A Message from Run Women Run to Our Supporters

The past couple of weeks have been difficult.

As we have all seen, COVID-19 laid bare the many inequities that exist in our society and the failure that results when we do not have the right leadership to challenge that head-on. 

But the era we have entered since George Floyd’s murder has highlighted even more that we are not only failing our most marginalized communities -- but are killing them. This is especially true for our Black community, who are continuously harmed by the state and have been for hundreds of years.

It is not enough for us to say Black Lives Matter. It is not enough for us to be against police brutality. It is not enough for us to protest, and donate, and call, and vote -- and then call it a day. This cannot be a short-lived trend; we must remain committed to it in the long run to tackle the systemic racism and anti-Blackness that is deeply rooted in our country.

Our society has silenced and suppressed Black lives for centuries and it is beyond time that we address the failure we have done in protecting Black people. 

At Run Women Run, we are reflecting on the ways we could have shown up better and how we can do so moving forward. We are looking into how, as an organization, we can address anti-Blackness internally and externally to ensure that we create a space that is safer for our Black community. We know that we have work to do and know that it should not have taken this moment to do it sooner. 

We hope that you will all join us on this journey. Every one of us must look inward on how we can better show up for our Black community members and the steps we all need to take to do so. It is crucial that we continue to center and uplift Black voices in the coming days, weeks, months, and years the way we have been since George Floyd was unjustly murdered. 

This work is not new -- it is merely delayed and has been for too long. 

As we collectively show up for #BlackLivesMatter, we encourage you to also look into and donate to Black-led organizations. Listed below are some local groups supporting the Black community. Do not use them as a resource -- they are not there to educate you. Please support them without expecting that in return. 

Sincerely, 

Run Women Run Board of Directors 

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