If you've seen the news or been on any social media platform within the past few days, there are definitely a few people you've heard about. One of those people is Philando Castile, an African American man who was shot four times after being pulled over for a broken taillight. Another is Alton Sterling, who was shot and killed while selling CDs outside of a convenience store. News of these individuals, and their deaths, has spread like wildfire on social media and people are demanding justice.
After watching the videos of Philando Castile's and Alton Sterling's deaths, I am completely baffled. Why the officers thought shooting these men the way they did was ok is beyond me. Philando was shot four times in the arm and torso, and Alton was shot multiple times in the back and chest. These men did not deserve to die the way they did, and I hope justice is served.
As a white person, my voice will not be the loudest, my words will not be the most influential; this article will likely be lumped in with those of the other white people writing about the subject. The purpose of writing this article is to say that I am an ally to the Black Lives Matter movement, that I stand against racism, but also that I will never understand what African Americans, or people of color, continually go through. We are all born into our race, and I just happened to be born into a white family. Growing up white, there were things that never crossed my mind and still don't. But just because something isn't a reality for me doesn't mean that it's not a reality for someone else.
I do not have to worry about my safety like African Americans do. I will never understand how real the threat of being killed by police officers or a racist individual is. My younger brother and I never got a talk about how our race could affect the outcome of a routine traffic stop. I don't have to think twice about my brother leaving the house and returning safely. Because of my race, I've been given opportunities that others may have never dreamed of. I will never think about how I didn't get a job because of my race, and I will never be told that I'm pretty for a white girl. I can go out with a group of friends, and no one would look twice at me.
It would be so different if I wasn't white. There are so many things that I don't think about and that I'll never understand because it's not my reality. There are struggles that I do not know about and never will, but that doesn't mean I have to be ignorant.
I didn't really understand my privilege until coming to college, and now, I'm trying to learn from it. I research, when I can, to learn about police brutality and the details of the Black Lives Matter Movement. I've become more aware of what I say and how I say it. I try to be sensitive and aware of the people around and try to make everyone more at ease. I get involved in more conversations to soak up all the information I can. I am now trying to use my privilege to the end of learning and speaking about injustice.
If you have white privilege, use it to learn. Be aware of what you have, and don't be ignorant. There's a level of racism and oppression that most white people will never be able to truly understand. So, be educated and realize that no race is inferior to another.
