At the time of this recording, it’s been two and a half years since the murder of George Floyd. As we kick off Black History Month in February, it feels relevant and timely to look back and to see what progress has been made since his death. We believe one of the ways we continue to create a more just society is to ensure all citizens are provided the same rights, protections, pursuit of happiness and justice that are still important to us...and to keep having the hard conversations about it. We also want to look at what opportunities still lie ahead. Each of us has something to offer moving forward, and, as Maya Angelou said, “When we know better, we should do better!” How are you doing with our #MOVE365 initiative? Comment below and then share your efforts and successes on social media and tag us @respectcircles in your post. We’ll share your posts in our stories and may even give away some prizes as we kick off the year with #MOVE365! And as we’ve been doing the last few months, we’re excited to share our latest nominees for our new Models of Respect segment, highlighting people in the world that are living and demonstrating our Respect Circles values. If you have someone in mind that you’d like to nominate and have featured on a future episode, please let us know! Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and we’d really appreciate you leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform to let us know what you’re enjoying about this show. You can also go to https://www.respectcircles.com/voicemail/ to leave us a message and you can also reach us by email, respectcircles@gmail.com to give us your thoughts. In this episode you’ll hear: An update on how we’re doing with the #MOVE365 Challenge [1:28] What Black History Month means to AJ [3:45] Our thoughts on the recent events with the Florida governor trying to ban all studies of AP African American history [5:46] The meaning of Black History Month for Stephanie [8:31] Some of the positive changes we have seen since the tragic killing of George Floyd [9:37] What the term “defund the police” actually means, and how some municipalities are allocating budgets to build more of a justice system [11:09] The biggest change AJ has seen since the killing of George Floyd [15:15] The opportunities we feel lie in policy and organizational changes in this country [17:58] How 2022 was a record year for police killings, and what needs to happen right now [22:47] Some of the ways that our education system needs help and reform [23:48] Key ways that you can help support real change in this country [27:20] Honoring our Models of Respect for the Week [31:37] Links & Resources: 45: Modern Friendship: Meeting People Where They Are 34: How A Horse Can Improve Your Mental Health (Part 1) & 35: How A Horse Can Improve Your Mental Health (Part 2) Reins of Hope Website & Donation Link Our Instagram Post with Their Photos
