Good morning! I hope you are doing well today. I actually put off writing my newsletter until now because, to tell the truth, I just couldn’t do it yesterday.

For the last several months, I avoided mentioning COVID-19 in this newsletter. I figured that we were all dealing with it on a daily basis, and this newsletter could be one place that just dealt with the fiber arts. It wasn’t any sort of denial–just the desire to make this newsletter a happy place.

This week, however, we are dealing with something entirely different, and I cannot remain silent. I have spent my life believing that racism was horrible but also relatively rare. If it had been just one horrible officer who killed George Floyd, then maybe it would be reasonable to assume that it was indeed “just” one power-hungry horrible man. But three others stood by and watched and did nothing. How is that possible?

I am so disheartened and angry on behalf of everyone who has experienced racism and prejudice. I have spent a lot of time this week reading articles about what it is to be Black in this country, and I have been shocked out of my own comfort zone–shocked out of my assumption that racism is rare.

A couple weeks ago, I chose Jackson Pollock’s “Mural” as my club colorway. It’s bright, and I knew the colors would translate into very cheerful, happy art batts and yarn. I figured we all need happy and cheerful after the past several months of COVID-19.

Well, I just sent them off yesterday, but as I was writing the thank you notes to go with them, it felt hollow. In each one, I said some variation on this: “I hope you enjoy this bright, cheerful colorway,” and it hurt to write it because a man was killed this week for the color of his skin, and people are angry–as well they should be.

I am left wondering how I can help do my small part to put an end to racism in this country. Right now, I’m mostly just listening and trying to understand the experience of being a Person of Color in America.

I’d like to share with you a few articles that I found moving and informative. Again, it is not my plan to turn this newsletter into something political, but I couldn’t stay silent this week and pretend that what is happening is not happening.

World on Fire – This was written by a friend of mine, Megan Smillie, and I am grateful to her for writing it. If you haven’t or just couldn’t bring yourself to watch the video of George Floyd’s murder, you can read what he said here.

My White Friend Asked Me on Facebook to Explain White Privilege. I Decided to Be Honest – This article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson was a huge eye-opener for me. Her experience in regard to Harvard was especially poignant. I can’t even imagine how wretched it would be to work so hard to get into Harvard only to have that fact met with disbelief.

Experience by Deltha Katherine Harbin – This was a post on Facebook by a woman telling about her husband’s experience of injustice.

If you would like to tell me about your own experience or if you have an article, website, or book to suggest, please do email me.

Meanwhile as I try to figure out what I can do to help, my first determination is to not ever be silent when I encounter racism but instead to speak the truth–that we are all created in God’s image and we are all deserving of love and kindness and respect. I ask you to do the same.

Stay well, my friend.