What are you doing?
Show your support
Listening: reading books (Ibram Kendi, James Baldwin, Jesmyn Ward, etc.), following BIPOC on social media, etc. Learning: researching where my blind spots are, learning where the boundary is between calling in/out, when I should speak vs listen Lead: I work in voter engagement, election protection, preventing voter suppression, correcting disinformation, calling out family and friends who are silent/complicit. There's so much more to do, so I'm looking at where I can have the biggest impact with where my strengths are. Also donating anywhere I can to BIPOC organizations or movements, whenever I can.
Because of COVID-19, and not really seeing people these days, I'm currently following people on IG like Monique Melton @moemotivate, Dr. Sarah Webb @colorismhealing, No White Saviors @nowhitesaviors, and AHUS @americahatesus. Keeping anti-racism resources in my IG feed and engaging with their posts helps me keep myself accountable for this work. That's how I learned about the workbook companion to Layla Saad's book "Me and White Supremacy" that is coming out next month which I already pre-ordered.
What am I doing to combat racism in my community but also everywhere I can? Enlightening people who may not think they are making racist remarks, but they are. Raising awareness to the injustices that BIPOC face every single day. Housing discrimination, unfair wages for POC (white men and women always make more, which is unethical because we work just hard, maybe even harder as we are not white. It is the truth) still educating others on how we as POC are dealing with racism in our schools, with our youth, even in your own home. I live with my in laws because of the pandemic. They are white. My mother in law used to use the word colored up until like 10 years ago. She doesnt think anything about it because she is so sheltered and barely grew up around black people. I looked at her like she was crazy and explained that the word has negagive connotations, and what the fuck was she doing using it? Are you that misinformed? Esp as a white woman who is in her mid 50s. Open a book! My father in law always say oh
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I dont want to sound racist but...then proceeds to say some racist remark about whatever race. Must be nice to be so priviledged to talk shit about other people. Sure they may be middle class Americans, but you are still trash for talking down about others using racist undertones. I do not let it slip by me and I call him out. Do not ever disrespect me or my people. Oh my daughter is white passing but obv mixed. Wonder if he will ever say something ignorant. I dont stand for racism or inequality in any way, shape, or form. From a stranger or from family. Anyone can catch these hands!!! Protest, protest, protest. Also, by voting you're helping our community. Taking the census. Every little thing helps!