Sunday, June 14, 2020

What will you do with your privilege?

You won't find me sharing memes or short snipits for quick retorts on social media.... And most of the time you won't find me posting pictures of protests or talking about how I am going this protest or that protest (there are a lot of people doing this and it is NEEDED, it just isn't my space/energy)....

Here's what you will find me doing:

  • Continuing the public service work that I do through my company NSE; including looking for more and more ways to help local organizations address inequities in public health, education, economy, employment, and the justice system
  • Continuing to donate my time on each of these issues to work with groups who don't have any funding but who are working to make an impact
  • Supporting Black and Brown businesses with my dollars (and businesses that support the changes to the racist systems and a movement toward a new way of treating each other)
  • Doing a lot of pro bono community work to facilitate changes in policies but also in hearts and minds - to build a group effort to address the racism in our country and to help to build relationships
  • Doing pro bono work (and maybe paid work) to help interested groups work on addressing these issues in their operations and among their employees/stakeholders
  • LOVING on my family of choice and holding space with them and appreciating them for all of our differences and similarities - seeing the beauty and celebrating the beauty in all forms 
  • Teaching my kids about the history, injustices, and their responsibilities to use their privilege to support and protect others
  • Providing opportunities for my kids to make relationships, DEEP relationships, across racial lines
  • Whenever I can, standing up for those who are more vulnerable - I'll keep stopping to talk to and see the homeless man downtown (sharing food when I can), I'll stand between those and the people who threaten them or act scared of them, I'll keep advocating and supporting my Black and Brown colleagues and peers who face daily microaggressions in the workplace - by adding my voice when I see and hear things that are not ok, cruel, evil, etc....
  • And others I'm sure will pop up as I continue learning and living....

To be frank social media has been tough for me lately - there are a lot of new allies who are posting memes and highlighting their individual support and talking about how they were so moved at the protests they went to.  They may even be posting historical pieces and news pieces.... They are advocating for everyone to get out and vote.... And they are yelling about all the policies that need to change.

Yet it is from these same folks that I have heard:  "I never knew it was still this bad."  "What happened to the innocent black man was horrific?"  and "We have to change policies to force people to change behaviors because you can never get behavior to change without it"



What I want to ask them is:

  • Do you know any of the names other than George?  Even other than George and Breana?  Do you know the century worth of names?  Do you know Emmitt Till?  Do you really understand how deep and traumatizing this is for our Black and Brown brothers, sisters, loved ones, neighbors, community members?  
  • Have you really read and studied and understand what 'defunding the police' means?  Can you actively engage in a heated discussion defending the meme you posted?  Do you know what other policies and changes are needed?  Do you know how to contribute to making those changes happen?  (hint: it's not just by voting, other work needs to be done)
  • What are you doing to continue the healing and change?  Is it just in dollars donated?  Books read?  
  • What will you do after this wave of protests is over?  How will you contribute to the ongoing revolution and change?  
  • Why does whether someone was guilty (of writing a bad check, taking a non-lethal weapon, etc) mean that their life was less worth living?  Since when did resisting (or not) automatically mean a death sentence was ok?  Since when did income and housing make a person more or less worthy of life?  Do you see and value ALL of the lives of our brothers and sisters - or only the ones that make you comfortable?
  • How DEEP are you going with your understanding and work on this issue?  


I challenge all of us that it isn't just about one way or one approach or one thing.... It's all of them together to bring about the really needed change.  Changing policy and laws is important - Voting is important - but without changing hearts and spirits and building relationships I think we will get back here.  It is a chicken and egg question - but both have to happen.... So here is to those doing the deep work and facing the challenge of changing both -

Here's to the revolution!


No comments:

Post a Comment