Dear Glamour Curls on the Go Community,

From Ahmaud Arbery to Breonna Taylor to George Floyd, the sequence of recent racially charged events has exacerbated the trauma that our communities are experiencing. This is true for our readers, their families and our associates.

I watched the video of George Floyd’s last moments with horror and disbelief as he cried for help while others watched without action. I immediately switched to the mindset of a mother and pondered how I can protect my children from the injustice they may inevitably experience because of the color of their skin. As a parent of two young men and leader of a diverse legal system, I implore all of us to work together to ensure we treat one another with dignity, respect and value the diverse views we bring to create our community spaces.

Glamour Curls on the Go (GCOTG) is based in the most affluent African American county in the nation. While these calamitous events occurred in different parts of the United States to men and women who represent a cross-section of our nation, what they have in common is their race. Our GCOTG community has been inundated with videos, statements and images depicting anger, violence and calls for change. We have witnessed an outpouring of uprisings globally, nationally, regionally and locally where diverse groups have converged to affirm that they want their voices heard.

Social media occupies a unique place in our society. We cannot ignore the reality that our community look to broad-based, nonpartisan, multicultural platforms for clarity, understanding and empathy. However, we are not without our own challenges as a blog community. We must confront and challenge our own biases when it comes to who can and does achieve. We must guard against collective complacency and act with fierce urgency in our pursuit of equity.

Within GCOTG, we believe that all associates share the responsibility for a safe and supportive environment that contributes to excellence in self-care.

Today, we reaffirm our understanding of the need for self-care visionaries to help chart the path forward when uprisings occur. We underscore our commitment, as a social media beauty and wellness platform, to equity, social justice, diversity and inclusion among our core values. As we close this spring season and transition to planning for the next, we aim to ensure our readers and associates have the tools they need to contribute to communities confronting institutional racism, bias and discrimination.

While we will always emphasize the importance of beauty, self-care, and personal excellence, each of our readers, regardless of race or ethnicity, must feel affirmed, valued and cared for within our nation in order to achieve that goal. That work starts with each of us, every day in every neighborhood for every human.

Sincerely,

Glamour Curls on the Go