With the recent events in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Falcon Heights, Minnesota, the conversation about police brutality and racism is at an all time high. With more protests, and talk about "Black Lives Matter" and the struggles of being Black in America, white people and non-black people of color are hit with the conversation on all news and social media outlets, so what does this mean? How can we support our black siblings in a major time of crisis through out our country?
Here are some major things that I have come across as a white person wanting and trying to stand in solidarity with our black siblings.
1. Listen to black people.
Listen to their struggles. Listen to their pain. Don't interrupt. Let them vent. Let them grieve. Open your mind to their suggestions. If they tell you that what you are doing is wrong or racist, listen! Learn why it's considered wrong, and strive to better yourself. The only way to get to this is to listen and to listen fully. Not with closed ears, or your preconceived biases. Listen fully and be open minded.
2. Educate yourself. Teach yourself about the black struggle.
Learn about being black in America throughout the ages. Learn about systematic oppression. Learn about white privilege. Learn about microagressions and how they support racist ideals. Challenge your views. Open your mind to something new. Before you speak out on any of this, before you speak to any black person on the issues at the table, make sure you at least know something and can bring things to the table. No one likes someone who speaks so much about something the don't know or understand.
3. NEVER OVERSTEP YOUR BOUNDS. Do not talk over a black person and their struggles.
You have never been through what they have been through. You have nothing over a first hand experience. Don't act as if you know more than them. Personal experience beats all the scholarly articles you've read on racism and oppression. Do not try to look for "ally points" or brownie points. No one cares how good of an ally you are over the matter of black lives, and living life without oppression, so just sit down, and let black people talk. Stand to the side and cheer when it's over. Do not fight their battles for them. It is not your battle to fight.
4. Listen to your gut.
If you have a bad feeling in your gut, or feel uncomfortable about saying something because you're not as educated, or don't want to overstep, listen to that feeling. Again, this isn't your fight to fight. I know you can get adamant about justice and love for all, but again, this isn't our fight as white people and non black POC. It is black POC's fight, and theirs alone. All we can do is support, and if something we feel we could do could negate from that support, it's best to listen to your instincts. If not, research and asking black people is always a good option, but make sure research is first because black people are exhausted already from their struggle and don't always want to be an educational tool.
5. Respect black people. Respect their safe spaces. They are there for a reason.
It is safe to be white in this country. It isn't to be black. This is why the create spaces for them to feel safe and also black in. It is there for a specific reason: to be safe from persecution. It isn't to seclude or segregate. It's for survival. Don't tell them they shouldn't have this space, or that they should include certain things. A general rule of thumb is to never tell black people what they should or shouldn't do in terms of their fight and their feelings. They are allowed to feel what they want, and they are allowed to do what is necessary for their fight.
Of course, there's probably more tips that can be added. Who knows? I am not a black person who has had to deal with time and time again horrible allies and the black struggle. This is just some thoughts I have had and tips I have heard from black people while standing in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and the oppression in America. This is just another article with thoughts and suggestions because the more that is out there, the more more people it can reach, and together we can fight to create a better world. So to all my non-black siblings out there, I hope these tips find you well on your journey to creating a better world. Together we can try to educate, help, and fight without overstepping and creating the vary same problems that have always existed. Together we can create a better world where black lives truly matter.
Stay strong. Stay open minded. Stay good.
