With so much pain and suffering impacting the Black community, and our communities of color around the country, Paige Vaughn Photo is committed to doing it’s part to stop the systemic injustices that face our non-white brothers and sisters (and those who identify with no single gender – of course).

Even though I will begin sharing wedding-related content again here on my website, I wanted to share my position on current events. This doesn’t mean going back to “business as usual.” My work to become a better ally is far from done. It won’t happen overnight and I’m sure I will make mistakes along the way, but I am committed to being and doing better.

As someone who previously thought I was doing a good job at being inclusive and anti-racist, I’ve learned so incredibly much over the month. There are still moments where I feel clumsy and am identifying ways racism is so deeply ingrained in our society. I’m still exploring being vocal while leaving room at the table for others to lead/speak.

Everyone’s approach to anti-racism is a little different from one another. For me, that looked like donating money to organizations, writing letters to my representatives, reading/sharing resources that I felt educated me that would help other non-Black people, and continuing to voice my distain for this administration (of which I will carry into the ballot box with me). For anyone else who feels like they’re still trying to find the right words to say, know you’re not alone.

In case it hasn’t been clear on where I stand amongst current events:

• I’m against the inhumane cruelty and oppression of BIPOC by police and the justice system
• I’m for the defunding of police departments to redistribute money to community programs like housing, rehabilitation, education, mental health, etc.
• I’m for the banning of deadly police techniques
• I’m against qualified immunity and the lack of accountability in our police force
• I’m against a president who refuses to acknowledge the problem and encourages brutality to make way for self-serving policies

A non-exhaustive list of ways I plan to contribute to BLM through my business:

• Donating a portion of each wedding package booked to BLM, NAACP + other related organizations starting today
• Continue to showcase BIPOC in my work and actively seek additional opportunities to represent this community without tokenizing other human beings
• Intentionally diversifying my preferred vendor list to further encourage the hiring of BIPOC-owned businesses
• Continue to work through my unconscious biases and identify areas of growth
• Push for inclusion within wedding publications
• Volunteer my time to causes that support and uplift my local communities
• Buy products and educational resources from BIPOC-owned businesses

This is isn’t the end of the road for me. The fight for equality and ending police brutality isn’t over. It’s important for me to share that posting about weddings again doesn’t mean I’m unsupportive or in disagreement with this movement.

Thank you for having grace with me as a small business owner while being supportive of the Black community in this country.

Are you looking to better inform yourself too?

PODCASTS TO LISTEN TO:

Speaking of Racism 

Black&

Yo, Is This Racist? 

Still Processing

Seeing White

Code Switch

COURSES TO TAKE

Trudi Lebron: Show Up and Serve

Race and Cultural Diversity in American Life and History

Black Minds Matter

ACCOUNTS TO FOLLOW

@theconsciouskid

@autinchanning

@ckyourprivilege

@laylasaad

@rachel.cargle

@nikkolas_smith

@charlenecarruthers

BOOKS TO READ TO UNDERSTAND ANTI-RACISM ON A DEEPER LEVEL:

This Bridge Called My Back Edited by Cherríe Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa

Divided Sisters by Midge Wilson & Kathy Russell

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla Saad

Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong

Good Talk by Mira Jacob

Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeona Oluo

I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown

Color of Law by Richard Rothstein

Evicted by Matthew Desmond

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

Race for Profit by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin

America’s Original Sin by Jim Wallis

Blindspot by Mahzarin Banaji

How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo

Stamped by Ibran X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds

ORGANIZATIONS TO DONATE TO:

Black Lives Matter

Minnesota Freedom Fund

NAACP

Southern Poverty Law Center

Reclaim the Block

Black Visions Collective

Campaign Zero