After George Floyd’s death, I felt so helpless. As a white woman living in England, there wasn’t much I could do it seemed to bring about change in my home country. I made many donations to support causes that aligned with my beliefs- education about racism, counselling for trauma experienced by ethnic minorities, and supporting legal teams to help bring about justice. A few of my friends took part in online panel discussions and I eagerly tuned in to learn more their personal experiences.
I took to books to educate myself further, learning more about American and British history and how racism was an underlying current. The non-fiction books I read were White Fragility and Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race. Natives and How to Be Antiracist to add to the list now that I have finished what I originally purchased.
While Gone with the Wind is fictitious (and seriously long!), I had already started it during this time and followed it up with Queenie, The Tubman Command, and If Beale Street Could Talk. There are so many more books I want to read, questions I want to ask. A black man was killed by police recently in my hometown, sparking protests and even getting a mention from Trevor Noah. Fuelling this fire of unease is the US presidential election where both old white male candidates were raised in a different time (for example, when segregation was legal).
In an effort to amplify black Voices and help drive a change in America’s leadership, I am joining the virtual event Womxn Run the Vote. Oiselle USA is organising a #WomxnRunTheVote relay to benefit Black Voters Matter. Last day to register is 17 September and relay starts 21 September. You don’t have to run to take part. You can walk, cycle, swim, row, etc. to clock up your miles. While I considered making my own team, but I thought it would be nicer to support others. Aptly, there is a team called Happy Runners (close runner up was team Run for Cookies), so please join the Happy Runners team if you would like to support this great cause. The team will need to split up the miles (680 in total) so let’s get registering asap. Sadly, the unique custom event gaiter is sold out and there isn’t a medal, but there are a few online events to attend as a benefit of registering. That means that $23 of your $30 goes right to Black Votes Matter. That is a pretty good trade off if you ask me.
Here is the official blurb about the challenge:
A virtual race for real change, Womxn Run the Vote is a 680 mile virtual relay from Atlanta to Washington DC.
This virtual course takes runners on an empowering journey from the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Site in Atlanta to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial in DC. Along the route, you will travel on the US Civil Rights Trail and follow in the footsteps of generations of activists.
A portion of the proceeds from this event will go to support the Black Voters Matter Fund, an organization whose goal is to increase power in marginalized, predominantly Black communities through effective voting, which allows a community to determine its own destiny.
Designed to be accessible for as many people as possible, this event allows you to run, walk, ride (or any of 80 other activities) and then log your activity and see yourself move on our map and leaderboards. You will be able to see a Google street view of your virtual locale and then cheer your real fellow teammates in the chat. Learn more about the activists and change makers that helped shape the modern civil rights movement with our interactive maps.
Looking for a team to join? If you search #WomxnRunTheVote on Instagram or Twitter, you will see info about teams with open spots.
Leave a comment below when you have registered so I cheer you on. Let’s run together to get more people registered to vote in the USA to make a big impression through voting in the upcoming elections and improve lives of American citizens.
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