Whenever I am faced with emotional ambivalence, or a sense of duty to others is in competition with my own emotional needs, I ask, “What would a white woman do?”
White Privilege
After the civil rights movement, White people in the U.S. were still widely uncommitted to systemic solutions and policies to support racial equality. Although attitudes have shifted since, it’s not enough for transformative change.
Cellphone videos of vigilante violence and fatal police encounters should be viewed with the solemn reserve of lynching photographs.
The cultural work we do in our homes and the activism we do to end systems of oppression may look different during this pandemic, but it matters all the more.
Excerpted from Stay Woke: A People’s Guide to Making All Black Lives Matter by Candis Watts Smith and Tehama Lopez Bunyasi
These White people aren’t just checking their privilege. They’re using it to bring about positive racial change.
The Covington Catholic conflict and Esquire cover story helped me to see the mistakes I made.
Step one: Please stop arguing with people of color about what is or isn’t racist.
He wanted to know how institutional racism has made an impact on my life. I’m glad he asked, because I was ready to answer.
Lessons people of color have taught me that changed my life—and could change yours too.
Don’t worry about traumatizing children. Show them that having strong feelings about horrible things happening in the world is part of being human.
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