White people all across the country are arriving at a greater understanding of the full scope of racial injustice in America, and finding themselves wanting to be better allies in the fight for racial equity.
But how exactly do we do that? Aside from joining protests, what can we do right now to help create a more just and equitable society for everyone? (Especially when social activity is still limited due to COVID-19?)
Actually, there’s a lot we can do right now, from the comfort of our own homes. And it starts with educating ourselves and getting clear on just how pervasive racism is in our society. The following are the steps I’m taking to do my part to support racial justice every day. It isn’t always easy, but it’s necessary.
1. Relearn American history
American history has been completely whitewashed in an attempt to extoll the virtues of the colonists and downplay the horrors of slavery and racial violence in our country. How many of us learned about the Tulsa race massacre or the razing of Seneca Village in history class? I sure didn’t.
Some history textbooks even try to put a positive spin on slavery and claim that slaves were happy and well cared for.
It’s time for us to learn the truth about our country’s history of white supremacy and racial violence.
You may have seen this post circulating on Facebook (apologizes to the original author as I don’t know who wrote it. I’ve seen a few different versions of it, so I think it’s been modified and expanded upon as it’s been shared):
It’s no accident that:
You learned about Helen Keller but not W.E.B. DuBois.
You learned about the Watts and L.A. Riots, but not Tulsa or Wilmington.
You learned that George Washington’s dentures were made from wood, rather than the teeth of enslaved people
You learned about black ghettos, but not about Black Wall Street.
You learned that Christopher Columbus discovered America, but not that his “conquests” also involved raping young girls and women.
You learned about the New Deal, but not “red lining.”
You learned that Rosa Parks sat on a bus, but not about her decade of activist work that led to that moment.
You learned about “black crime,” but white criminals were never lumped together and discussed in terms of their race.
You learned about “states rights” as the cause of the Civil War, but not that slavery was mentioned 80 times in the articles of secession.
You learned about the explorations of a few white men and little to nothing about the cultures they “explored.”
You learned that interracial relationships became legal in 1967, but not that white men had an unofficial yet socially accepted right to rape Black women for the 400 years previous.
You learned about the Declaration of Independence, but not that it also declares an inherent right to wage war against “merciless Indian Savages.”
You know about affirmative action for non-white college students, but have no idea about how the G.I. Bill provided the same exact benefits, only to whites, decades earlier.
Privilege includes having history rewritten so that you don’t have to acknowledge uncomfortable facts.
Racism and oppression are perpetuated by people who refuse to learn about or acknowledge this reality.
You have a choice.
Decide now to question everything you’ve been taught about American history, and to open your mind to learning the truth.
Start here:
A People’s History of the United States
Lies My Teacher Told Me
Lies Across America
2. Learn about racism in America today
Learning about history is important, but so is understanding how that history continues to shape our culture and society today. Don’t assume that because racism isn’t something you personally see or experience, it no longer exists.
Listen to Black people when they talk about their experiences with racial discrimination. Believe them. Don’t accuse them of overreacting or “making everything about race.”
The current New York Times bestseller list is full of excellent resources to help white people learn more about the racial landscape of America today. Read them. Or if you prefer, do what I do and listen to audiobooks while you’re walking the dog or making dinner. If you have a library card, you may be able to borrow audiobooks from your library through Libby, or you can get an Audible subscription.
Books shown here:
How to Be an Antiracist
White Fragility
So You Want to Talk About Race
The Color of Law
Stamped From the Beginning
Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?
Me and White Supremacy
I’m Still Here
The New Jim Crow
Just Mercy
3. Consume art and literature by and about Black people
Make it a point to read books and watch movies by and about Black people. Not just books like the ones listed above — which are obviously important — but also happy books, fantasy books, romance books, etc. All of it helps to decenter the white narrative. If the only stories you hear are stories by and about people who look like you and whose lives are similar to yours, your view of the world is going to be limited.
Read classic authors like Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou, but also seek out new publications by Black authors who are providing a glimpse into what it’s like to be Black in America today.
Some suggestions:
Brit Bennett
Imbolo Mbue
Jesmyn Ward
Yaa Gyasi
Nicole Dennis-Benn
James McBride
Ta-Nehisi Coates
Tomi Adeyemi
N. K. Jemisin
Talia Hibbert
Angie Thomas
4. Use your retail power
In a world where just about everything is available online, it’s fairly easy to seek out and support black-owned businesses rather than relying on big-box retailers that don’t prioritize worker safety or wellbeing.
