Dear White people, please shut the fuck up. You think all lives matter and that that is why you oppose the Black Lives Matter Movement? Well, middle-aged White person, I agree with you in a sense. All lives matter, but, all lives currently do not matter in a country that openly endorses, accepts, and/or ignores racism and injustice. Do you think that you’re not privileged and that ‘white privilege’ is just a myth? That just means that you share in the privilege you are trying to ignore.
It is my privilege as a white person to not mind myself with the ins and outs of racism. As of right now, my race does not affect my livelihood. Am I saying that I don’t have my own struggles? NO! But, when it comes to my race, I am not excluded from things I work for.
In our world, Blacks are often pushed under the rug. They are seen as thugs and whores. When police abuse them, they are seen as delinquent and a threat to society. But was Philando Castile a threat to society when he was sitting in his car by his girlfriend and four-year-old daughter? Was Rekia Boyd a threat while she was shot in the back of the head for being next to a man who was holding a cellphone that the police officer perceived as a gun?
In our world, feminism closely looks at the wage gap between a White woman and a man. White women make 78 cents to a man’s dollar, but why do we not talk about the 68 cents to a man’s dollar a Black woman makes?
In our world, it’s OK to assume that White features are the most desirable. It’s deemed “dirty” if a business woman had dreads or braids during work. It is seen as acceptable if they only have their hair in a straight weave. Why? Because the straight weave makes it look more like White hair. (HOW IS THIS OK??).
In our world, it is OK for White people to adapt culturally Black terms, slang, and behaviors and then act like we have nothing to do with Blacks. It’s OK for us to use the bodies of powerful Black women, like Henrietta Lacks, and not give her body any peace.
They are seen as lesser, but, I can only see us as lesser. When Dylan Noble, a White teen, was shot and killed by police, where was the White outcry? Nowhere. Who stuck up for Dylan? The Black Lives Matter Movement. And why? Because they do not just fight against the injustice Black people face but the brutality that all races face with corrupt law enforcement. The stigma basic White bitches hold with this movement is that they are not the center of attention for once in their lives. But as we can see in Dylan Noble’s case, the Black Lives Matter movement took their spotlight to highlight a White person who had lost their lives — something I don’t see happening overall from a White group when a Black person dies.
But, even with all of this, what can we do as a society to make sure that White people are not put on some goddamn pedestal? WE CAN TAKE OURSELVES OFF IT. AH, WHAT A CONCEPT?! We can work to understand that our struggles will never be the same as our Black neighbors. We can fight alongside them, not for them, but as an accomplice of justice.
In theory, institutionalized racism cannot mend itself without the help of people trying to speak to their racist and prejudice friends. Do not try to ‘save Black people.’ Trust me, they are strong, independent and do not need a petty White girl saving them from their issues. But, we can attempt to talk to our own folk because they cannot seem to want to hear the opinions of Black people (“they’re just an angry Black woman” -White people who are racist).
This piece is taking the voice of millions of marginalized people. So many Black individuals and groups have tried and are trying to stop the systematic racism. I am speaking now in mind of them because, apparently, you can’t seem to get it through your thick skulls that what you do and say needs to stop. You are hurting innocent people. You are hurting our future leaders, doctors, teachers, nurses, designers, bakers, and so much more.
Am I telling White people to just ignore everything race related and shut the fuck up (i.e. through colorblindness)? No, but I am urging you to stop speaking like you are above a Black person, or any person for that matter. We are equals. We are all humans on this earth and deserve to be treated with respect.
No one should have to live in a world that they feel less than. No one should have to worry about walking down the street. No one should have to simply survive without the liberty to thrive on the same level as their peers.
Disclosure: I would like to thank the work of so many Black people and all people of color even with the knowledge that you may not receive the credit. Know that you are seen by so many. One at a time, people will become more accepting and realize your awesomeness (the awesomeness you have had the entire time)!
Also, I would like to personally thank Angeley Crawford, Zenique Gardner Perry, and Lexi Dunbar who came into my gender studies class and changed the views, mindsets, and lives of the young college women around them.
