[Amplify a Voice: Let’s Talk About Ways to Focus on Current & Systemic Change]
Over the past few days I read a request from a person of color to white people – to amplify their voices instead of our own. That resonates. Please read what Tatiana T Mac published on their Twitter page. If you’d like your voice amplified, anonymously or with citation, my blog, my social accounts, and everything I am is yours. #BlackLivesMatter #NotOneMore
White people: We gotta talk about burn out. You aren’t conditioned to be thinking about race this much because of your privilege. We need you to do all you’re doing today, tomorrow, and until the end of time.
Let’s talk about ways to focus on current & systemic change.
0. You’re asking a lot of questions and receiving a lot of answers and being overloaded.
Systemic: You can’t learn everything rn. Make a list. Learn to find the answers yourself before asking. Take the time to actually look it up. Read multiple sources. Sit with it.
1. Big donations now is great to fuel the movement. Budget and set up *recurring donations.*
Consider how much you can give. Can you give more? If you gave 5K in one swoop, can you give 400/month?
Systemic: Ask your bosses about recurring matches for donations long-term.
White people:
— Tatiana Mac (@TatianaTMac) June 5, 2020
We gotta talk about burn out. You aren’t conditioned to be thinking about race this much because of your privilege. We need you to do all you’re doing today, tomorrow, and until the end of time.
Let’s talk about ways to focus on current & systemic change.
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2. You’re in 3 book clubs with loved ones cramming for the anti-racist test now. Set monthly recurring reminders to write short reflections; mistakes made, lessons learned. See your own progress.
Systemic: Build Black authors into your life, fiction, non-race-based non-fiction.
3. Examine where you’re money goes long-term. Are you still buying from Amazon? It’s going to take time and patience but research Black-owned businesses to support instead.
Systemic: Boycott massively complicit companies.
4. You’re confronting people how. You’re fired up. Will you still in a few months when fewer peers still are?
Systemic: Evaluate what your long-term commitments to this work are. Build vocab to address racism. Figure out your “if they do this, I will do this”.
5. You’re making a lot of mistakes right now. You’re learning a lot of lessons, sit with it.
Systemic: Teach it to all the people around you, especially the ones who look like you.
6. You’re talking to everyone from Twitter trolls to parents, expending energy everywhere, much of it, wasted.
Systemic: Write scripts about how to confront racism with colleagues, friends, family. Figure out your boundaries, like when you’ll walk away. Prepare to lose people.
7. National politics tend to be the focus. Do you know much about your mayor? City commissioner? Local zoning laws?
Systemic: Figure out what role you want to play in local politics. Read local news. You have a lot more sway with politics at this level: Mayors and governors: This is how you tackle racism