Dear ________,

I am writing an open letter to address the issue of systemic racism in our culture. I am a white, female, and millennial Citizen of the United States. I consider myself a social advocate for equality. I openly debate controversial issues within my community, inside my home, and on my college campus. In the past, I’ve used my platform writing on the Odyssey as an outlet to have my voice heard and speak on topics which are overlooked or socially contentious. Despite, my privilege to utilize this platform as an open playing field to voice my individual perspective, I have continuously chosen the route to write ambiguously and without personal bias. Moreover, I was simply another voice touching on a subject without diving deeply enough to stir a commotion. Justifiably, I was majorly dreading starting social media wars over my articles when they were automatically shared to my Facebook account.

In recent months, the Black Lives Matter campaign and the All Lives Matter counter campaign has become a widely watched movement in America. Shootings of black men, violent civilian protests, and police violence have spread through media coverage like a wildfire. Protesters and even more specifically those within the millennial generation are valiantly fighting to end the issue of systemic racism in the United States. Personally, I have felt extremely supportive of this movement because of relationships I have with friends and even roommates who are people of color. Consequently, having roommates and friends who are people of color has greatly impacted my stance on the racial issues at hand. As my friends vulnerably talk with me about their daily melees I become more compelled to address the racial injustices they are faced with. Alongside them, I have sent emails to authoritative figures on our University campus, joined discussion groups, and even wrote articles depicting the necessity for change. I’ve come to understand that because of the color of my skin I will never truly and undeniably understand the struggle of what it is like to be oppressed. Despite this, I have deliberately chosen to educate myself so that I may not rest in White Privilege but hurt with the hurting.

While all of this is fine and dandy, and ultimately painting myself as an all-star activist; I’ve realized I am at fault. As the Editor in Chief of Millennials of the Pacific Northwest Community, I hold the authority and responsibility to accept new team members to work as creators for The Odyssey. As my team has grown, members outside my university community have begun to join. I’ve received inquiries from individuals who found interest by word of mouth and some through acquaintances by friend of a friend. On Wednesday, October 5, I was scheduled to interview and briefly discuss the Odyssey Community with an individual who, out of the blue, dropped me an email saying he had viewed an ad near his home in Downtown Seattle while stating he did not currently know any content creators. Prior to our scheduled time to interview over Google Hangout, I typed his email into the event invite realizing his email was not in English. I then sent the invite and opened the call to wait on the open line. All of a sudden a fear came over me- I quickly closed out the call and turned off the webcam on my laptop, realizing I was just about to video chat a man I had never met before and could potentially be dangerous. He was able to see my appearance, hear my voice, have my contact information by email, the location of my computers IP address on an open network and be able to see the inside of the building where I was sitting making the call.

I am not writing this letter to declare to you the fear society has placed upon me to not talk to strangers, but to admit a cultural bias I bought into. When I closed my laptop, I was judging this man based upon the language his name was written in. It did not matter whether he was a professional who sent me a copy of his resume and extensive write up of his qualifications. I was judging the character of this man by a cultural stereotype which declared him to be a potential threat to me. I would love to conclude this letter by telling you I overcame this fear rooted by cultural bias and rescheduled the call. But to be frank, I never did.

The issue with systemic racism in our society is not because some individuals ARE racist. Racism in form today is an issue because of a system of bias and prejudice deeply rooted into our unconsciousness. Often we do not realize we are committing racial injustices. A system of prejudice is evident in job questionnaires, standardized tests and is often even accredited as street smarts.

To conclude, I’m sincerely apologetic for my own preconception and witlessness in the midst declaring support. My hope is by my humility and vulnerability, others will realize the areas in their lives where hypocrisy is gripping. Take a stance on an issue or campaign, engage in conversation with those who are different from you, educate yourself on all sides and be prepared to admit it is not about what you know now but what you will learn in the future from societal issues. It is in ignorance which we strongly cling to our perspectives without engaging in opposing values. Be bold and open minded to resist remaining stagnant.

"If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor." - Desmond Tutu

Sincerely,

Mackenzie Bergstrom