A Note

Racism must end. Everyone must get to work. I’m guilty of saying “I am not a racist.” Yet, as Ibram Kendi, author of How to Be An Anti-Racist said, “Denial is the heartbeat of racism.” As a white person, my lineage and cultural lens is born of a past and present that is filled with violence and colonization. Privilege has shaped my thoughts, feelings and actions. Privilege is the belief that if something doesn’t affect you, it doesn’t matter. Since George Floyd’s death, I’ve been glued to the videos, images, stories that are unfolding. I watch my children pace the yard in rage, wondering ‘what can I do?’ As things unfold, layers of myself have been peeling back. Unexamined prejudice. Passivity. Inaction. I’ve come to realize with more depth and urgency that I and Mad Agriculture have tons of work to do. We’re early on the journey. Structural racism is everyone’s business to abolish. And we’re complicit. I’m sure we’ll make mistakes. I know there are ways to donate, sign petitions and join rallies. There are ways to work that are deeper, bolder and needed. I need to discover those. Show up. Listen. Support. Build relationships. It’s going to be fast, slow, messy and absolutely critical.

Mad Ag is all about regeneration, and regeneration encompasses everything. Healing our relationship to land goes hand in hand with healing our relationship to people, especially those that have been marginalized, terrorized, ignored, oppressed, enslaved, colonized and separated. We must inspect the norms, policies, practices and laws of society. First, we must inspect and untangle ourselves. As within, so without. Transform ourselves to transform the world. We must have the courage to acknowledge the racism in ourselves. Our work at Mad Ag will fail if we don’t help end racism.