What I stand for (resources included)

by Isabelle Peyrichoux | Jul 5, 2020 | Support for BIPOC

In the context of what has been happening in the US and globally in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, I want to be clear about what I stand for as a human, a coach, a facilitator, and the leader of my community.

This message is long overdue. I’ve been wanting to send it weeks ago. Besides supporting kickass clients, I just wrapped up a time-sensitive and very important project. This is why I’ve been quiet lately. I’ve also been immersed in my own education as a white woman so that I can support the emergence of a just and inclusive society worldwide.

I stand 100% behind “Black Lives Matter.” This is my stance as a person, as a business owner, and as a coach. 

As a white woman and as a business owner, I’m committed to doing my own work to:

• unpack my own unconscious biases and blind spots around white supremacy and white privilege. If you think you don’t have some, think twice, especially if you identify as white. We all have some. (see resources below)
• contribute to creating a safe and equitable space in my community and in the world for my sisters and brothers of color to thrive.

Here are a few resources that I’ve found eye-opening:

• Podcast Seeing White – How the social construct of race and whiteness came about in the world (Europe first) and how it evolved in the US. HIGHLY recommended. 
• Brené Brown with Ibram X. Kendi on How to Be an Antiracist – Great interview about how “not being racist” is not enough.
• “The Top 3 Ways Subconscious Racist & White Supremacist Beliefs Are Formed In Us” – by Jerome Braggs. HIGHLY recommended. 
• Interview with Resmaa Menakem – About the historical trauma that lives in black and white bodies since the Middles Ages and the importance of addressing it. 
•  “The New Jim Crow” – Lecture by author Michelle Alexander about the mass incarceration of black people in the US. A must watch if you live in the US. 
• Deconstructing White Privilege with Dr. Robin DiAngelo – Helpful presentation for people identifying as white to move past shame and start acknowledging the unconscious biases we carry.
• The movie “Just Mercy” – Based on the life work of civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson. You can also donate to the Equal Justice Initiative, the human rights organization he founded. 

Some of these resources apply to the US specifically, but not all. The false ideology of white supremacy and white centering is pervasive everywhere in the world. This is the water we swim in; we don’t see it, especially if we identify as white. 

There are many more resources, but these are some that I’ve found most helpful so far. Let me know which ones have been helpful to you. 

For a world where…
….we can all thrive physically, financially, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually
….and be free to express our gifts and do the work we love whatever the color of our skin.

Love, 

Isabelle