"Your Black Employees are Exhausted"

Loren Newman, PTBi's in-house designer, reminded our staff of how the recent murders of Black people feels like for Black moms and birthing people. She shared her truths with the full team in a “Thankful Thursday” email on Thursday, April 15.

In light of the ongoing racial attacks in the US I want to highlight the victims (some of which are deceased as a result of these attacks):

Daunte Wright

 

Daunte Wright

 

20-year-old Daunte Wright was shot and killed by Minnesota Police Officer Kim Potter on April 11th, 2021 after a “routine” traffic stop. He was pulled over for having an air freshener hanging from his review mirror. Moments before he was killed, Daunte Wright called his mother and told her he got pulled over. She had no idea it would be the last time she would speak with her son. Daunte was also a father to a precious 1-year-old baby boy, Daunte Wright Jr. George Floyd’s girlfriend was Daunte Wright’s teacher. 

THEY STOLE MY SONS DAD FROM HIM -CHYNA WHITAKER

26-year veteran officer and former president of the police union Kim Potter says that she mistook her handgun for her taser when she shot and killed Daunte. Learn more.

Army LT. Caron Nazario

Caron Nazario

 

On December 5th, Black and Latino 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Medical Corps Caron Nazario was pulled over because his car did not have plates (his temporary paper plates were taped and visible in the car’s back window. This should’ve been a routine stop and Nazario simply asked “what’s going on?”, but instead police approached his vehicle with weapons already drawn. The officers proceed to say many inappropriate things and for no apparent reason.

WHATS GOING ON IS YOURE FIXING TO RIDE THE LIGHTNING, SON -OFFICER JOE GUTIERREZ

Officer Nazario was then repeatedly pepper-sprayed, at that point he still had not been told why he was being pulled over and harassed. Lt. Caron Nazario also saw Eric Garner, his ‘uncle’ die in police hands. Learn more.

Roger Allen

Roger Allen

 

On April 7th Roger Allen, 44, died at a hospital in San Francisco after being shot once in the chest by a Daly City police officer on Niantic Avenue between Citrus and Westlake avenues. Roger Allen was sitting in the front passenger seat of a vehicle when police came upon the vehicle and asked the driver if he needed help with a damaged rear tire. From that moment a struggle ensued between Allen and an officer and he ends up being shot and killed.

MY FAMILY WANTS THE TRUTH AND WE WANT JUSTICE. TALIKA FLETCHER, SISTER

Wagstaffe said authorities have not recovered any video footage of the shooting as of Wednesday morning. Learn more.

Holding Each Other and Making Space

These are only a few of the stories in the recent news that I chose to highlight, and they all leave me feeling more and more thankful for the lives of my father, uncles, two brothers, significant other, and now my 6-month-old son. Now after visiting each of them I am holding them tighter than ever because this hug could be the last hug.

 

I would like you all to keep in mind:

"Your Black employees are exhausted
Your Black employees are scared.
Your Black employees are crying in between meetings.
Your Black employees have mentally checked out
Your Black employees are putting on a performance."
Source: Shenequa Golding

And after you have taken this all into account, think about how this affects birthing people and families.