“In a racist society it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.”
―Angela Y. Davis
White friends,
It is not the time for ‘white rage or white shock’ while we watch the long overdue racial uprising that is going on in the USA right now.
This has been brewing for 400 years.
It’s time to reach out to your black friends, ask them if they are ok, offer to help. In any way you can. White people caused this shit. White people need to dismantle it.
If you’re feeling outraged and shocked and you’re doing that white person thing of posting MLK quotes all over social media, channel all of that into something that’s actually constructive.
Black people are being murdered by American police officers.
Here are five things you can do to help right now:
1. Read
Why I’m no longer talking to white people about race - Renie Eddo-Lodge
Me and white supremacy - Layla F. Saad
How to be an anti-racist - Ibram X. Kendi
White fragility - why it’s so hard for white people to talk about racism - Robin DiAngelo
So you want to talk about race - Ijeoma Oluo
2. Speak Up
Speak up when you see any racism. When your old white Uncle makes passive aggressive racist comments because he thinks it’s funny ask him what he means. Say ‘I don’t understand, explain what you mean’. And keep asking him to explain until he realises that it’s not ok. Or you could just punch him in the face.
Look around at work. How diverse is your team? Is it 90% white men just like most offices in the UK are?
What HR policies are in place to encourage recruitment of Black people into your workplace? Start to have uncomfortable conversations around the whiteness of your office.
Lack of diversity is what gave Hitler a hard on, don’t be like Hitler.
Shenequa Golding, Maintaining Professionalism In The Age of Black Death Is....A Lot:
Your black employees are exhausted.
Your black employees are scared.
Your black employees are crying in between meetings.
Your black employees have mentally checked out.
Your black employees are putting on a performance.
3. Support Black owned businesses
Stop buying anything from white supremacist companies. We all know who they are. Support your local Black businesses. Google them. Find them. Support them. White people have had all the money for long enough.
4. Donate
Let’s start with helping George Floyd’s family
Donate to the NAACP who fight for civil rights here.
Help the Minnesota Freedom Fund (who just raised $20 million in 4 days because of the protests)
There are dozens of organisations in every country devoted to fighting for Black peoples rights. Because this is not just an American problem. The UK has extreme racism issues, it’s just hidden under passive aggression & snark.
I've traveled all over the world. And have never felt as unsafe as I do at home, in the United States.
Never.
5. Watch
This video is absolutely gutting : Black parents talk to their children about how to deal with the police.
And when you’re watching the TV footage from right-wing news stations showing the ‘riots’ - take note:
‘What was striking about these protests was that many of the looters and rioters weren’t black. In fact, from most of the footage I saw, it appeared that the violence was usually instigated by young white men. Many of the Black Lives Matters protesters were even yelling and pleading for the white rioters to stop. Many of the rioters seemed to not even give a shit about George Floyd or racial equality. They appeared to be in it purely for the mayhem.’ ~ Mark Manson