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This is an excerpt from our latest monthly newsletter. Didn't join our mailing list in time to see our latest newsletter? No problem!  While we were horrified by the terrorist event that happened last week in our nation's capital, we were not surprised. Journalists have been asking us for months what we mean when we say "we're scared". This is what Black, Indigenous and People of Color were scared of. This is what people of marginalized identities have been talking about the whole time. This is what the Black Lives Matter movement saw coming. And yet, not enough people believed it to the point of action. The terrorists you saw on tv storming the capitol building weren't just a few rogue individuals. They are our coworkers. They are our neighbors. They are store owners. They are bakers and teachers and police officers and lawyers and mechanics and doctors and lawmakers. They have been hiding in plain sight this whole time, telling us we are being too sensitive, insisting we pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, banning the way we wear our hair, insisting we are too loud and too angry, convincing you we are violent and ungrateful. They suppress our votes, they beat and arrest us for no reason, they let us die first in global pandemics, they hide our accomplishments and deny us our life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. On the day of the coup, President-Elect Joe Biden tweeted, "The scenes of chaos at the capitol do not reflect the true America." We disagree. The scenes of chaos at the capitol are EXACTLY who we are in this country, and ignoring that fact is how we got here. We beg that you shed any sense of shock you may be experiencing, any sense of surprise. This is exactly what we have been saying for generations, but while more and more people are starting to listen, there still aren’t enough taking action and providing tangible solutions. The terrorist attack on the capitol was a direct attack on every American, but the interesting thing is, if we focus on finding solutions for the most marginalized, at-risk, and vulnerable groups among us, we are all elevated in turn. We have been called to work on this platform that helps people of marginalized identities identify safe and welcoming spaces to do business, and if it isn't clear by now that white supremacy is everywhere, we don't know how else to show it. That is what the platform we are building is designed to do.  We need to know NOW if a place of business, a park, or a restaurant is going to be safe for us. Businesses need the opportunity to see their true impact on the communities they serve NOW, so they can access the resources we have available to be part of the change they might not yet realize is needed. We can not wait any longer. The news of the attempted coup came in when we were on the phone with each other. Though fear and anger came as a result of this news, we continue to receive hope and joy through this work. Inclusive Journeys is a release for us. When we face these reckonings, we are able to do something in this moment to help ourselves feel safer tomorrow. The privilege to do this work is afforded to us by generous donations from our allies, like you. Lower down in this newsletter is a list of more actions you can take. You don't have to do them all, but please, do something. - Crystal & Parker (Co-Founders)
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