Yes, you may have to pay a little bit more or wait for your package a little bit longer when you order from a small business, but you also get the satisfaction of knowing you’re supporting people and businesses who are working hard to provide great service and earn a living.
You also have the ability to choose to support businesses that share your core values. These days, consumers expect transparency in business operations. If an organization refuses to voice their support of causes that are important to you, find one that does.
In early June when the George Floyd protests were in full swing, a social media blackout asked white-owned accounts to refrain from posting in order to amplify black voices. Many businesses that continued to post promotional content as usual came under fire for not supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.
I personally saw white business owners defend their actions by saying their posts were scheduled in advance and they weren’t aware of the blackout — but they still left their posts up and deleted comments from users questioning that decision. A popular book subscription service lost hundreds of members when their social media person deleted comments and then blocked a user who asked about their commitment to including more Black authors in their selection. (Side note: If you’re going to use social media as a business, be mindful of the social aspect and pay attention to the conversations that are happening on those channels.)
The same goes for larger organizations and banks. Pay attention to where companies are donating money. Most organizations will have their charitable contributions listed on their website. It may be hard to find banks and large organizations without some sort of problematic history. Bank of America recently announced that it was donating $1 billion to combating racial inequality, but the company paid a $4.2 million settlement just last year after discriminating against black, Hispanic, and female job applicants. You may have to do a little digging and use your best judgement to find businesses you’re comfortable supporting.
5. Let go of your defensiveness
Relearning how to be a true ally for racial justice requires letting go of your ingrained ideas about race and racism, and that can be uncomfortable.
How do you feel when you hear someone say all white people are racist? Do you want to defend yourself and say “not all white people”?
As Robin D’Angelo explains in her book White Fragility, this defensiveness stems from a misunderstanding of words like racist and racism. When we hear the word racist, we think of men in white hoods. We would never associate with such people! We think of racism as deliberate acts of meanness committed by these types of people. We think that doesn’t apply to use, and to combat racism, we just need to be nicer to Black people.
In fact, racism goes much deeper. Systemic racism is real and well documented. Systemic racism means that Black people are treated differently than white people in every aspect of society: law enforcement, the criminal justice system, the education sector, the financial industry, places of employment, etc.
Systemic racism means that Black people are sentenced more severely than white people for the same crimes. It means that Black people are less likely to be approved for mortgages and bank loans. It means people with African-American names are less likely to be called for job interviews than white people, all other factors being equal.
All of these things remain true whether you’re “nice” to Black people or not (though you should be nice anyway). And while you may not think of yourself as racist, you live in a society that was designed to elevate white people over people of color. If you can start understanding that, you can start to see how all white people benefit from systemic racism.
This is why it’s not enough for us to be “not racist.” As Ibram X. Kendi, executive director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center, says, “there’s no such thing as being ‘not racist.’ We are either being racist or antiracist. And in order to be antiracist, we must, first and foremost, be willing to admit the times we are being racist.”
I keep saying there’s no such thing as being “not racist.” We are either being racist or antiracist. And in order to be antiracist, we must, first and foremost, be willing to admit the times we are being racist, which #AmyCooper failed to do, which many Amy Coopers fail to do. https://t.co/fuhc5SJY1N
— Ibram X. Kendi (@DrIbram) May 26, 2020
Many of the afore-mentioned books are great resources for examining your own implicit bias and understanding how you have engaged in racist behavior, even if it was unintentional.
6. Stop saying you’re colorblind
It’s common among white progressive to claim that they’re “colorblind” or that they “don’t see color.” But colorblindness is not a virtue, nor should it be the goal. The “colorblind” vernacular is actually damaging. Claiming that you don’t “see” color implies that there is something inherently wrong with color. We should be celebrating our differences, not pretending that they don’t exist.
When you claim that you don’t see color, you’re saying that you don’t see an important part of someone’s identity, and that prevents you from seeing the ways in which that part of their identity shapes their everyday experiences. Which in turn prevents you from being an effective ally.
One last thing
Vote. Confirm that you’re registered to vote now: check your voter registration here. You can also check your state’s laws related to early or absentee voting. Many states are currently expanding mail-in voting laws due to the pandemic. Check now to see what’s allowed in your state and make sure you understand the deadlines for mail-in ballot applications for primary elections and the November 3, 2020 general election.
In addition to presidential elections, pay attention to midterm elections, primaries, and down ballot elections for state and local offices. Voter turnout for midterm and local elections is notoriously low, which is something we need to change. These are the people who will likely move up into more high-profile positions, so it’s crucial that we fill these offices with people who are committed to ensuring true independence and equality for all Americans.
