This post is a little late in comparison to a lot you have probably seen over the last few weeks. At Credit Diva of Dallas, we wanted to take the time to let the voices in pain be heard. As time moves on and the media is starting to find other things to report on, it is more important than ever that we continue to have a conversation about systemic racism in America.

We are so proud of the folks that have been out on the front line doing the work to bring awareness to an issue that so many people in our community are aware of and struggle with daily, often unseen and unheard. The work is not yet done. Let us continue to join together as a community and raise our voices and create a world that we will be proud to inherit to our children and grandchildren.

If you're new to activism, an ally wondering what to do to help, or are just looking for other perspectives, here are some thoughts on how you can continue to support the Black community and help ensure that Black lives are treated with the same care and respect as their peers.

• Walk the walk: Follow up your commitment to anti-racist work with swift action. Join a community of activists in Dallas, share resources and reading materials with your network, and engage in conversations with your family, friends, coworkers, and community.
• Knowledge is power: Follow Black leaders and read the educational pieces they are sharing. Listen to podcasts. Watch documentaries. Understand the history of institutional racism. Go beyond re-posting on Instagram and take organic action.
• Speak up, speak out: Using your ears to listen is just as important as using your voice. Know when to speak up and when to pass the mic and listen. Learn from mistakes you make along the way.
• Practice empathy: Have an open heart and an open mind. Give others a safe space to share their thoughts and feelings. Allow for healing. Love yourself and others well.
• Vote! Vote!! Vote!!!: Change starts with you! Make your voice heard by exercising your right to vote in local, state, and federal elections. Each level counts.
• Commit 100%: It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Give yourself time and space to process, but commit to the work from here on out. 
• Donate: Change up your charity and put your donations to work to help organizations that are taking on the cases of those unfairly represented by our institutions.
• Vote with your dollar: Be aware of the companies that work to keep racism in place because they profit from it. Support those that reject these systems.

As a Black-woman-owned small business, Credit Diva of Dallas knows just how much race can change an individual's opportunity for credit. From redlining practices that kept banks and lenders out of Black neighborhoods making access to banking and loans more difficult to some of the oppressive structures in place in the credit scoring industry that negatively affect certain demographics over others.

That is one reason why we do what we do. We know generations of Black Americans didn't have access to credit—and thus knowledge about how to have good credit—and because of this, the generations of today are still struggling because that knowledge was not passed down. It makes getting off to a good start harder—and getting off to a rocky start more common. It means that we are in a unique place where we can help our community with more than just credit repair services in Dallas, but with lasting education and resources that will build the kind of knowledge that we can pass on to the generations after us. This is how you break the cycle.

Black lives matter.

Your life matters.

We see you, we hear you, and we're here for you.

The Credit Divas of Dallas