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Dear Fellow White People who consider themselves POC allies - A thread.
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During this time of trouble, our siblings of color and/or of other religions are asking us to recognize the shackles of culture that keep us from (at best) seeing their struggle, or (at worst) contributing to it; even though we really don& #39;t want to be "that kind of person".
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This will not be easy to read, but please take the time to read to the end.
1) When someone trusts you enough to tell you of their difficulties and their pain, Listen. Don& #39;t interrupt, don& #39;t try to explain why YOU would never do x or y, don& #39;t justify. Just listen.
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1) When someone trusts you enough to tell you of their difficulties and their pain, Listen. Don& #39;t interrupt, don& #39;t try to explain why YOU would never do x or y, don& #39;t justify. Just listen.
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2) When someone cares enough about their relationship with you to tell you things that you say or do that hurt them (large or small), Listen. Think about what they are saying. Apologize if appropriate, but recognize that & #39;sorry& #39; won& #39;t fix it. Just do better from that point.
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3) Question your assumptions about the things you say and the attitudes you have. They maybe be based on cultural things buried so deep in your brain, things from your childhood on, that you literally *CAN& #39;T* see them for what they are on your own.
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Having someone else& #39;s different perspective is valuable. It can free you from chains you didn& #39;t even know you had on your mind and your heart.
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Fellow white people, I am here to say that this process is fucking uncomfortable. It& #39;s not pleasant. It is painful in spots. It& #39;s embarrassing in spots. It is shameful in spots. This is NOT FUN.
But it pales in comparison to a lifetime of oppression.
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But it pales in comparison to a lifetime of oppression.
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I know you want the country to go back to & #39;the way it was& #39; maybe under Obama, but you have to understand.
POC WERE AS OPPRESSED THEN AS THEY ARE NOW, IT& #39;S JUST IN YOUR FACE WHERE YOU CAN& #39;T IGNORE IT/PRETEND IT ISN& #39;T A HUGE PROBLEM.
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POC WERE AS OPPRESSED THEN AS THEY ARE NOW, IT& #39;S JUST IN YOUR FACE WHERE YOU CAN& #39;T IGNORE IT/PRETEND IT ISN& #39;T A HUGE PROBLEM.
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Finding humility in the face of another& #39;s pain is NOT the same thing as being humiliated.
This is growth. This is change. That& #39;s why they are called "growing pains".
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This is growth. This is change. That& #39;s why they are called "growing pains".
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Embrace this discomfort. It will help you shed the things that hold you back. It will help us shed the things that are holding us all back
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