I have a responsibility to jump up and down and say that it’s wrong – that I don’t support the Police structure, that I SEE the abuse and slaughter of innocent black men like Rayshard Brooks and I do not see the same of white men in the same way. I do not have to teach my boys how to behave around the police and they are not inherently afraid, because they will be treated differently. That’s wrong. It’s bad for all humanity and as an ally, it won’t stop unless I take a more vocal stand. It’s a call to arms for everyone who believes that it hurts all of society, that it’s bad for humanity every time another black man is slaughtered by the police (most of whom learned the behavior from a society our parents and their parents created). Every time a business owner of color is marginalized, every time an atrocity happens, it hurts the world I need to hand to my children and I won’t stand silent as the generations of White men, even as allies, have for decades. So to my friend, thank you for being strong enough to have a hard conversation with me. Thank you for being my friend. I pledge to listen and take action because you are right.

If you are an ally, like me, it’s hard to know what the right thing to do is. Until today, I’ve chosen action over words. I choose to go to meetings and be the White ally in the room who can call bullshit. I choose to help someone simply because others won’t or haven’t. I choose a world where the best ideas should win, not a world based on privilege. If you are an ally and have any of these thoughts, just say it. We stand against the atrocities happening to people of color. We choose to stop tolerating it in our politicians, institutions, meetings, friend circles, everywhere we can, and we choose to say it out loud.

Thank you to my friend.