In June 2020, I wrote about essay, my first here, five things I want to tell my white friend. I was involved in the death of George Floyd and the aftermath. It felt like a somewhat sudden and intense perception of racism in this country. It was a welcome late calculation, but it was also a bit overwhelming to see how shocked and shaking a lot of people were to realize how bad racism was. The general sentiment of people in a well-meaning liberal era may be summarised as follows: Wait a second, is this going on under our noses all this time? !!
Well, yes. And that’s not yet. In the warm glow of the Obama era, it was probably easy to resist or dismiss. Now we don’t have that luxury or fantasy.
Recent events have been a very clear reminder of this. The simmering fear and anxiety brought about by the merciless news cycle and political upheaval have been steadily ratcheting up since January, but for me, as a black woman, the past few weeks have led to an emotional breakpoint on par with the summer of 2020. Meaning goes far beyond intellectual disagreement or provocative headlines, or “reaching the entire aisle” or “finding a common foundation.” It’s much deeper and more visceral. Our consideration Humanity. It won’t be anything more personal.
The fever of hate speech and the enthusiasm of those empowered to use the platform to provide it means that as a black woman, I have to be attacked every day with messages about how stupid, incompetent, dangerous, and generally lacking me. What’s even worse than having one individual with a podcast or podium have to be exposed to these comments is the feeling that it robbes widespread beliefs. There are hundreds of thousands of people who quietly nod their heads about any of these toxic emotions. Or even cheering. And the state device that tastes and justifies it at the national level.
This lies on a very realistic practical and concrete concern. Black people (especially women) are losing their jobs at unprecedented rates thanks to Dei Rollbacks. Racial violence is at historic highs. Many of us must reflect on the scary questions: Will my marriage remain legal? Will I be torn from my family? When I leave the front door, am I safe from harm?
With all this in mind, I would like to tell you that many of your black and brown friends and LGTBQ colleagues are not okay.
You may see a colleague killing it at her job. You may see Latina journalists who respect you stir essays and books and provide embraces on tours. Young Arab woman in GWWM video you love shows a big smile to the world on Instagram. Trans students, who just arrived in their college freshman year, are tentatively searching around the auditorium for a welcoming smile. It may look like business as usual, but I can promise you that you are a parent, a colleague, or a student with a heavy, frightening heart. Because she’s me. Black women who have to do the best thing every day, edit books, exercise, grab groceries and catch up Contractionwhile her humanity is threatened, her worth is constantly being questioned.
I fear that the sacrifice of living with this level of despair may be difficult to understand for those who have not experienced it. Some people – white people, cis people – are as caring as they are, furious, and remained guaranteed in the knowledge that they must never face these types of situations or absorb this vitriol on an individual level (safe). That’s not that empathy is not real (or welcome), it’s not that it’s different. White people are also relieved of fear of being a target. Some may think that the idea of ​​being able to return to slavery is strange, while others may enjoy how far they have come from Jim Crow, or argue that they need to wait for this moment. But people of color understand that in our bones the emotions that promoted these policies, laws and ways of thinking – hatred and intense racism – remain, as well as thriving. Thus, rising, obvious, legitimate fear. The past is always a prologue.
My father lamented how bad he had been gaining in the last few months of his life. This is a black man born in 1940 and ages during his separation (legally and effectively) and will fight to dismantle them personally and professionally. And with everything he had seen and lived through in 84 years, he felt that race relations were the worst of his life in 2024. It is despair that occurs when progress escapes. It can feel worse to face backslides than they exist in the current situation. Tearing a blanket from you on a frigid night is almost crueler than you’ve never experienced warmth.
That’s what makes this moment difficult. Many of us black and brown people in our world gave us hope in the 2020 Halcyon era, even against our better judgment. We knew well. It clearly reveals how quickly the country moved What turns out to be a fleeting time Listening and learning, and the association’s cry, marching, protest and protest, and bestselling books on thinking and race. When we need them the most, voices asking for changes and providing support are terribly silent.
In the most generous way, I can choke it on a sense of overwhelmed by the outcome too scaring or soothing to tired acceptance. There was a sincere effort to make a difference, but not much, and now the pendulum slammed us in the face and turned violently. Appropriate case: I had a white person in my circle told me, “People have moved out of race.” I am sure she didn’t realize how insensitive or thoughtless this statement, which is a black woman, was to me. After all, I’m not moving out of my skin tone. The luxury that can be said “Well, at least I’m fine” is a luxury that allows you to bet on the fact that what comes from the perspective of stability and politeness and politeness of our society can survive other things (and it can bet on other people’s wishes, such as your skin color, resources such as bank accounts, etc., etc., by other safety shields, etc.
As a cry for help, I offer five more What you want to tell your white friends at this particular moment:
* Understand how much black and brown people (and LGBTQ+ people) in this country are (and LGBTQ+ people) especially At this point I am scared and amazed, and I meet it with clear and clear approval.
* Consider checking with intention and compassionateness on POC friends, colleagues and vulnerable people in your community. Give them the space and opportunity to share their fears and emotions and be able to hold them.
* Just like you did five years ago, you want to be connected to people, communities, and people who look different to you. With the news cycle going on and the political winds changed, the need for open and uncomfortable conversations magically did not go away. Alliances are not a trend.
*Remember you do Speak up at the table. We all feel disenfranchised and helpless in the face of dramatic political upheavals, but the fact remains that you can make a difference. If you find it more difficult today than 2020 (or 1965), then it’s because it’s – that’s not why you don’t do it. It is the work of our time to summon resolution, belief, and moral clarity. Call hate speech, advocate for diversity in the workplace, and document community ice summary.
*My final reminder is a simple plea to remember: race (still) is important. As if it were Fineting (And, alas, it demands it) to protect all our rights. More than ever.
Christine Pride I am a writer, book editor and content consultant living in Harlem, New York. Read all her lace matter columns here.
PS I want to share five things with my white friends, where is my cultural attribution?
(Christine Pride Photos Christine Han. )
Source: Cup of Jo – cupofjo.com
