I don't often talk about my personal values or who I am as a person in my professional world but it's time for that to change so let me reintroduce myself:
Hi, I'm Danielle. My mission is to make the world a more beautiful place by promoting loving self care, imperfectly healthy living, and supporting compassionate community. I will always stand for what is right and that includes standing against racism, discrimination and injustice in all forms.
The concept of white privilege is not new to me. I have long been conscious of the privilege I was born into and had many conversations with my friends of color about their experiences and the ways in which they have experienced both overt and subtle racism throughout their lives. I have worked (and continue to work) to recognize systemic racism where it exists but I confess there have been moments that I have stayed quiet for the sake of keeping the peace or staying out of a political discussion. This is not a political issue though, systemic racism is an issue of human rights and every human is responsible for standing up for what is right.
If you break a law that you did not know about you are still responsible for the consequences. To move forward you must educate yourself so you do not make the same mistake again. I believe that is where we are as a country right now - the past 400 years of our history have led us to this moment where inequality is still so blatant to those affected by it and invisible to others. To paraphrase Maya Angelou, now that we know better, we must do better. It's okay to grow, to change your stance, to move forward.
Changing the world feels like an overwhelming task but building a society of true equality will not take away from those who are currently in a position of privilege. It does not take earth-shattering action, but daily small conscious shifts:
Listen with an open heart. Take action. Educate yourself. Speak up when you come across someone who doesn't understand.
My treatment room (physical and virtual) is a safe space. I will never bring up an issue that may be uncomfortable but I invite all of you to speak to me as you need to. I promise to listen, to process, and to support you. I will hold space for you if you need to work something out and if I misstep or misspeak, please hold me accountable.
With light & love,
Danielle
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