Since this piece came out, I’ve talked to a lot of folks—mostly Black women—who left organizations and the repro movement because of these microaggressions and anti-Black racism and those who are still in it. The thing that is clear to me is that we all deserve better. https://twitter.com/o_ema/status/1297900319314186241

Those who were able to get out are still in pain because we didn’t receive the apologies and reparations we deserve. Those who are still in it deserve grace and apologies for all they’re going through as they try to make changes.

We’ve all been there trying to make changes and hope that we can be the one to make a difference—and sometimes we do, but it’s usually not the monumental change we’re hoping for, is painful in the process, but moves the work forward for whoever is next. It’s so tiring.

The reality is that we’re all in a system that doesn’t value us. We’re all being hurt by habits of white supremacy that value outcomes and urgency over our labor and lives. We deserve workplaces that see ending anti-Blackness as core to the mission.

The thing is, addressing racism and anti-Blackness is a winning strategy because it’s at the core of our opposition and would ensure folks feel valued in this work and want to *stay* in this movement. We cannot let this moment pass without actual change.

I don’t know what the solutions are, especially because they need to be long term structural changes and resource shifting. But I’m down to figure out what it could be.

What other folks want might be different as their situations are different.

Some have asked what I’d like to see, so here it is: I want private and public apologies for people who have been harmed (and want them), public plans of accountability for ending racism, pay disparity analysis and reparations.

I also want board leadership changes, for boards to take complaints seriously, to evaluate leadership and have penalties when large numbers of staff of color leave in mass exodus, and for boards to read exit interviews. It’s actually not that hard to do, if you try. And want to.

I know we’re all emotionally exhausted and in pain, and I truly hope our organizations take this moment to shift and become stronger. Because I am truly tired of seeing people tweet about listening to Black women as they pop into yet another meeting where they ignore our advice.