WE STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT
WE stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Movement.
We recognize that we are part of a society where the lives of Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color continue to be oppressed by structural racism, lack of opportunity, health disparities, and direct violence by the police and others.
We protest the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and the many other unarmed Black people by the police. We would like to express our solidarity with protesters standing up to structural and physical acts of violence across the United States. Police violence falls within a larger pattern of racism and imperialism that has a long history. We believe that history matters.
We believe that Black Lives Matter.
We pledge to take on the struggle as our own, to stand up, even when we feel scared. We pledge to transfer the benefits of our privilege to those who lack it. We acknowledge that even though we feel pain, the conversation is not about us. We are willing to own our mistakes and de-center ourselves. We understand that our own education is up to us and no one else.
We are committed to listening and learning and bettering ourselves, particularly as purveyors of history.
Historically, Bellingham and Whatcom County have not been known for racial tolerance. Local history includes the “running out” of various non-white populations starting with the white colonization of indigenous lands. We are committed to telling these stories in our tours more than ever before. We continually assess how to best present them, especially when we experience white privilege.
We will continue to amplify the voices of people of color on social media and work towards bringing more diversity to our team. We highly encourage people of all colors and gender identities who would like to join us as guides, interns and researchers. We are creating DEI education protocols for ourselves and our guides, as we remain committed to creating a safe and open space for people of all identities on our tours. We invite and encourage input, suggestions and feedback from all people in our community.
IN SOLIDARITY,
The Good Time Girls
A shout-out to Lively Signs, who have been making free hand-painted Black Lives Matter signs for local businesses and individuals. We love their signs and applaud their efforts, and because we do not currently have a brick and mortar space, we asked them to create us a sign to “hang” online. The beautifully done red-lettered Black Lives Matter sign at the top is their custom work! <3 <3 <3 (Also thanks to my adult kiddos who helped me mask and fist-up our old lady-logo above.)
