[Lace Watkins]

https://laceonrace.com/2021/08/17/mid-august-ask/

Mid-August Ask

Discussion

[Emily Holzknecht]

I am thinking about the importance of affirming with our wallets as well as with our follows and our words. There are some people online that I have found fairly difficult to financially engage with, and it has taken time and energy to find out how to get my money to them. Lace makes it easy though. I believe I have been financially engaging with this space for a year now, and it is always clear how to do it while at the same time there is the flexibility for us to determine how much on our own, and for me that amount has changed over time as my thinking has changed. Financially engaging with Lace on Race takes me a few more clicks than it did to initially search for the community and *like* it so that it would sometimes show up on my Facebook feed. Even if it were more difficult to figure out that I should engage and to actually engage here, it would still be my responsibility to do so regularly. And more than that, it would still be my honor to do so and my challenge to do so. White supremacy culture tells me to fear scarcity. Because of that, I am apt to find any tiny reason I possibly can to do my penny pinching here at a Black woman-led racial justice space. And I am easily convinced that whatever tiny reason crops up is a reasonable one. It is my challenge to financially engage here with this space that I know and love. It is the work of racial justice. I have financially engaged in August.

[Christin Spoolstra]

“It is the work of racial justice.” THIS.

Once I understood that, my financial engagement can only grow – both here and in other Black-led spaces. Some months the fear of scarcity, like you mentioned, tugs at me, but knowing that this is justice work has pushed me forward.

[Rebecca McClinton]

ditto to Christin above! This financial engagement is the work. I can waste so much brain space asking ‘am I doing the work when I do this?’ ‘when I do that?’. Whenever I open my pocketbook and engage financially in spaces and work like this one it’s then I’m absolutely doing the work.

[Kelsi Watters]

Yes, I feel this too. The fear of scarcity andthe work of racial justice . . . two things to hold in tension. I have to make a choice, each day, which one of these is going to direct my path and praxis. My fear of scarcity, my hesitancy, is rooted in white supremacy. The NorthStar must be front and center, because thinking about how my actions (or inactions) impact Black and brown people, it puts things into perspective, allows me to name my fear or hesitation while not allowing it to guide my praxis.

[Christin Spoolstra]

Thank you for naming inactions, Kelsi. I think too often we conceptualize racism & antiracism in terms of actions. But what we choose NOT to do matters.

[Kelsi Watters]

Yes, and so much of white supremacy is about passive inactions and “can’ts” disguised as “won’t”. I just engaged the Encouragement, Exhortation, and the “Can’t” post from the starters forum so that was on my mind. Happy to be walking with you Kristin!

[Christin Spoolstra]

I have engaged financially for August. And happy early birthday, Lace! I’m so excited for the cafe and lace festivities to start!

The daily check in, check out reflection of Am I a woman worth following today? is so vital. Because it forces daily, active work on my ethos and my praxis. Am I being who I say I want to be? Is who I say I want to be truly the best that I could be?

When my ethos grows, my praxis grows, when my praxis grows, I grow as a safer person for bipoc. I grow in my lessening and mitigating harm.

Lace, you prompt and push and nurture that growth. So of course I have engaged financially for the health of this community. And will continue to do so. Because you and this community have led me and so many others on a fight toward the North Star

[Shara Cody]

Financially engaging was one of the first things I did when I found Lace on Race because I understood the difference it would immediately make through supporting Lace and the organization and the community partners to make the world safer for Black and brown people. I appreciate Lace’s example and Hesed in everything she does, including this ask. I’ve engaged financially for August as planned. Happy birthday week, Lace!

[Rebecca McClinton]

‘you specifically’ reminds me how all to easily I focus on the package I want to be in this work rather than the package I’m in. While focusing on change I want to make is important, what’s most important is what I’m doing in this moment, with this current present version of me. Focusing on the future can all too easily become a defense mechanism from accountability about the present. I have to do the same with walking here, with my pocketbook and with wrapping others into the double decker bus here. I have financially engaged for August and am excited to celebrate your birthday, Lace and all that continues to grow here at Lace on Race!

[Lorise Diamond]

I engaged financially for three reasons: It’s Lace’s birthday (Happy Birthday!!); to support a Black woman business leader (one to another); and I believe praxis leads to social evolution (social evolution happens to be my North star). Most significantly, I feel joyful and proud of the intentionality behind Lace on Race.

Carry on, good people! ?

[Rhonda Freeman]

Lorise, I appreciate your succinct words! I engage as praxis – plain and simple and appropriate.

[Kelsi Watters]

I will continue to financially engage here, and in other Black-led spaces. It is part of my praxis, and is my honor tofinancially, for all that this community has done for me. I need Lace on Race, I need Lace and each of you. We need each other. Yes, at times it is easy to be held back by the fear of scarcity, but looking toward the Northstar keeps me moving forward, because I want to do my part in lessening the harm done to Black and brown people. We are new people doing new things in new ways, cultivating seeds of change that will one day, become oranges.

[Jen Scaggs]

I have engaged financially. Happy birthday, Lace!

[Author]

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