First and foremost, my feminist reading group was matched with an Afghani refugee family via the IRC earlier this week. We set up an Amazon registry for everything they'll need for their new apartment, and a GoFundMe for the rent subsidy we'll be providing them. We posted both links on Thursday. By Saturday, 100% of the registry was purchased and we had exceeded our GoFundMe target. There's still a lot of work to do to set up their apartment, and even more to support and mentor them as they make the transition to America, but this is a great start that has me feeling renewed faith in and gratitude for my community.
Second, the picture of the Obamas I ordered a few weeks ago finally came! Now I get to look at them on my way out the door each morning - I pretend Michelle is personally reminding me to "go high" as I start each day.
Third, yesterday we went to the Women's March on San Francisco, and it always feels great to be with friends and surrounded by a massive horde of excited people who agree with you :)
Although, while at the Women's March I couldn't help but think about a Black Lives Matter protest I went to a few years ago in the exact same part of SF. That was a small weeknight protest, with 30 protestors max standing on the sidewalk. There were at least 50 police officers in full riot gear there, and they stood shoulder to shoulder encircling the protest. At the Women's March yesterday there were over 100,000 protestors shutting down the street for over a mile, but the police were only stationed every few blocks. They were wearing regular uniforms and casually chatting with each other and with protestors. The difference in police presence and behavior was startling, even knowing what I know about how police treat protestors of color versus white protestors. It was a stark reminder that I need to keep showing up, and bringing my protective whiteness along with me. I hope I'm able to keep doing so once the baby comes.
Three and a half - this isn't really my thing to be happy about, but as I write this post Ben is at a training for "White Men for Racial, Gender and Economic Justice," along with another white male friend of ours. Neither of them were particularly active before the election, although they both supported equality, but now they are both looking to become more active in pushing for what they believe in. I am hopeful that there are many, many more people out there finding themselves in the same situation, so that the momentum of yesterday's march carries through to meaningful social change.
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