Inequal Justice Under Law: Reflections on Minneapolis

I write to you from London, where you may know I have been living for nearly two years. Witnessing history repeat itself as even more black lives are lost in the United States is devastating, to say the least. I watch with horror as violence is inflicted again and again on our fellow citizens, feeling ever more helpless. I sit with a fear in my heart for the members of my family who are people of color, especially for my young niece and nephew, who have grown up side-by-side with their white cousins, but without the protection of their white skin.  

I sit here with a deep aching sadness of knowing that the nation I love has been unable to deliver on its core promise of the blessings of liberty for all of her citizens. I grew up on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and as a child I walked past the Supreme Court every morning on my way to school. I’ll never forget the inscriptions on the East and West facades of that grand building that read: ‘Equal Justice Under Law’ and ‘Justice, the Guardian of Liberty’. 

The Supreme Court of the United States

I feel fortunate to have been raised by parents who from an early age talked to me about the profound privilege those words impart — the privilege of being American. We also talked at length about why the privilege and promise of those powerful words are still to this day not afforded to all Americans.  

It’s conversations like these that we all need to be having, all of the time. 

I am a Quaker and as such I strive toward pacifism, and I endeavor to examine ways to eradicate violence from our society. I carry an awareness that white silence is violence. So I will look for ways to continue the conversation about equity and injustice throughout Tide Risers and throughout the other areas of my life, and I encourage you to do the same.   

But conversation alone is not enough. We must take action to work toward equity and justice. As overwhelming as this situation feels right now, I do believe that no action is too small. The ripple effect of the seemingly minute yet intentional actions we can take on a daily basis truly can change the world. 

I know I am joined by the women of our leadership team in committing to amplifying this work within our community. We white people must take ownership of the racism ingrained in our society and work to dismantle it. The Tide Risers program currently includes work to uncover and explore identity, in the myriad ways it shows up, but especially around gender and race. We feel this work must deepen, and to that end, our leadership team will begin this week to create action steps we can take as a community. If you would like to join us in this effort, we welcome you. Please just let me know. 

The members of the Tide Risers leadership team know that so many in our community, especially our Tide Risers who are women of color, are feeling pain, sadness, and fear. We see you, we stand with you, and we love you. We have faith that together we can find the abundance of energy and hope we need to achieve a more just and equitable world. 

Lara Holliday is the Founder + CEO of Tide Risers