PLEASE read. Even if you don't think you need to....you do. Please read.
1. BLACK LIVES MATTER - there is no argument.
Cast aside any thought of 'but ALL lives matter'. Yes, all lives do matter, supposing that they were all equally valued to begin with--but they never have. [[....but if it helps you (Karen), then add a 'too' to the end of that statement. (Black Lives Matter too)...just do it in your head so the ignorance doesn't leak out.]] The point is not valuing one life over another overall. The point is that, let's face it, black lives have gotten the short end of the stick since the beginning of time.
Ethnic minorities have been the subject of many hate crimes. Never more so within the black community because society has perpetuated the thought of 'black'=bad, something to be feared. Black people are seen as aggressive, hot-tempered, angry, feral, etc and maybe over time some of those stereotypes have become true for some people because they have been pushed into that box for so long, but it is in NO way the ACTUAL truth for the majority of black people.
Because of these stereotypes, black people are stopped by police for no reason, they are arrested for no reason, they are prosecuted for no reason, they are KILLED for no reason...other than the colour of their skin. That is wrong. So, yes Black Lives Matter. End of Story.
2. White Privilege NEEDS TO BE ABOLISHED
White Privilege is something that has been ingrained in society for a very long time. IT MUST STOP. This is one of the hardest things to change because it has gone on for so long and it's so deeply rooted in the world today that most people don't even realize it.
It's called Unconcious bias: inherent or learned stereotypes about people that everyone forms without realizing it
There's unconscious bias in loads of things, and it's almost inescapable. For example, when someone says 'doctor' and 'nurse', the unconscious bias will assume that the Doctor profession is held by a man, and the Nurse profession is held by a woman. Not all people will think this way, but as a society we are programmed with certain unconscious biases from when we are children.
White Privilege starts with that unconscious bias thinking (like the stereotype that all 'foreigners' learn to speak English'), and ends with us breaking the cycle.
Like the quote above states: IF WE COULD CHANGE OURSELVES, THE TENDENCIES IN THE WORLD WOULD ALSO CHANGE.
Just in case you didn't realize...White Privilege is:
- Having strangers be friendlier to you, than to a person of colour because you're not seen as different or undesirable/unwanted
- Being seen as more trustworthy than a person of colour
- Speaking out/up or talking back to authority with limited repercussions
- Potentially being given a lighter/easier sentence for wrong doings
- Being favoured for opportunities (being given a promotion, entry into University, getting a job, buying a house, etc)
- Having an inherently higher economic status than a person of colour
- Being seen or heard more than a person of colour
- Not having to fear for your life every minute of the day
- More freedom
This is by no means an exhaustive list. White privilege is all around us and it has grown like a monster through years and years of existence.
Think about this:
In 1669, in Virginia the general assembly made it okay for 'masters' to molest or kill their negro slaves and not be charged for murder. It was called, "An Act About the Casuall Killing of Slaves".
CASUAL killing....like it's no big deal. *sigh* ....Let's take it in comparison to the social norm of today and say that 'slavery/servitude' means anything customer service related in the home (cleaners, gardeners, babysitters, etc).... that meant, essentially, you could murder your gardener and it wouldn't be considered a felony.
Let that sink in.
How messed up is that? Since the beginning of American history African Americans had no chance of starting off on equal footing with their white counterparts because of the insane privilege that granted laws like this existing.
3. Black Lives Matter is not just 'a US problem'
This is an issue for ALL black people, world wide. This simply does not just effect The US, or even only English speaking countries.
I think because American people pride themselves SOOOOOOOO much on their freedoms, that's why we hear a lot about the protests in America. It doesn't mean that it doesn't happen anywhere else, it's just a case of 'Who shouts the loudest'.
4. You Don't Have to be Black to Support Black Lives / Silence is submission
Don't make the mistake that I did and remain silent because it's 'not our fight'. Of course this is our fight. It's everyone's fight! Supporting Black Lives is not exclusive. It doesn't matter what race you are, what gender, what social status, where you come from.... all that matters is that you care about people's lives and correcting years and years of wrong.
I hear a lot of comments about 'We'll I'm not racist, I love black people', or 'I have black friends, I can't be racist'. First of all: STOP. Just stop and think how you sound if you've ever stated something like that.
Secondly, it's not enough to just be 'not racist', we have to be actively ANTI-racist. If you say nothing, and do nothing then you are accepting that this is the status quo and that black lives are treated as less than everyone else.
5. What Can I Do To Help?
So, what everyone can do to help......
Amplify Black voices: share posts on social media from black creators telling their stories to reach a wider audience in hopes of opening peoples eyes and enacting change.
Speak up: It's okay if you are not black, you can still stand up for black people NOT being heard and speak on behalf of the millions of voices that are getting ignored. Talk with people you know, have difficult conversations with your family and friends about why supporting black lives, matters.
Donate: There are so many causes to donate to from helping families of victims pay for funeral costs, to raising money for bail bond funds for those wrongfully thrown in jail with no means of posting bail.
Sign Petitions: Again, loads of petitions for a variety of things including getting police officers charged with murder for certain cases of police brutality, DE-funding the police and re-investing into poorer communities heavily populated by POC, and taking away police riot gear like rubber bullets that are EXTREMELY harmful to protesters and used way too often to be deemed necessary.
Write to Governments & VOTE!: As well as signing petitions, you can go straight to your local governments by writing a heartfelt letter about things you wish to change. Or, if you just want to do the bare minimum, use your right to VOTE to enact change in relevant bills on local and national electoral ballots! True democracy is a government FOR the people. If enough people shout loudly at the government for change, it is the duty of governing bodies to listen to their people and DO something about it.
Protest: March with people all over the world who are protesting (hopefully peacefully, but years of oppression warrants a little frustration- remember that) to get seen and heard and start conversations with people and change minds, to bring attention to governing bodies who have ignored black voices. And again, if you are white, going to protests will amplify black voices as you stand in solidarity with them.
Educate yourself: If nothing else, learn about the black lives matter movement. Learn all that you can about the history of oppression surrounding black lives and why it's so important to stand up and speak out. Learn the history of black culture. Open your eyes to white privilege and recognize how damaging it is to the black community. Read books. Watch documentaries. Listen to Podcasts. Watch TV/Movies with a heavily black cast which supports black creators. Support Black businesses to help the community thrive.
PARENTS--Educate your children: It's heartbreaking to know that most black children get 'the talk' at a young age about how they need to act around law enforcement in order to come home to their family ALIVE.
White parents....It's our turn to speak up too. Don't let the cycle of unconscious bias and racism get to your children. Teach them to be kind. Teach them to speak up if they see injustice in the world. Teach them that people will be unkind to those with darker skin tones and that is wrong, and to say something if they see it happening.
We all have a part to play in ending racism. We all have a part to play in helping black lives not only survive but thrive. And nothing you do in the list above can be deemed 'not enough' or 'not worth it'. It all adds up to change. We can do this, together, as long as we do SOMETHING.
Silence is Submission.
Silence is as good as being racist.
For a great curated site of petitions, ways to contact your governments, protest smart info, and more resources to educate yourself (Books, movies, podcasts, etc) CLICK HERE. Also, visit the official movement website at https://blacklivesmatter.com/
