Black Lives Matter

There has been a whirlwind of emotions and action not only in the United States but across the globe...

...AND THERE SHOULD BE. 

Systemic racism has infected our country for centuries and this horrible history continues to repeat itself over and over again on a daily basis. Despite so many attempts at being heard, the black community continues to be silenced. 

Even after countless explanations and examples of injustice and racism in our country, many people [including our President] STILL don't seem to get it. 

...and because our President has shown time and time again that he does not actively support oppressed groups such as the POC and LGBTQ+ community, then we CANNOT and SHOULD NOT support him. 

No matter why you voted for him or supported him in the first place, he is a threat to humanity and equity all over. That should be reason enough to withdraw support. People make mistakes and horrible judgments - swallow your pride and admit you were wrong to support him, stop trying to defend it. Educate yourself and take action to help support the black community that Trump has so actively continued to oppress. An action you can take right off the bat is to STOP-SUPPORTING-TRUMP. This is beyond a political issue - it's a humanity issue.

This ignorance is permeating the rugby community - which BLOWS MY MIND. Society sucks, there's a lot of dumb people out there...and that doesn't excuse any of the racism and oppression that has been happening constantly...but RUGBY is especially supposed to be a SANCTUARY of support and acceptance. That doesn't mean it's perfect, and not every rugby player is an accepting and open-minded person...but ignorant players who don't follow rugby's values of respecting and supporting others are NOT going to be successful or good at the sport.

A rugby team absolutely cannot survive if you tried to stifle or oppress one position. All the positions have their own unique and incredibly important role. Everyone is so connected, supported, and dependent on one another that the team would literally fall apart if you tried to take a position away or make them inactive. You need all the different positions and players on a rugby team because all they give so many diverse strengths. If you had a team full of all flyhalves, you'd be screwed! 

Anyways, on a more important note, it's time for all of us to support each other the same way everyone is vitally supported on a rugby field. It's not enough to say "I'm with you" then watch the black community fight this oppression alone. JOIN THE FIGHT: 

• EDUCATE YOURSELF - books, webinars, podcasts, videos, articles, there's SO MUCH INFORMATION OUT THERE. Don't rely on a black friend, coworker, or teammate to educate you...go find the information and answers to your questions yourself. Teaching Tolerance: Let's Talk Discussion Series - good place to START
  
• DONATE - local organizations, grassroot law firms, bail funds...there's so many places that your money can be used for good. Take the time to learn about them, even join the organizations and attend meetings if they're held!
  
• PROTEST - attend protests and rallies, sign petitions to advocate for change. Make your voice heard. Call, email, or write to your local politician.
  
• SUPPORT - seek out and support black owned businesses. There are many restaurants and online stores that you can buy from even during the quarantine.
  
• VOTE - VOTE - VOTE.

Click here for a twitter post that has a thread FULL of resources about places for donations and petitions. 

This is just the beginning. 

Black Lives Matter. 

Black Trans Lives Matter.