With COVID-19 and excessive force by police on the forefront of our nation and our city’s minds, advocating for good healthy habits and nourishing one’s spirit are fundamental. As Americans, Marylanders, and as humans — we are tested now more than ever whether glancing at our smartphones or just walking down the street, on our quick-reactions, our judgement, and our use of logic and reason. For families of color, looking inward yet pressing onward, is doubly hard when so many systems in our culture structurally disadvantages minorities. Marking more than 50 years since the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that made it illegal to discriminate based on the color of one’s skin, faith, gender identity, disability, age, or national origin, this week’s Supreme Court ruling proves the fight for equality lives on; it is now illegal nationwide to discriminate against LGBT employees in the workplace.
Seeing More Role Models of Color
Perseverance takes time and an infuriating truth–sacrifice. Juneteenth is June 19th, a holiday honoring the celebration in Texas in 1865 that all slaves were freed, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Yet sadly, 155 years later, our national news continues to report hate crimes and microaggressions everyday. How far have we come? Civil rights benefits everyone yet the harms are disproportionate. It is the role of those in the majority, chiefly Whites/European-Americans, to step-up and ensure they are vocally combating and healing workplaces in order to cultivate equal rights. Raw questions can be both embarrassing and humbling, but regardless, they are often wounding and infuriating. Just as it is challenging to finally reach a fitness goal after a million attempts, choosing to speak up against racism does not happen overnight, it starts with seeing good role models around you…then speaking up…often! For Blacks/African-Americans, Native American Indians, and all minorities, this has been the lived experience in our country every day for centuries.
MissionFit is an organization of coaches, youth, volunteers, and neighbors. Our Board is committed to strengthening our city’s youth not just in our programming, but also to ensure we are representative of our community. If we want to show our children that they can lead tomorrow, we must first push to be the change we wish to see! This is especially important since the majority of our youth’s families earn below the median household income, who experience trauma all too frequently and lack a nourishing method to blow off steam or feel safe and comforted. Their path to physical well-being first requires a safe space to think and then a safe space to workout. With a complement of staff, coaches, and board members, of which 56% are People of Color, we are offering a diverse set of leadership styles and experiences from which to engage our youth and our community at large, 90% of which are estimated to be People of Color. We are committed to shaping that space with wise choices, informed by leaders who leverage empathy, language, and logic.
Thank you, we appreciate you.
If you have any statements or questions, please direct them to strength@missionfit.org.
