“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time.
We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” Barack Obama
At Calluna Events, we believe Black Lives Matter. We believe in inclusivity. We believe as a white community we have an obligation to use our voice and our privilege to stand up against senseless killing of George Floyd and so many others from the Black community. We believe the racists and inhumane treatment and killings of Black Americas is abhorrent and enough is enough. We demand racial justice.
We are anti-racist and actively attempt in our actions and words to be a strong ally, both personally and professionally. We understand allyship is a verb (not a noun) and it requires continued education, support and action with each passing moment, day, week, year. It is a lifelong journey, and we are here – committed.
Over the last two weeks, we, along with the larger community, have watched the world change (for the better) before our very eyes. We’ve listened and participated in the evolving dialogue around race, discrimination, equality, privilege, and more. In a time the world is standing solidarity with the Black community, we wanted to also amplify, celebrate and create action – while still listening and learning and doing the work on our own. We know our Black friends, colleagues, couples have been fighting this fight without the full support of their white allies for far too long. They are tired of doing this work. Now is the time for us to stand united and do the work alongside them. Our silence is complicity. Sign petitions. Have those hard conversations. Call your leaders, state and local government officials. Do the work on your own and educate ourselves and learn how to be anti-racist. Vote.
With conviction in our hearts and creativity in our bones, we set out alongside the team from The Perfect Petal to create @lovestrikeco: the intersection of floral design x public art x community elevation x celebration.
Our donation with @theperfectpetal of our @lovestrikeco was a bright light in our week and one small way for us to give back and spread positivity and beauty. It was our way to say to the BIPOC community: we love you, we see you, we are here for you. We hope this floral statement and the art, life, colors and vibrancy it represents brings you love and solace during this time. We cannot speak to your experience but we want to walk alongside and stand shoulder to shoulder with you.
Placed in front of the Denver Chapter of ACLU, we thank @aclu_nationwide and asked our community to join us in action of donation for this instrumental foundation and to support their tireless work on behalf of the civil rights and civil liberties of BIPOC in Colorado.
We asked and you answered! In one day our community raised and donated $3,195, including our $1,000 matched funds, to the ACLU Colorado and Nationwide! We wholeheartedly thank you so much for joining us.
Now more than ever we need to speak out – both in our lives, in our homes, on our social channels, through personal relationships, through business relationships – and demand change. These past two weeks we’ve watch the world wake up – asking questions, having conversations, seeking and absorbing information in a way that is different from the past. The outpouring of support in the wedding industry (and beyond) for BIPOC community has been inspiring and we truly hope it continues after this moment has passed.
Whether you are posting, sharing in a public space or donating to organizations, signing petitions, calling government officials, protesting, having conversations, engaging is grassroots activism, reading as much as you can get your hands on or simply sitting with your heart and mind silently but courageously –– we know this is our own individual path to walk on our own time.
At Calluna, we are committed to racial equality & diversity at Calluna. In addition to the ACLU donation and the individual work our team members have been doing, we invite you to learn more about the path we are taking as a team moving forward. This evolving list is just a starting point.
The conversation continues. The work continues.
Sending love,
Calluna Events
Photos and Videos from Love Strike by Alp & Isle
