Black Lives Matter and White Accountability

For today, I had written a post on intersectionality. I had spent a lot of time on it, used a lot of references to Scandal and was excited to share it. But I won't be sharing it today because I received this email from the group Showing Up for Racial Justice this morning:

"This week Terence Crutcher and Keith Lamont Scott were murdered. Since San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick began his on-field protests, at least 15 Black people have been murdered by the police. As we continue to see racist violence unfold on our TV screens and social media feeds, it is more important than ever for white people to loudly amplify the calls for justice that are reverberating throughout the country."

Colin Kaepernick started his protests just 4 weeks ago. My heart is heavy and my Facebook newsfeed is packed with outrage, leading me to question what I can do. As a person who identifies as white, I am acutely aware of the intricacies and inequities involved in amplifying the Black Lives Matter movement. I cannot make the BLM movement about me, as people in positions of privilege often do in activism. I must find a way to amplify the voices of the movement without appropriating them or talking over them. And, though it pains me to say, I have benefited from the same systems the movement is fighting. That doesn't mean I don't want to fight them too. I believe in the Black Lives Matter movement because I believe that all lives matter and the systems in place in the United States do not adequately or accurately reflect that. Even though white people are more likely do drugs, people who identify as Black and African American are 3 times more likely to be arrested for drug possession. Americans who identify as Black and African American and are unarmed are 5 times mores likely to be shot by police that unarmed White Americans. These are not issues of individual "crooked" cops or crimes, these are large-scale social problems and people are dying - at least 1 every 2 days for the last 4 weeks - as a result.

So what can I do? Truthfully, I often feel overwhelmed and intimidated when faced with such an enormous and pervasive issue. That being said, to take a back seat, to be silent or go along with my everyday routine pretending I don't see and hear what is happening is an overt reflection of my racial privilege. As a white person, I experience a certain amount of safety and security - one that allows me the semi-comfort of even starting this blog. As a white person, I need to hold myself accountable for using that privilege to speak up and speak out, to amplify the voices that deserve to be heard and to educate my fellow white peers about their own accountability. In his book Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates writes that it is not his responsibility to educate white folks about racism and white privilege. I agree wholeheartedly with this statement. It is unreasonable to expect people who are actively fighting systems of oppression while simultaneously enduring the weight of them to educate those who benefit from them and are often blind to their very existence. That being said, I've done some research and here are some resources and things you can do right now to support systemic change and educate yourself:

1. Learn about the Black Lives Matter movement. There are a lot of misconceptions about what the movement actually is and what it stands for. Educate yourself and then share that information with others around you. Saying "Black Lives Matter" is not saying "Black Lives Matter more than white lives" or "police lives." Understanding the movement is a good first step in understanding how to support the change it calls for. Knowledge can ripple out and be extremely powerful when used correctly.

2. Support organizations that are working tirelessly to influence change. The Black Lives Matter website has a whole section on ways to get involved. Showing Up for Racial Justice's whole website is structured around explaining different ways to support racial justice. If you don't want to physically get involved, donate a few dollars or share the information with others who might be interested. 

3. Listen. As a person who identifies as white, I know that sometimes conversations about racial inequity can lead to a defensive reaction. Our society teaches us that, even though prejudice and racist ideas are embedded within us due to social and cultural messaging, being "a racist" is bad and wrong and even admitting or acknowledging having experienced racial privilege is some sort of moral indictment on you as an individual. This is false and, while we are working through our feelings of guilt or shame, people are dying. There are advocates and activists who are openly telling us what they need and it's time for us to listen.

I know that most of this is not likely new information. I truthfully hope that it's not. But, as I said in my very first post, I believe that silence is compliance and it's past time for white people to stand up. That being said, I am not "Ms. Social Justice." I often feel inadequate, unprepared and insecure about my ability to support systemic change. I will say things incorrectly and make mistakes and it's possible I will do so publicly. I won't deny that speaking out can be scary and overwhelming. However, the fear of a negative response, a nasty note or confrontation from a Facebook friend or peer, pales in comparison to the risks activists are taking every day, often putting their lives on the line to pursue justice for those who have been killed. My fear and my safety are not more important than theirs and, though the risks I face are considerably and notably less dire and severe, risks are what is called for now.