I honestly can't even come close to comprehending what it's like to be black in America.

I grew up in a small Rust Belt town where almost 45% of households in my neighborhood were below the poverty line, and unemployment was at 20% even before the pandemic.

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Roughly 1% of the people in my neighborhood had a bachelor's degree education, while close to 60% had a high school degree or less - my parents included.

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Even with those factors, though, I'm still white. My neighborhood was largely POC, mostly African American and Latinx. The income inequality and joblessness didn't hit my home quite the same way it did many of my neighbors and friends.

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After college, I worked as a newspaper reporter. The first beat that I covered was cops and courts. I saw how often policing disproportionately targeted POC. I remember talking to friends who would have squad cars roll up on them just because they were out for a walk.

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Meanwhile, other friends - white friends - would get let off with a warning even if they were doing something truly reckless. One friend was told to "just head on home" after being pulled over while doing more than 100 MPH on a residential street.

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I heard first-hand stories of how the policing had ruined people's lives. Sat with friends at the Juneteenth party who were missing family members because they'd been locked up over minor infractions. It's a fucked up situation.

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This is all to say that I don't know exactly what I can do to help, but I want to be a good ally. Not just now when things look particularly bad, but always.

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Racism is disgusting. Racist systems are abhorrent. We need to do better, both individually and as a collective nation. If I see racism, I will call it out. I want a fair and equitable system for everyone, and that means recognizing my privilege and using it to help.

End thread.