Stand By Me

If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
Or the mountain should crumble to the sea
I won't cry, I won't cry
No, I won't shed a tear
Just as long as you stand
Stand by me

by Ben E. King

To be silent is to contribute to the issue. No person should feel unsafe because of the color of their skin for a single second. No human should be killed because of what they look like or who they spiritually turn to for comfort. Period. It’s murder.

Meaningful change can only happen when we ask the difficult questions, listen to one another, find compassion in ourselves and seek solutions.

I will make mistakes, but I will keep trying my best.

Compassion doesn’t cost a dime and neither should expressing your frustration by how humans on this planet are being treated. My hope with this pattern is that it will inspire folks to find their inner-voice and to use it to demonstrate solidarity. To use art in a lasting way to create a promise. A promise to yourself, to your community and to people of color.

This is what I promise.

I promise to listen to you and value your story

I promise to listen earnestly, recalibrate my biases and work on myself to better understand how I contribute to the problem

I promise to carry what you have shared with me in my heart

I promise to help your voice be heard and amplify it

I promise to actively learn and educate myself on this reality and the history leading up to where we systemically stand today, understanding that how it was told is not always accurate, especially by the oppressors

I promise to ask my questions with respect and empathy after doing my homework

I promise to speak up and stand up

I promise to march with you

I promise to continue to communicate with my Representatives

I promise to fight for you and help you open spaces to move forward

I promise to better understand how I can utilize my privilege to uplift you and amplify your voice

I promise to have compassion for the fact that humans have the capacity to grow and change and know that how someone believed a certain set of values before does not mean that that’s what they believe now

I promise to have gratitude for those who came before us and to lead by example for future generations

I promise to never forget what happened

I promise to stand by you

I promise to strive to make you feel like you can stand by me

I will always have a lot to learn and that’s okay, but I promise I’ll keep moving forward.

xo,

Brooke

Please feel free to download, print and stitch to your heart’s content.