My Commitment to This Community

I'm sad. I'm uncomfortable. I'm embarrassed. I'm ashamed.

I'm raging mad.

And, for the past many days -- in this slurry of searing emotions -- I've been at a rare and complete loss of words.

This silence has been, in part, intentional.

Like many, I've been terrified to say the wrong thing. And, lacking a feeling of readiness to say the right thing, I've said nothing.

But please do not take my silence as cowardice, prejudice, laziness or an unwillingness to roll up my sleeves and be an in-the-trenches part of what I hope to God becomes a long-overdue inflection point in our communities, in our country, in our world.

Conversely, this silence is me taking immediate steps to digest. To educate myself on things that, frankly, I should have been versed on years ago. DECADES ago.

This silence is me working with urgency to make damned sure that my children don't treat * now * as little more than a driveby blip of Insta-advocacy.

This silence is me grieving for the families of George Floyd, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, Tamir Rice, Natasha McKenna, Kimani Gray, and so many others.

This silence is me -- on the eve of a milestone birthday -- vowing to you, my brothers and sisters who are people of color, that I will spend my remaining decades on this planet working to eradicate systemic racism.

I may need guidance along the way. In fact, I will appreciate it.

But do know my resolve is unwavering.

Thank you for being here. I am so grateful for all of you.

#blacklivesmatter