In the wake of the George Floyd murder and in the midst of Black Lives Matter protests, we at the organization I founded, Engines for Change, have been doing what we can to support our Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) friends, family, and communities. We believe it is our responsibility as human beings to do our due diligence to educate ourselves on civil and human rights injustices, and to do what we can to protect the lives and livelihoods of those around us.
I created this organization as a platform for motorcyclists to have a positive impact on the world. Right now, the positive impacts that the world needs are more compassion, open-mindedness, humility, unity, and action. We need to take actionable steps to support our BIPOC communities in ways that we have never fully achieved as an industry or a country.
On an organizational level, we have been coordinating with our PPE suppliers and attending protests to hand out face shields, face masks, and hand sanitizer so that protestors can protect themselves both from COVID and from any brutality or violence they may encounter. We are continuing to coordinate logistics of PPE and groceries for COVID relief. If you are interested in volunteering with us, please reach out.
On a personal level, I have begun to listen more closely, to read more, to research more, and to try to broaden and deepen my understanding of race and privilege. I have been following BIPOC influencers, activists, and educators, and compiling resources and recommendations that they have so that I may better educate myself. I am grateful for the feedback, guidance, information, and vulnerability that my BIPOC friends have given me, especially in the last couple weeks. It is not their job to educate me, yet they have been patient and forthcoming in sharing their knowledge and experiences.
To help others educate themselves and take action in their own ways, I have compiled a list of resources and suggestions for how to support the BLM movement. This is not an exhaustive list, but I hope that it can serve as a starting point for those who want to take the first steps.
For those who want to support our BIPOC community within the motorcycling industry but do not know where to start, please visit EnginesForChange.org for ideas and resources and to read the rest of my letter entitled “A Letter From Our Founder.”
Thank you,
Kirsten Midura | Founder, Engines for Change