Outraged, ashamed, and responsible. I sat quietly on my bed as I watched the violence erupt on the screen of my laptop – the murder of George Floyd, Collins Khosa, Breonna Taylor, Trayvon Martin and Sean Reed. The list of names, the list of murders, just seems to get longer with every passing day. I have thought about what to write in this piece for a whole week. Never have I struggled this much to pen down words.
But the reason is clear: I simply do not know what to say.
What do you write to express the struggle of the Black community? How do you describe losses you never experienced yourself? How do you apologise for a system rigged against Black people? How do we begin to make things right? I do not have answers.
Why did it take us a decade of watching Black people die to open our eyes? The burning cities of America in protest feels far away, but the problem is right on our doorstep. It is time that we do better. Before White folks come with their #AllLivesMatter defence, I call on them to do one thing today – watch this video where the New York Times reconstructed the murder of George Floyd. I implore you to watch, to feel uncomfortable, and to imagine yourself without breath for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Imagine a world where you are more likely to die at the hands of the police than you are to get a university degree. Imagine living in a world that is rigged against you just because of the colour of your skin.
How are we living in a society that holds White feelings in higher regard than the lives of Black people? Why do we sacrifice Black lives just so White folks can avoid the uncomfortable issues of racism and White privilege? It is time that we break our silence and face the harsh truth. As White people, we need to look at our beliefs and the structures we have benefited from. Yes, our lives have not been easy and there are many problems we face daily. But, the colour of our skin is not one of the things making life harder. No-one looks at us funny when we leave a shop without buying something. No-one locks their doors when we walk by their cars or clutches their purse out of fear that we might steal it. No-one questions our place at universities or prestigious jobs thinking we got there because of affirmative action.
Yes, of course all lives matter – we never said they don’t. But, by saying that #AllLivesMatter you are invalidating the #BlackLivesMatter movement and the struggles of the Black community and POC. It sounds like you are saying #AllDiseasesMatter in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yes, all diseases matter, but we are fighting one big one right now. All lives matter, but we are fighting systematic Black oppression right now. White folks, this is not about you. We are fighting a century old monster that made us believe that the lives of Black folks and POC are worth less. We are fighting a system that makes it okay to murder innocent Black kids, womxn, and men. That is the issue. That is what we are fighting. Here are some guidelines for White folks to live by as we join in the fight:
- Speak out on issues of Black oppression. Do not just sit and do nothing and get away with your silence. We need your voice. We need you to call out and condemn racism wherever you find it – even if it comes from your mom or your closest friend.
- Listen to the experiences of Black people and POC. Listen to what Black people are saying and asking of you. Educate yourself around issues of race. Read about the history of colonialism, study the Apartheid era, weep at the era of slavery, and put yourself in the uncomfortable position of seeing the inhumanity of racial killings, bias, and racism.
- Stop bringing up farm murders only when your conversations are about Black oppression. If you are silent on the issue every other day of the year, but bring it up to show that White people get murdered too, then you are only using it to invalidate Black oppression and that makes you racist and you should do better than that.
- When a BIPOC tells you that you are being racist, you do not get to decide that you are not. Instead of becoming defensive, recognise what you did and ask for guidance to do better.
So, on behalf of White folks everywhere, I want to apologise to the Black community and POC for every time we ignored your struggle. I apologise for every time we bring up farm murders to invalidate #BlackLivesMatter. I apologise for every piece of racism we perpetuate. Black lives matter, and I apologise for every time we made you feel like they did not.
As a White person, I promise to do better. I promise to stand with you even when it is uncomfortable. I promise to speak out even when it is not trending to do so. I promise to listen and change when you say I am being offensive or racist. I promise to call out my friends, family, and partners for every bit of their racism. I promise to do better by you.
#BlackLivesMatter #JusticeForGeorge #JusticeForCollins