These past few weeks, I have been reminded about how important community is, especially when we are all processing so many things going on in our country and in our own individual lives. Some of the most devastating moments this month was when Daunte Wright, and Adam Toledo were wrongfully killed by a system we have over funded and protected. If this last sentence upsets you, I hope you lean into those feelings and ask yourself why this upsets you and continue to ask yourself the hard questions. Through these questions and conversations with ourselves, we can then start to figure out what we need to do next to stop the murder of Black and Brown people and disrupt racism when we see it.

For me this month, I have seen how people feel like it is no big deal to ask questions lathered in assumptions, or even dehumanize and minimize someone to feel superior. Most of the time these questions and comments seem like no big deal and if that is the case, there have been privileges shielding you from feeling the pain those comments and questions cause marginalized communities. For most people in marginalized communities, this is something they’ve been carrying and reminded of their whole life. If we choose to brush them off, then we normalize these assumptions and superiority. It’s time we say “no more.” This isn’t a perfect journey, and we shouldn’t expect or wait for the “right” time or words. But this is also exhausting work that needs to be balanced with taking care of ourselves.

For me, it meant slowing down and hand quilting a practice block. When I was working on this block, I was exhausted from having witnessed and reporting anti-blackness that happened in my non-black latino community. This experience made me feel frustrated with my community. After hearing about each murder, I started to feel defeated on top of the frustration I had been feeling. But as I let my hands find their rhythm, I listened to the words of strangers and friends that reminded me of the power of community. Their words and actions filled me with hope and guided me yet again. So, no matter where you are in this journey, I hope you choose to listen to the black community and lean into the discomfort you feel when talking about race.