we find ourselves continuing to hope for justice, and fear the possibility of a verdict of no justice once again.

This is different from fearing the anger of Black individuals. Their anger is justified. 

This is also different from fearing for our lives. There are plenty of reasons for women to be afraid in this world, but as White women, we can experience fear and acknowledge our relative safety in situations where Black people are unsafe. 

A few weeks ago, we featured a newsletter written by Michael Brown, whose words on wages impacted many of you. What we did not share is how we first 'met' Michael, when he responded to our newsletter from June 2, 2020 reflecting on the murder of George Floyd. The last line of Michael's letter still rings in our ears: "Your words are nice, but I'm not feelin' it, yet."
 
We heard and understood Michael's skepticism. There were and are lots of words coming from White people. There was no reason for him to believe that things would be different this time around. We wonder if there is any reason for any of us to believe that things will be different, as here we go again (and again) with the murder of another Black man by law enforcement. In Austin Channing Brown's words, "I'm so tired of traffic stops turning into executions for Black people."

And though we - the writers of this newsletter - may be tired and disheartened and wondering how / if / when justice will finally be served, we also know that we will stay on the path forward, because there is no other choice for us. This is why we continue to treasure Michael's call for accountability - and the many other calls we've received from thoughtful readers. It is also why we were not afraid to receive that call. Because when others ask us why we are changing our policies, and why we are putting so much effort into changing the words in a job description, and why we are making things 'more difficult' for employers, we hear the words of Bernice A. King: "Social justice is LOVE applied to systems, policies, and cultures."

Because our words alone do no justice, we will work to dismantle the systems, policies, and cultures in sustainable food that keep people oppressed. We can all do better. 
 

Onward,

Tay + Dor