Before this week, I’ve been radio silent figuring out what I’d want to say, how I’d say it, and what I’d do. I, like so many of you, are exhausted and might’ve been feeling hopeless this week.
There’s been an influx of social media posts telling you you need to speak up. You need to post on your social no matter what platform you have. I 100% agree. For me, it took me a few days to get there. I was collecting my thoughts. I wanted to make sure I know what I’m saying.
Do I have it as hard as someone in the Black community? No. Nor will I ever understand the pain and fear they live through every single day. But you and I can do something about it. We can’t just stand there and not do anything.
Stand with the Black community. Remember that Black Lives Matter. We may be tired of what’s going on, but as Aly Silverio said in her IG Story a few days ago (and countless others), think about how tired black people are every single day putting up with this. Even if I’m tired, I (you, we) shouldn’t be turning a blind eye because “oh, I see too much on social media. Ima wait it out.” No. This isn’t the #MirrorChallenge. How long do we have to go through this cycle of another hashtag or another protest then move on? This has to stop.
I don’t want to be the problem. I want to be part of the solution. In any way possible. Before speaking out, I had these questions running around in my head:
- What can I do?
- How can I contribute without offending anyone?
- What if I sound fucking stupid?
- What if I don’t make sense?
- I have no idea wtf I’m talking about and hopping on what everyone else is doing, but am I late to this?
This is me:
I’m no expert whatsoever in what I’m saying. I’m working every day to educate myself on the right things to say, what I need to know, what I don’t know, and so on. Every day I’m learning. If I fuck up, call me out on my bullshit. We don’t grow as a person if we aren’t corrected.
You might have messed up on something you said. It’s OK. Just own up to it. Acknowledge it, learn from it, move forward. Easier said than done, no?
Lifehack: Google is our best friend. So are IG Stories or informative IG feed posts. Plus, your friends are probably more than willing to share resources.
It’s true. Now is not the time to be quiet and recoil back into your shell. Have those difficult conversations. Donate. Protest. Sign a damn petition, at least. Vote. S O M E T H I N G. Even if you don’t care to post on social media about everything, OK. Don’t trip. That’s fine. Just take a step in the right direction, someway, somehow. Online or offline. No one says you have to post everything as long as you’re out there making a difference.
Honestly, shout out to all the brands and people consistently sharing knowledge. At the beginning of this, I’ll tell you straight up I had no idea what BIPOC meant or whether I used “White Privilege” the right way. We all may feel on page one, and that’s OK! Because I’m right there with you!
Below are things I’m personally doing/seeing/reading/watching that I’m sharing with you. I’m holding myself accountable for listening and learning.
Your turn.
Websites
A Privilege Checklist
Ways to Help
How White Feminists Oppress Black Women: When Feminism Functions as White Supremacy
Movies/Shows
13
When They See Us
LA 92
Just Mercy
Helpful social posts
@adolescentcontent
@monachalabi
@theccnyc
@ellamosco
@joannasimkin
I’ll work on updating this regularly with things that I’ve found that has personally helped me.
One last thought
I don’t want to be a dipshit and let this be one and done thing. I know I need to work on being more vocal every day of my life. Not just this one moment.
