Just Because I'm White....

My daughter is not white. She isn't Black either. But when issues are of concern to one group of People of Color, they are of concern to all People of Color, and by extension, to me personally.

Before you dismiss something as "merely politically correct" or "insignificant", consider that you do not speak from lived experience. You speak from a place of privilege. Just because something isn't important to you doesn't mean it doesn't warrant attention.

If we all respected each other enough to truly listen when we say something bothers us, to learn from each other's experiences, to honor each other's differences, then people wouldn't need to fight against the current of the mainstream to make a point.

Talking about racism isn't what creates racism. Ignoring racism allows it to continue. Us white people can choose to ignore it and pretend it no longer exists. People of Color do not get this choice. Instead, their choice is to internalize racism and take on white standards as the norm, or to stand up for their human and civil rights.  

There is no reason for white people to get defensive. Giving everyone their due doesn't take anything away from us. And if we have an unfair advantage to start with, well, it's only the right thing to do to first make sure everyone has their share. Their share of representation, their share of resources, their share of respect.

Thank you for reading.

*PS. Racism comes in all sorts of shades. There is subtle racism, things us white people simply take for granted and assume everyone's experience is like ours, when it actually isn't. Being ignorant of our own white privilege is nothing to be ashamed of or defensive about. When you know better, you do better. That's all. Don't compare yourself to the KKK and say "I"m not a racist." Compare yourself to the best version of yourself, and say "I can probably do better. There's always room for improvement."