“Racism isn’t getting worse. It’s getting filmed.” -Will Smith and many others.
I am a mixed woman. My mother is white, and my dad is black. In the eyes of America, since my skin is brown, I am considered a person of color. This puts my life at risk, every day, even if I’ve done absolutely nothing wrong. There are white people in my family who do not understand this. That is a huge problem, and it’s not only a problem that I face, it is a problem that ALL people of color face in America.
We have to do better. How in 2020, has the narrative not changed? Why is systemic, widespread, deep-seated racism still something we have to live with? Why don’t white people understand? Why do white people always say “playing the race card?” We have to do better.
White people, it truly starts with educating your selves. Start here: 75 Things White People Can Do For Racial Justice. Learning about racial disparities and understanding that the reality is that people of color do not live the same life as white people. Racial disparities occur in: education, housing, pay, health care, maternal morality, mental health stigma and treatment, the criminal justice system, and our credit rating system, to name a few. I do not have the time to list articles that prove all of these, but the answers are a quick google search away.
White people, please listen to the people of color in your lives, on your social media, on the news, when they say they need your help. This is not a fight that the people of color should be fighting on their own because THEY ARE THE VICTIMS.
There are ways to change the narrative in our country. It will just take the voices of MANY, not just the victims. Stand in solidarity with your brothers and sisters of color. Show them that you hear them, and show them that you are willing to help. It also starts with our children, and teaching them at a young age about race. Here is a link to resources compiled by Katrina Michie: Your Kids aren’t Too Young to Talk About Race: Resource Roundup.
This is a link to another google document that contains a ton of anti-racism resources- social media accounts, podcasts, books, etc.: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BRlF2_zhNe86SGgHa6-VlBO-QgirITwCTugSfKie5Fs/mobilebasic
It’s not enough to post a graphic saying #BlackLivesmatter. It’s not enough to say “I see you, people of color.” It’s not enough to share memes of Colin Kaepernick on your Facebook. It’s not enough to share MLK Jr. quotes. It will take action.
And even as a woman of color, I can do more. I can donate to organizations that support people of color, I can reach out to my state reps and request police reform, body cams, proper training, I can educate people when they specifically ask me “What can I do?”
If you aren’t deeply saddened by the events occurring in our country, you aren’t paying attention, or you’re part of the problem.
