23. On Privilege, Anti-Racism, Allyship, and Where We Go From Here

There is no back to normal. There is no back to business as usual. 

There is no un-seeing and unlearning about the injustices against Black people. Indigenous people. People of color.

Once you’ve opened your eyes to the racism that exists in our society, there’s no going back.

That’s where we are today. As I record this in June 2020, we are in the middle of a revolution. The recent deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd have spurred protests around the US, Canada, and the world in support of Black Lives Matter.

The anti-racism movement is here and there is an overwhelming sense of ALL the emotions. Overwhelm. Hope. Anger. Frustration. Confusion. 

Like you, I do not know what the future holds but I know that change IS happening. The world that exists and operates today is different than it was 3 weeks ago. And I freakin’ hope it continues to change and evolve as we learn and take action against racism and police brutality.

This is uncomfortable and unknown for me and THAT in itself is a privilege I no longer take for granted and will continue to work to unpack and fight against.

Am I going to mess up? Yes. 

Am I speaking up now just because it’s trendy? No. But I finally got out of my own fear, inaction, and privilege - and I’m truly sorry it took so long. 

Am I taking real action? Yes.

This episode is for you if you’re a listener, community member, friend, and you want to know where I stand.

It's for you if you, like me, are evaluating who you listen to, who you follow, who you spend money with to be sure they align with your values.

And it's for you if you are open and curious about what else you can do - I’m sharing a few things you can do to continue to be an ally, and work to systematically change our world so that the opportunities I’ve been given as a white woman are available to ALL people. 

My promise to you is this: I’ll go first - I’ll share, mess up, and I’m going to KEEP going. 

But I also want you to promise me something: That you will do the work too. That you will learn from Black educators and do YOUR part. Because it’s going to take ALL of us - working together - to bring justice, fairness and equal opportunities for ALL.


Here are the juicy bits you can look forward to:

  • My fears about speaking up 4:15

  • Who this episode is for and my intention behind it 7:40

  • An honest conversation about my imperfections and limitations 9:15

  • Why I’ve added “Learnings and Updates” to show notes 11:10

  • A reminder about why what you do matters and why you have to answer to yourself 13:05

  • Why we’re here today 17:25

  • Some startling statistics about how the deck is stacked in the favour of white people 18:40

  • Why we need to listen to the stories of BIPOC 22:10

  • How to take action 23:35

        • How to take immediate action 24:40

        • Ongoing action you can take in your business 32:30

        • Ongoing action you can take in your personal life 35:05

        • A final note on how I’m taking action 38:00

  • Why I’m being transparent about the action I’m taking 39:25

  • One last note on your goals, dreams, and money 40:55

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Resources: 

Share your idea to be a guest on Goalden Girls Podcast: http://lisamichaud.com/podcastguest  

Books:  

Movies:  

Articles:

Podcasts: 

Business:

General + Inspiration:

About Racism: 

Beware: this list is non-exhausted and all of these women are amazing: 

Some of our favourite Black Women we’re following:

@cicelyblainconsulting

@rachel.cargyle 

@laylafsaad

@goodancestorpodcast

@stephanieyeboah

@racismrecoverycenter

@nicolewalters

@moemotivate

@thegreatunlearn

@iamrachelricketts

@sashaexeter

Some of our favourite Indigenous & POC Women we’re following:

@shayla0h 

@roseandblossoms 

@mintandbirch

@vania_gallegosdiaz

@itjustflows

@rimpysahota

@farnooshtorabi

@athenasangulo

PS. From time to time, we may update this list as we become aware of more resources. 

Quotes to Share:

Download and share the quotes you loved on your social and inspire those around you:

 
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Episode 23 Quotes.png
 
 
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“Once you’ve opened your eyes to the racism that exists in our society, there is no going back.” - Lisa Michaud

“I don’t know what the future holds but I do know that change is happening.” - Lisa Michaud

“Somebody might judge this and dislike what I do but I’m learning to get comfortable with that.” - Lisa Michaud

Stay Connected: 

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Thank you so much for listening.

xo,

Lisa


PS.  Please note: some of the links shared may be affiliate links. This doesn't cost you anything: it simply means that Lisa Michaud might get an affiliate fee. Special care is always taken to make sure only the highest quality recommendations are shared: our highest value as a Community is YOU getting results in your life. We will always encourage you to show up with integrity and encourage you to create a business, income, and life you love - and make money doing it. We share this as an example of how we do this in our business by following these principles to serve you, and inspire you to do the same in your life.

UPDATES + CONTINUED LEARNING:

June 15th, 2020:

  • Pronounced Rachel Cargle’s name incorrectly twice in the episode.

  • Lesson: In the episode, I used the language “our indigenous people” which can imply ownership. That was not my intention - but impact matters more. I apologize for the implied ownership and commit to not using that expression or language going forward.