It's O.K. not to be O.K. right now

As the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to reverberate within our neighborhoods and homes, many of us are now feeling like we're experiencing a crisis within a crisis.

Our country is in a fragile place right now. I feel it's important to acknowledge the anger, fear, hurt and uncertainty we are feeling.

Like many of you, I am not O.K. I am still processing my pain. I am not O.K. that a pandemic has claimed the lives of nearly 120,000 Americans. I am not O.K. seeing economic disparities exacerbated and the pandemic's disproportionate harm to black communities already struggling.

I am not O.K. that in 2020, I watched a man die, face down as a police officer pressed his knee on his neck for nearly 9 minutes.

I am not O.K. that once again, I am having to look at my now 12-year-old son in the eye and explain to him why this keeps happening.

But I have faith. I believe in a better tomorrow. I believe that together, we have the power to create real change.

But first, we need to shine a light on this pain.

This isn't a new problem. In fact, in many ways it feels like very little has changed since the 1960s modern civil rights movement. We have been carrying this trauma for generations.

So check on your black friends, family and colleagues. This is the time to turn to one another and say: I see you. I hear you. I am here for you.

Second, we need to take action to sustain momentum and bring about meaningful change.

It's heartening to see so many people come together, even during a pandemic, take to the streets to march for a better tomorrow. But we have only scratched the surface.

A system of deeply entrenched racial inequality and injustice that is 400 years in the making isn't going to be dismantled overnight.

Structural racism compounded by implicit bias touches every aspect of our lives. It's something that's deeply ingrained in the social, political and economic fabric of our society, resulting in persistent inequities in housing, employment, education and healthcare system.

We can't make meaningful progress unless we confront difficult truths. In the words of James Baldwin, "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced."

We need to have courageous conversations and confront these issues head on.

There's a lot of work to be done. A lot of healing to be done. And we all have an important role to play.

Make your voice heard - vote. Commit to educating yourself and others around you about the insidious nature of racism and how to ensure we stop the perpetuation of the cycle of injustice. Moreover, commit to learning what it means to be anti-racist. Support organizations working to address inequality. And continue advocating after the rage is over.

Tackling such a complex, deeply rooted problem requires active engagement from every single one of us. It requires empathy, compassion, self-examination. We have to get proximate and understand each other's mindset. We need to mobilize and listen to those whose lives are different than our own. We need to create space for openness and vulnerability.

All of us need to take steps to encourage courageous conversations that enable us to connect, to begin healing and get on a path to meaningful progress.

This is what I am committed to doing in my personal and professional life. What's your step?