Hey Mocha Family,
I talk a lot about how I feel as an average law abiding black citizen in this country, but maybe you're an average law abiding white citizen who actually gets all of this, but are not sure what you can do to help.
I'm not going to lie to you. It won't be easy and you may have to take some flack from the camp your skin color put you in. I realize that many of us would like to self identify as color blind, but truthfully our society is very conscious and unaccepting of color. You are in a camp, even if you didn't walk there on your own, but you don't have to stay there.
What I would like to suggest is that you open your mouth. Not on the street corner with a megaphone, but when you're with your friends, family, acquaintances and the conversation comes up about the ruckus black folks are making over our perceived injustices. I realize that you don't agree with them, and that maybe you cringe inside every time, but it would really help if you would actually say something and upset the boat!
You don't have to start an argument or be aggressive. A good start may be something like, "Have you considered...?
Just say something! I know it's hard, but if you really want to help, you will speak for me when I'm absent and where I may not be heard. When I speak, no matter how gentle my tone, some folks think I sound angry and want to avoid the conflict. When I speak, some folks think I'm pulling a race card and creating problems where they don't exist. When I speak, some folks see a stereotype and a camp instead of an individual.
So speak up! Your silence is deafening.
Be blessed!
Yes!! When I as a mother have to worry that my teenage sons might get stopped for a simple traffic violation and risk getting shot there is a HUGE problem. We all suffer from intitutional racism and it's time that we get out of our white privileged boxes and speak out LOUDLY or we as a nation will never heal.
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