My name is Silencia Cox and I am the CEO of Motherlove Herbal Company. I have a voice and an audience and today I am choosing to use it. We must end racism, now. Leaders in this country have an obligation to stand up for what is right, but to also stand strong against what is wrong. Whether you are a public official, a pastor, a police officer, a business owner, a corporation, or a community member, if you have a voice inyour community, now is the time to use it.
What happened to George Floyd is beyond wrong; it is murder.Those responsible must be held accountable. But it is not just George Floyd, it is countless people through hundreds of years of suppression and racism. Have we made progress as a country? Yes. Have others before us stood up and helped change the world? Definitely. Have we achieved equality in society? No, there is a lot more work to do. As long as people are being murdered in the streets by those who are sworn to protect us we cannot claim that we are living by the statement we wrote in our very own Declaration of Independence, that all men are created equal. Too long has racism existed in this country and throughout our world. We must all stand up and say, “no more”.
As a white woman in a predominately white community, I have struggled to know how I can best contribute. But it must start somewhere. Any action is better than inaction. How we each show our support might differ. We may not all march in the streets, but just because you are not peacefully protesting, does not mean you can’t take action. Take the time to find resources for how to speak about racism with your children and your family; make a safe place for those around you to have their voices heard; donate to organizations that support minorities; use your voice to speak up for what is right. This is my open ask to the Motherlove community, to our black mothers and fathers: what can we do to help? What can we do as anorganization to make a better world for your children?
We must not sit by idly while yet another tragedy occurs, and we all just settle for the way things are. We are all in this together, even if we feel alone. This is our country, our future,and our moment to make it a better place. The time is now.
