And what can I do? I don't believe I fall into the group of whites considered to be in denial of the racial state in our country. And I would adamantly declare I am not a white supremacist. But... I don't know how it feels to lose a child to violence, I don't know how it feels to have everyone in a room have an opinion about me before I even arrive because I have a "black" sounding name, I don't know what it is like to have to question everything I say, do and think because someone may take umbrage or feel I haven't hit the right balance of gratitude and respect.
I do know that there is white privilege, I have benefitted from it without even knowing it was happening. I encourage my son to seek help from those in uniform if there is an emergency, it would never occur to me that he needs to fear a police officer or deputy sheriff. My worrying and helicopter parenting doesn't include the fear the my son will be in the wrong place at the wrong time or that he would be judged on his brown eyes and brown curls - because his skin isn't brown. Not to say we haven't encountered racism; his last name is as Latino sounding as his heritage is, and that has caused judgment. But it isn't life threatening. I take it as an opportunity to educate, not as something to fear.
All well-intended but it doesn't really help. I am afraid of doing the wrong things so I don't do brave things (it is very easy and anonymous to make a donation to an organization that supports your beliefs, really it is). I am afraid of not being educated enough or perceived as having the wrong motivation, so I don't act. But I need to. And so does everyone I know. We need to advocate for what we know is right, despite our fears. We need to take risks - to be brave - in ways that Black people are every day by necessity, not choice. When we see bigotry, discrimination, blatant racism, we need to take control of that moment and not allow it to happen.
If we do nothing, nothing will change. And that would be a horrible travesty.
You are absolutely correct. Black lives do matter--all black lives--but we need to do something for our black males. We must start programs that will make us, thats right make us, step forward and teach our youth more about self worth (I know you want me to say self-esteem, but self esteem and self worth are different subjects). We also need to educate other races about who we are. We are not the crime stories you see on television or the stories you read in the newspapers, or even what you see about us on the news. We bleed, eat, live and think. We are a strong black, african-american, people of color,etc. people. We are not the n-word that you seem to want to use to describe us, especially you use it to describe our male youth. We are worthy of so much more, but you (society) dwell on the negatives. So, we must save us--and no I don't have all the answers. What I do know is that we have to develop programs that will "reach out and touch" our youth of color. I am not against 100 Black Men, 100 Black Women, The National Council of Negro Women, The Links, The many sororities and fraternities, The Black YMCAs, they are all wonderful organizations, but what are any of them really doing to assist our black male youths. I know that some of them form mentoring programs, but what about the youth that are at risk. Our youth should be precious and special to us. We must save them from inadequate parenting, inadequate education, inadequate lives. Ideas anyone??!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou are right on every level and in every way. We need to change, all of us
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