The Revolution Will Be Monetized
I've kept my eyes peeled since #BlackOutTuesday to see how organizations, publications, companies, and individuals would actively respond to issues of diversity, inclusion, racism, and equity in the equestrian sport. The conversation certainly lasted longer than expected, and I'm still taken back by the number of companies that have made statements. I am keeping in mind that Black Lives Matter has become profitable.
Some anecdotal things I've noticed:
Some anecdotal things I've noticed:
- Some companies have not made direct statements but have started incorporating minorities into their advertising and costumer features. This can be viewed as either pandering or an instance of "actions speak louder than words." Definitely varies on a case-by-case basis.
- Horse people somewhat avoided the "token Black person" move and have recognized that diversity applies to ethnicity, sexuality, and physical ability among other categories.
- Certain entities have continued the conversation while others have gone back to business as usual after a singular post. This isn't meant to damn one over the other; it's way easier for The Plaid Horse to pump out articles than it is for SmartPak to organize a new product photoshoot during a pandemic. The timeline and appropriate action varies, but all will be held accountable in the end.
In good news, after a well deserved, scathing response, Eventing Nation not only extended the deadline for their scholarship but also increased the award amount. This was due to donations, not Eventing Nation's own charity. Many people called out the publication for taking the poor man's route to diversity and inclusion since hiring a specialist would have cost well over $1,000. From my personal stance, the bar is super low, and EN is doing more than most, so meh.
In lukewarm news, Missy Clark started reading normally and joined with North Run and the Philadelphia Urban Riding Academy to start Concrete to Show Jumping. PURA is already a well established non-profit, and North Run hopes to assist with fundraising while also offering broader opportunities for the kids of PURA. Truthfully, I would be extremely hesitant to send my child off to work or train with Missy after her willfully ignorant, tone deaf, horribly written, and humorously titled op-ed. The content was bad enough, but the roundabout structure and clear lack of critical thinking just did it in for me. Read between the lines? Seriously? Literally, what does that even mean? When I wrote my very short guide to how equestrians could address inequality, Missy is exactly who I was referring to in point #5; you can be liberal, open minded, progressive, or whatever other keyword Buzzfeed likes to throw around. It doesn't magically make you incapable of racist actions. I am seriously worried about kids being exposed to microaggressions or mistreatment due to Missy's ignorance.
This has all been very bittersweet. I always knew that the equestrian sport was incredibly White, but I had no idea how extreme those numbers were. It's been equally painful to read how other individuals have been treated for the last several decades, especially Philesha Chandler, who is one of my idols. I've navigated the horse world a lot easier than others, and hearing those stories has greatly humbled me. That being said, I don't feel so alone anymore. There are people who look like me. There are people who don't look like me but have the same experiences as me, and that makes me feel grounded.
Some closing thoughts:
- If a football team can stop naming themselves after Native Americans, you can also stop naming your Appaloosa after Native Americans. This isn't optional.
- Due to the limited number of minorities at the professional level, much of the push for diversity will have to come from the amateur and local level, hence the importance of platforms similar to #AdultAmmyStrong.
- We cannot disagree on this and still be friends. To disagree with equity is to disagree with facts, science, and morality.
- Stay real. I've been thinking about this lately, and I think part of what limits the horse world in many regards is that we're disconnected from the general public. It feels moot to publish posts like this that are targeted to a limited readership (even though this is, ya know, a horse blog). Be aware of the bigger picture. There's a lot we can do in our community, but we must learn from society as a whole.
I've been paying close attention to what companies are doing too, and have noticed the same things as you. It's really interesting to see how this is unfolding.
ReplyDeleteAlso making the effort to intentionally diversify my feed has been possibly my favorite thing ever.
I really hope the momentum keeps going, especially through election season. ;)
The big perk of having the election (other than getting a decrepit human being out of international conversations) is that it helps to keep the momentum. Honestly, I do not intend on stopping this conversation until every little Black girl who wants to ride can feel safe and represented in every facet of this sport.
Deletei think what's so surprising is how flat-footed the response has been in some corners. like.... somehow, this national discourse and conversation legitimately took major companies and organizations by surprise. the washington nfl team is a perfect example -- they've been under pressure to change their name for literally decades, but still somehow ended up having to make the change without a replacement plan ready to go. guys. how is it that you *didn't* have a plan already? or the EN "scholarship" which... let's call it what it is, an essay contest. i'm happy that so many folks are matching that gift to increase its value, but i wonder at the idea that a big lump sum cash payout to a single contestant could be a driver for change -- vs investing in developing programming or opportunities within the sport.
ReplyDeletefrankly tho, the thing that is worrying me the most is.... so so so much of this conversation isn't necessarily happening where it matters in the smaller local corners of the horse world (ie, in real life, not just social media). for instance, nearly everyone involved with the leadership of my local riding associations is kinda... old. old school, old fashioned, old. they're not on insta. they're not following brands. they can barely figure out online show entry systems. and they're not having transformative conversations about the diversity of their membership. and yet.... they are the organizations producing programming. i'm trying to figure out what creates change with this group who, almost without their knowing it, have become gatekeepers in a way.
BINGO! Don't even get me started on technology literacy. One of the arguments against Safe Sport is the fact that trainers would have to make group chats with a student and parent, and horse people don't understand technology enough to do that constantly . . . .
DeleteI don't have an inherent problem with elders leading the sport so long as they are open to progress and change. We need people with a knowledge of our history, but to willingly keep yourself in the past is exhausting. It falls into the same argument about old people just being racist because of how they grew up. We're all taught to think, look, and be a certain way, but when the world by and large is leaving you behind, it's time to change.
Even with The Plaid Horse being able to pump out articles faster than most companies can pivot - HOW LONG DID IT TAKE THEM TO COME OUT WITH A STATEMENT. Even the magazine I write for - though there has been much internal conversation and I have pushed a list of BIPOC equestrians I really want to be featured. There was NO public statement. A letter from the editor would seriously suffice in this situation.
ReplyDeleteOh I didn't even think about that. To be quite honest, it might be a case of "The opinions in this article are a reflection of the author and do not reflect the beliefs of our company." Which isn't a bad stance to take if you're the platform that published the Missy Clark article. It feels like another form of staying neutral.
Delete