So this started as a Facebook post and I have also written and shared it on Medium.
I woke up this morning and was scrolling on Facebook and it made me mad. I wanted to say something but didn't just want to echo everyone else's anger and repetitive words but actually challenge people, including myself, to be better. Words are empty if we are not living a life that lines up to what we say. It is easy to blame others or see prejudice "out there" but the hard work and the most important work is internal and digging into our own prejudices and fears. So, if anything, I want you, yes you, to turn inward and ask yourself the hard questions:
"I am mad and confused about the senseless and brutal violence we see WAY to often in our media. This cruel use of power and privilege is NOT okay and no excuse makes the blood go away or the fear disappear in communities of color. We must do better. And that isn’t just about “those” people who act violently. Little subtle actions and words matter. We are also part of the problem if we aren’t willing to look at ourselves and do the hard work EVERY DAY to learn, grow, and unearth our own prejudices and fears. What scares me most is what we don’t see or what we brush aside because the wounds are not so blatant. We post on Facebook or twitter and say we are mad or anti-racist, but are we really doing anything different? Are we really doing the hard work to change the systems that we see so clearly are broken and fueled by hate? As white people, many of us are so scared of being called racist or of being attached to our history of systemic violence and hate that our country was founded on, but that, my friends, is part of the problem. And I get it. It is scary and painful. But, if we are not willing to lean in and have the hard conversations, be challenged to really listen to the stories of people of color, and intentionally cultivate lives that do not perpetuate white privilege and systemic injustice, then we are just talking heads. And yes, it is painful; yes, we have to walk through shame and pain and face the demons of a past we did not necessarily create, but if we really want the system to change and if we really want to be allies it our responsibility to be honest and brave and willing to look at ourselves in the mirror. My white friends and family, please don't just get mad and point fingers or cast blame or run of fuming that you are "not racist". No offense, but I'm over it. We need to look at ourselves and at our own lives. We must change. We must not just profess love and justice but actually cultivate lives around it. Today, I am diving into Layla F. Saad’s workbook on “Me and White Supremacy.”
Her resources are extremely helpful and the book really helps unpack all the nuances of White Supremacy. I highly recommend it! You can find more information at: https://www.meandwhitesupremacybook.com/
What will you do today to learn, grow, love, and help make yourself and the world a little better?
Please share! Challenge your family and friends. Start a book club. Have a hard conversation: listen more than you speak. Have a movie night and watch a documentary on the history of racism in our country.
Remember, we all have prejudices and fears; it is okay. But we must be willing to look at them, move them around in the light, and learn and grow from them. There, we get to re-write the narrative and stop senseless violence before it ever begins. We must do better. We must teach our children and their children to do better. We must."
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