(Picture from The Violin Channel)
I have spoken out about the injustice of black people and people of color.
As a white woman, I can't fathom what black people are going through. Having racism in 2020 is despicable. I have grown up with black friends, I have worked with amazing black people, and I can't even describe what I'm feeling, let alone be a person of color right now.
I put on my Instagram that posting my regular content felt weird so I didn't want to right now. I had a (white) friend message me saying "yeah, but you have to because we need to make a change as influencers."
I didn't quite understand how posting new smiling pictures of myself will help, but I was also taken aback by how she called me an "influencer." I have 200 followers on Instagram. I don't have a voice. I, of course, did share some pictures that I found relevant on my stories. But I didn't know what else to do.
I went on Twitter and that was a whole different story. You can have a voice on Twitter, but it's all about opinions on there. Through the scrolling of hateful Tweets and capital letters, I found a link that was helpful for me.
I can't donate money. I can't go to protests. But I need to DO something. I found this link and signed all the petitions on it.
Please click HERE for ways to help (I will also link it at the end of this post).
I also see big names on Instagram saying "I don't know what to say but I will educate myself." Will they? I sure hope they do.
Last night, I attended an Instagram live with Dani from @Ohhappydani. She is a black artist and an all around great human. She talked to white Christians, such as myself, and how to be an ally. God isn't punishing you for being white. White guilt shouldn't be a thing. God made you how you are. BUT he also said to love everyone.
She gave the example of the good Samaritan. How everyone saw the beaten traveler and even a PRIEST didn't help him. But the Samaritan stopped to help the traveler and then did even more. He put the worn traveler on his own animal and brought him to safety.
That's when I started getting emotional.
If you are silent, you are like the priest. But if you chose to help, you are the good Samaritan.
(BY THE WAY, DANI IS HAVING MORE INSTAGRAM LIVES ABOUT BEING AN ALLY TO BLACK PEOPLE FOR A COUPLE MORE DAYS! Please follow her HERE. I will be tuning in every night)
I also found, through the link I showed above, that there are learning tools. I like to read, so I clicked on those for hours and learned things. I really got use of out this link HERE. It taught me that white people tend to see each other as individuals but see black people as a whole race. I will not lie but I see that in this country. People are grouping "blacks" together yet white people are "all their own person."
Then, I found (after reading and clicking around for some time), these journal prompts and conversation starters on race. HERE is the link. But I'd like to answer one or two below, with complete honesty:
Prompt #1: "How do you feel about the privilege you have?"
My answer: "If I say I'm lucky, that would be the truth. I only have had one person in my life follow me around the store because I had blue hair and they thought I was sketchy. But I will never know what it's like to be a person of color who gets followed ALL the time. One time made ME mad. My privilege was given to me at birth, but this privilege should be given to everyone."
Prompt #2: "Who can you have a conversation with about anti-racism and white privilege?"
My answer: "I do have a lot of friends who are P.O.C., but I have learned something in the past few days: they don't owe you anything. I have not reached out to them with questions because they are going through a hard time and I am respecting them. But it isn't their job to educate me. I will not go up to a black person and say "how do I do *blank*". I will ALWAYS take their input though. Even if I'm not doing something wrong, I want to know how to be BETTER.
I always thought I didn't have a voice in this. I have a following of people on my blog, and I'm here to tell you, a voice is a voice , no matter how small.
_______
If you can not donate, if you can not (peacefully) protest, here are the links that helped me. I hope they help you. Please share this post, not for the views, but for education.
Ways to Educate Yourself: X
More Resources: X
Resources and Tools regarding anti-blackness: X
Black Lives Matter Carrd: X
Conversation/Journal Prompts: X
Links on Anti-Racism: X
Black Lives Matter Ally Research: X
Why It's So Hard to Talk About Racism: X
By the way, if you DO have the funds to donate, my friend Annika (Click HERE to see her retweets on how to help) pointed me towards this thread:
Click HERE for donation links
(THE MINNESOTA FREEDOM FUND HAS ENOUGH DONATIONS, BY THE WAY!)
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