SO... WHAT NOW? Reflections on allyship and activism as a business coach
Hey friends,
Let’s chat.
Lots of you in the Mixed Hues community follow me for one of two reasons, if not both: my business tips and my radical intersectional feminist commentary on race, gender, and sexuality as a bi/pansexual Asian American woman.
Let’s make something clear, though: Regardless of my struggles, I have still benefited from the same system of white supremacy that is harming Black people right now.
I started my business because I believe in the power of entrepreneurship to help womxn of color take control of our lives in a white supremacist capitalist heteropatriarchy that seeks to strip us of our power.
That’s why I’m so passionate about using my business to empower as many womxn of color as possible to pursue entrepreneurship as a means of reclaiming their power. Because there’s a lot I can do as an individual, but the fact is that racism is SYSTEMIC.
This means that my business is so much more powerful than me as a single individual, and I need to treat it as such by making it my responsibility to ensure that I’m not only uplifting certain womxn of color in my business, but ALL womxn of color. Right now, that especially means supporting Black womxn.
As Audre Lorde said, “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”
The past two weeks, I’ve had hard conversations with friends, educated myself, looked hard at myself and my business, and asked myself what feels like a MILLION times “WHAT NOW?”
So here’s what I’m committing to doing as I move forward in my business, because Black Lives Matter ALWAYS. This is a MOVEMENT, not a trend.
Further educating myself on issues of systemic racism so I can better serve Black womxn. My first read is So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo. I want to note that previously, I had recommended White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo and was even starting this myself, but the reality is that this is a book written by a white author who is currently profiting of Black people’s pain. Instead, I’d love to recommend the following books by Black authors as per Louize "Weeze" Doran's suggestion: White Rage by Carol Anderson, Tears We Cannot Stop by Michael Erin Dyson, The History of White People by Nell Irvin Painter, and How to Be Less Stupid About Race by Crystal Marie Fleming.
Investing in my own business education so that I can better serve Black womxn within my business. I’m starting with Trudi Lebron’s Show Up and Serve workshop and VP Wright’s training with Inner Glow Circle on Activism, Allyship, and Antiracism in Coaching.
Long term, I will invest in anti-racism and liberation coaching with the goal of diving even deeper in unpacking my own racial biases and privilege such that I’m better able to engage in anti-racism work. As of now, I’m aware of Louiza "Weeze" Doran and Alyssa who offer coaching in this realm. Feel free to recommend others to me in the comments of this post!
I’ve always focused on serving womxn of color, but as I move forward, I will be tracking the demographics of my 1:1 and group coaching clients so that I can take into account who I am and who I am NOT serving in my business. My goal is to keep myself accountable to ensure that I am not only serving Asian American womxn, but Black womxn, Native womxn, Latina womxn, etc.
I will be donating my proceeds from The Baby Biz Bundle to VP Wright's Creative Corner’s Support Fund to sponsor BIWOC to work with her in building their businesses and Cody of @destinydevotionals' fund for WOC to aid in their healing journey from sexual trauma. Fun fact: My biggest dream is to create foundations that fund WOC entrepreneurs in building their businesses and offer healing services to WOC survivors of sexual assault, so this use of my proceeds feels cosmically aligned.
If you’re a non-Black POC or white person reading this and have yet to take action, I urge you to refer to the many resources I’ve linked here. I recommended spending time signing the petitions listed, reading the Guide to Allyship, Anti-Racism for Beginners, and donating to at least one bail fund. As well, my blm Instagram highlight includes various posts and resources I’ve come across that I have shared to my stories.
I hope that in sharing this, I can contribute to a larger movement of active anti-racism that supports Black folks within the coaching industry and beyond, as well as encourage all of you in this community to do the same.
I am dedicated to taking imperfect action, including the actions I’ve listed above, and I am committed to doing better. I am committed to anti racism work, to becoming a co-conspirator and accomplice rather than merely an ally. I am committed to calling in others through my platform and to listening and learning when I am called out so that I can improve.
I stand with and for ALL Black people always.