I think a lot about what came up during both Black Lives Matter and the Me Too movement. Folks showed up with real passion and commitment during these moments of crisis—police brutality, sexual harassment, the moments that grabbed headlines. And that mattered.
But there’s a pattern: when the conversation shifts to economic opportunity and structural equity issues, it gets harder to keep that energy going. I don’t think it’s because people don’t care. I think it’s because we’re still learning what solidarity really means.
Two Different Kinds of Support
There’s the support that shows up for:
- Protesting after someone is killed by police
- Condemning harassment and abuse
- Raising awareness on social media
- Showing up at marches
- Signing petitions
And then there’s the support needed for:
- Closing pay gaps
- Changing hiring and promotion practices
- Sharing leadership and decision-making power
- Redistributing resources
- Creating long-term economic opportunity
Both matter. But the second list? It’s harder. It’s less visible. It takes longer. And honestly, it requires people to give something up or share something they have.
Why the Shift Is Hard
Crisis moments are visceral and immediate. They make us feel something immediately, and the actions feel clear: show up, speak up, stand with.
Economic and structural work is different. It’s in hiring and managing processes, board composition, investment decisions. And here’s the uncomfortable part: it often means examining our own positions and being willing to share power or opportunity we currently hold.
That’s not easy for anyone.
What This Paradox Looks Like
A company releases a statement supporting racial justice during protests—and that’s genuinely meant. But when it’s time to examine pay equity, representation in leadership, or who gets promoted, the momentum stalls.
Or there’s real solidarity around Me Too, but when it comes to examining the salary gap, or changing who gets considered for senior roles, it becomes “complicated.”
I don’t think this is about bad faith. I think it’s about how much harder the structural work is.
An Invitation
If you’ve shown up for the crisis moments–that solidarity matters.
But at some point we have to move from responding to crises to building structures that prevent them. How do we translate the passion of the protest into the patience of policy change? How do we get comfortable with the uncomfortable conversations about who has what, and how we share it more equitably?
This isn’t about calling anyone out. It’s about calling us forward—into the harder, longer work that actually changes things.
People who are discriminated against need allies not just when they’re in danger, but when we’re building the future. Because when more voices are at the table, we get more interesting and equitable solutions—for everyone. The people already doing this work know what meaningful change looks like—we just need more people willing to ask, to listen, and then to act on what they hear. That’s where transformation begins.
TUNING Design Co. 