I was extremely proud today that I took a new step in my Black Lives Matter work. For the last several months I have been developing and collaborating on a flyer with the information I find most compelling about BLM. Today we finally passed them out in Bethesda. I'll admit I was more nervous than excited. I don't like the idea of pushing things on people, plus Black Lives Matter makes me feel more vulnerable than a cause like environmental stewardship, which is not identity-based. Indeed, there were a few shouts of "All lives matter," one of which was directed at me and followed by "asshole!" But much more than that, people accepted our flyers with smiles and appreciation. Some people shared how much it meant to them and said they'd be back! There were lots of honks and waves and one car that shouted "Yes they do!" One of our first takers was a colleague and friend of mine who, without even seeing me, when asked if she would like a flyer exclaimed, "Of course!" with more enthusiasm than anyone else all day. No one said this work would be easy, and I genuinely appreciated the opportunity to articulate my values and to thicken my skin.
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