We stand against racism: A letter from our founder

Dear Moms on the Run community,
​
I ‘interrupt regularly scheduled programming.’ I will not be hitting send on the planned marketing email today. I just can’t do it. There are greater issues in front of us as members of this organization, and as citizens of the world. Our nation is hurting right now. And as individuals, we are hurting. We have been facing a crisis, and we are at a crossroads that demands we embrace this opportunity for change.

Like many of you perhaps, I have been feeling paralyzed the last couple weeks. I watched in horror the video of the tragic death of George Floyd at the hands of those who pledged to protect and serve, in our own backyard. I have struggled to put words to my thoughts. But while I have been slow to speak publicly, I’ve not been slow to respond. I’ve been quick to listen. I’ve been having long days of tough conversations with family, friends and colleagues. I’ve been very intentionally taking it all in, seeking to learn more. I want to understand how I can do better; how our organization can do better.

I want to call out racism for the evil that it is, a crime against humanity. Moms on the Run will take a stand against racism, discrimination and acts of hatred against ALL people.
I want to live in a world where NO ONE needs to be afraid to go on a run. Yet we are approaching our national celebration of independence day, and becoming keenly aware that almost 250 years into the freedom of our nation we still have SO FAR to go to ensure equal rights for all people. We are being truly awakened, and we are crying out for justice in the face of the injustices and inequality that are still very much woven into the fabric of our society.

This is a fight we can’t win on the sidelines. It’s going to take ALL of us coming together. We can’t just demand change, we need to work for change. We are asking big questions, the hard questions. While we may not know all the answers yet, as an organization we can do better.

While we have always strived to be welcoming and inclusive of all women, we know we need to do more! Building Community is one of the core values of our company. This week we have specifically added the fight against racism to what this value means. Two years ago we became increasingly aware of the lack of diversity in our organization and we began to make changes, but it is clear there is more work to be done. We hope Moms on the Run can be not only a safe space for supporting women of all backgrounds, but an organization that breaks down walls and builds unity through relationships and coming together.

To our members of color, we see you and we stand with you. As a white woman I cannot begin to understand some of the hardships you’ve endured but I can walk alongside you to work for change.

To the greater community of black runners in this nation, we are all in this together and we want to support you. Let us know how we can do better.

To our members in law enforcement who are doing the hard work of fighting for change from within, we see you too. We know you are also hurting right now. We know we all need to work together for meaningful progress.

We have a few weeks to go before our run “together” on the 4th. As we approach this time of celebrating our freedom, I want to challenge our members to continue to work through the challenges and face them head on.

• Learn more.
• Seek to understand why and how we are in a place where our communities of color continue to experience prejudice in our country.
• Teach your children what you are learning!
• Have tough conversations.
• Reach out to friends who may see the current issues differently than you, for a conversation in person.
• Aim to listen more than you talk.
• Extend grace! These are tough conversations where we are all sure to mess up in our choice of words. We all have personal biases built into our life journeys and we need to acknowledge each other’s experiences and be forgiving of one another in order to get to a place of understanding.
  
  

When we come together to run in celebration of the 4th, let’s make it a time of reflection. A time to set intentions that support Liberty and Justice FOR ALL! This year, when you are sharing your #FOURonthe4th and #runwhiteandblue posts, we invite you to join us in supporting freedom and equality for all people with a new hashtag, #libertyandjusticeFORALL

We will continue to talk. We’ll continue to listen. And we want to hear from you. Do you have ideas on how we can increase the diversity in our organization, make a difference for runners of color or fight against racism? Please let us know here. We are committed to do more, and to do better. Let's work toward a world where no one needs to be afraid to go for a run. We are all #inthistogether.

Karissa ​