How about turning your 2017 Black Friday into a Teal Friday?

Since 1932 Black Friday has denoted the start of the Christmas shopping season. Since 2000 ribbons, the color of teal, have symbolized awareness and prevention of sexual assault.

Teal, a mix of blue and green, represents open communication and clarity of thought. According to color psychology, the color blue expresses calm, gentle, serene feelings, while green symbolizes growth, strength and spirit.

There’s been so much resistance happening in our world – happily so. People rising up and saying “no” to all kinds of exploitation and oppression.

Black Friday represents our consumer culture where social status, values, and activities are centered on the consumption of goods and services. Ironic, as Black Friday directly follows a day meant to bring friends and families together to encourage one another to be thankful for all that they already have in life.

I’m proposing that this year, this day after Thanksgiving, be Teal Friday - a time to support the growth, strength and spirit of all who’ve survived sexual abuse - a day to dedicate our consumption towards encouragement for survivors.

Here are two concrete ways you can make that encouragement work:

1) Support my Books To Survivors Campaign, click here. And/or

2) Support a group helping and serving survivors. Find one near you by going to RAINN

I accept that the end of sexual abuse may not be seen in my lifetime, but I am deeply grateful and encouraged to walk in that direction, and you can too.

Thank you for reading,

Donna