If you’ve been following the brand you already know that we have taken a passionate stance against racism and for the Black Lives Matter movement. We’ve posted resources, shared videos and graphics, and provided tips on ways to protest peacefully.
You may wonder, why have we been so vocal in this cause?
Here’s why.
The injustice towards blacks in the Untied States has gone on for far too long. The same story has been repeating itself for decades. A black person suffers injustice at the hands of white police officers, some people are outraged, demands for change are made, the situation fades away, no change is made, the story repeats itself.
Well, the reason things haven’t changed is because we, the people of this country, sit back in silence and wait for change to happen...and it never does.
We at Hyperfly, from the start, have built this brand on the mantra “You Cant Teach Heart.”
Within the mantra is a verse that says,
“What defines you is your Heart, your Courage.
The courage to stand up for what is right, yes, to sometimes stand alone.”
In our hearts we all know that injustice towards anyone is not right. What is right is equality for all.
That’s why we’re taking a stand, even if it means losing business. Frankly, we don’t care if we lose followers or customers who maintain an antiquated, racist mindset. We’re not here to serve those people.
However, we admit that we certainly are not perfect. Granted, we’re doing our best to support the cause, but we can always do better.
The article “Just Being ‘Not Racist’ Is Not Good Enough” inspired us to write this piece. There’s a pervasive mentality within the white community that maintaining the identity that you are “not racist” is good enough to absolve yourself from the situation. Well, that just isn’t the case.
There are numerous implicit biases that many of us hold with regard to social superiority in which we are not consciously aware of. Implicit bias refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner.
So, as you may identify as “non-racist”, have you actually reflected on some of your ideas, actions, words or assumptions that may be rooted in racist ideology?
An interesting book that exposes many of these issues is called White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo.
Admittedly, we are using this tumultuous time in American history to educate ourselves, identify biases we may hold which we are unaware of, and use our platform to hold ourselves accountable in the movement toward racial equality.
The time is now to reflect, get educated, and act.
You Can't Teach Heart.
