I grew up in an all-white neighborhood, and have lived my adult life in similarly segregated communities.
My white privilege is part of me, despite the fact that I never asked for it, and did not recognize it for most of my life. Without intent or malice, my experience has shaped who I am. While I have had difficulties in my life; I will never know what it is like to move about in our highly segregated and racialized world with black or brown skin.
We are all on a journey of awareness–an often uncomfortable journey of listening and learning; a journey in which we need to face and challenge long-held assumptions and biases. We need to educate ourselves, rather than remain in blissful, privileged ignorance.
These times are hard. Like so many people, I am weary; but I can only imagine how exponentially weary my black friends are of explaining (for the upteenth time) that the phrase “ALL lives matter’ dismisses and trivializes the consistent, systemic and state-supported devaluation of black lives. I can only imagine the weariness of regularly engaging with well-intended white folks who proclaim “I don’t see color’; or dealing with those who completely lost their shit when Colin Kaepernick took a knee, but are now yelling the loudest that the only effective protest is a peaceful protest.
To those decrying violence and property damage: I agree that it would be WONDERFUL if we could address our race issues calmly, rationally and peacefully—So, when do those talks start??
The historic reality is that whenever when black people have sought justice, they have faced extraordinary violence from white people in many forms: Slavery, Jim Crow laws, Lynchings, Civil rights violence, fire hoses turned on children, burning of churches or whole towns, assassinations of civil rights leaders and more. Our history clearly tells us that No form of protest is acceptable to those who are vested in preserving the status quo.
These are difficult times – it is the Civil Rights FlashPoint of our generation. Our actions, or inaction, now reflect the true nature of our characters. Will you rise to the challenge to advocate for freedom and human dignity for all, or will you double down on preserving a status quo that protects your own wealth and entitlement? If this were the 1960s, Would you be listening to Dr. King, or would you be shouting him down and cussing him out?
Choose well, my friends.