I have hesitated to share anything about the killing of black people or any other manifestations of institutionalized racism on the internet because this is not about me. I don’t want to be another well-intentioned white person posting on social media to distance myself from the perception of racism as I continue on in my privilege. No matter how well intentioned, honest, or thought provoking they may be, this is not the time for white voices. And yet, the more I read and learn from people of color, it is obvious that this is not the time for silence. So how, as a white person, do I proceed?
There is no part of me that wants to use a tragedy, a tragedy that is a manifestation of a reality that I will never fully understand, to elevate my own voice. At the same time, I want my friends of color to know that, despite my lack of understanding, I am with them. I am willing to listen, to be rebuked, and to endure the discomfort of being white in pursuit of breaking down the trauma of being black*. I am here to let go of the power that has been given to me simply because of the circumstances of my birth, power that has elevated me at the expense of the rest of the world.
*This statement is not to detract from the experiences of other minorities but rather to specifically emphasize the black experience that our country is currently highlighting.
I have never existed in a world where merely living in my own body was dangerous and my identity was, by default, a traumatic experience. I have never lived in a world where I’ve had to advocate that my life does, in fact, matter, a world where this proclamation of my own human dignity was met with hatred, rebuke, and violence.
To my friends of color, I am sorry. I am sorry for inherently benefitting from a world that values my life and my success over yours. I am sorry for the feelings of unease that manifest when I pass a black man on the street at night but are notably absent when the man is white. I am sorry that my natural hair is considered the standard for professionalism, that nobody has questioned the validity of my college acceptance, and for all of the ways I have benefitted from a world that was built for my success and comfort at the expense of your human dignity.
To my fellow white people, this is our time to listen humbly to those whose experiences we will never be able to fundamentally empathize with and actively fight against the institutions that benefit us at the expense of people of color. It is our time to let go of our pride and our comfort and to make way for those who have been silenced for far too long.
I live with every privilege imaginable and there is nothing I have done to deserve that. Historically, this realization has been unveiled to me as I have attempted to seek out and learn from the experiences of those whose lives my privilege oppresses. I have only begun to understand the depth of this injustice thanks to friends of color who have been willing to have hard conversations with me about race and writers who have had the courage and audacity to share their experiences.
Below I have attached some perspectives that have been fundamental for my understanding of race and privilege in America. Learn about race from these voices, not from mine.
Lauren Saxon
Lauren is an incredible poet, watch her spoken word performance of her poet "Ghost Boys" below and read more about her work here.
https://youtu.be/WUusiT8MROs
Ta-Nehisi Coates
His book Between the World and Me (buy it at a local bookstore) is a letter to his son about the reality of being a black man in America. He is also an incredible speaker and poignant writer for The Atlantic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QO15S3WC9pgThis entire video is important but if you only have a minute to watch, start at 3:20.
Robin DiAngelo
Dr. DiAngelo is white and in her book White Fragility: Why It's So Hard For White People To Talk About Race (again, I recommend supporting local bookstores when possible), she does an excellent job of explaining whiteness and its inherent privileges in a way that is accessible and sensical to even those who are most skeptical about the realities of white privilege.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjHg65JORi8
Aaron Layton
Aaron is the founder of Relate2Color, a Christian diversity consulting agency, and works to promote racial reconciliation. His book Dear White Christian was his response to engagement with his white friends after the racial and cultural events in 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri.
https://player.vimeo.com/video/229916015
Works of Fiction
These are recommendations my friend Lauren (see her info above) gave me when I asked her about black voices to share. I really admire her writing and trust her authority when it comes to voices that share the black experience much more than I would trust my own.
Nate Marshall - author, editor, poet, playwright, performer, educator, speaker, and rapper
finna (coming August 2020)
Olatunde Osinaike - poet and software developer
speech therapy
Hanif Abdurraqib - poet, essayist, and cultural critic
a fortune for your disaster
the crown ain't worth much
Morgan Parker - poet, essayist, and novelist
there are more beautiful things than Beyoncé
Danez Smith - black, queer, non-binary, HIV-positive writer and performer
don't call us dead
homie