09/24/2019
This article is a bit dated (from Feb) and written by a white dude who is speaking up, so this is directed at my fellow WHITE community members who are asking “What can we do right now to help?” with the best of intentions but, maybe asking the wrong audience. Which I’ve also admittedly done in my life 🤦🏼♀️ I’m choosing to learn. Our society and people of color don’t necessarily need apologies from white people, I can’t speak for everyone, but acknowledgement and commitment to change is what’s needed from us and I am certain of that. Listening, when they’re ready to speak, after so many looonggggg years of being ignored, is needed. NOT ARGUING ABOUT HOW SOMETHING ISN’T OFFENSIVE OR RACIST FFS.
Read this article. Watch his little video blurb about a racist experience that made him super uncomfortable in which he did nothing but then learned something in order to become better. Research some educational pieces on racism and follow people of color first hand to hear what they have to say PUBLICLY at THEIR OWN PACE. Take a break from asking your friends who are POC what to do. They’ve been explaining this to us and fighting this for much longer than we have. They need to care for themselves right now. Every explanation is triggering. Imagine how exhausting it is having to reexplain a painful story 10x times a day to people who could never and will never possibly understand. We are not the heroes nor will we ever be of this topic. They’ve never needed us to be. Let’s move outta their way, take responsibility for our own education and learning, support them by being a loud speaker for their voices as they use them, take action behind the scenes, whether via reporting what you see, making phone calls, contacting as many outlets as you can. Use your white privilege to take action while being respectful and considerate of our people of color’s safety, their privacy, their emotions, and the fact that this s**t is triggering and exhausting for them in ways beyond our recognition.
If anyone has other resources they wish to share please do so in the comments.
PS Excuse my swears but I don’t cares.
P P S • THIS NOT ABOUT GETTING LIKES OR FOLLOWS. IT IS NOT ABOUT ME OR YOU OR WHITE PEOPLE BEING HEROS. IT IS ABOUT SYSTEMIC RACISM. PLEASE USE YOUR WHITE PRIVILEGE TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANY WHITE DENIAL LURKING IN YOUR SOUL. IF YA FEELING BAD RIGHT NOW IT’S BECAUSE YOU HAVE WHITE GUILT. THERE’S NO TIME FOR THAT. GET OVER IT AND DO SOMETHING.
When racism, discrimination and racist comments come into the workplace, everyone suffers. Leaders have to foster an environment of collaboration and teamwork. Equality and diversity are imperatives—and here are four leadership strategies for confronting racism and discrimination in the office.
