I have seen many business statements regarding the racial inequality debate the nation was thrust into after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Many companies rushed to extend messages of solidarity, and I wanted to do the same, not at all as an empty gesture, but with authenticity and impact. I will begin by saying we unequivocally support Black and Brown Bozeman.

What are we doing to take new action against racism in our town?

On June 5, 2020, we volunteered to provide sound for the rally at Bogert Park organized by the Black Student Union at MSU, Montana Racial Equity Project, and Bozeman United for Racial Justice. My husband Brian has been a sound engineer for the past twenty years in Bozeman. He was asked to provide additional sound equipment for the second Bozeman rally after the first was difficult for the audience to hear and social distance at the same time. We were happy to volunteer our time and equipment to ensure the audience had a great experience.

 We have sought out personal accounts from community members who want to share their BIPOC stories with our readers. In this issue, we’ve included an article entitled The Black Lives Matter Movement as an Asian American contributed by our new writing intern Cassie Pfannenstiel. We intend on another article for August about Being Brown in Bozeman. We will continue to seek out contributions from the Bozeman BIPOC community and help get their voices heard. Interested in sharing your story? Email us at info@bozemanmagazine.com

We will continue to read books and articles and watch movies about racial injustice, slavery, oppression, inequality, and myriad issues facing people of color historically and currently. We take the stand that not being racist is not enough. As individuals and as a family, we will be anti-racist. We also believe that ally is a verb, and we will be active allies in this renewed fight for equality.

We know this is a long road to walk, and we are in it for the long haul.

Bozeman Magazine is a VENUE for creative community members to share their work, thoughts, history, causes, and business offerings. We publish locally written content by volunteer contributors who care about their community and want to share information with our readers, as well as featuring local artists on our cover each month. We strive to bring you interesting and engaging content that will encourage you to be a part of the events and business ventures that make Bozeman unique. We are here to tell the story of Bozeman; we sure hope it is an encouraging and inclusive story.   

Angie Ripple is a white girl from Montana. She was raised on the Flathead Indian Reservation in St. Ignatius, Montana, before moving to Bozeman TWENTY-FIVE years ago this August to study at Montana State University. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design and is the mother of three children 13 and under.