I grew up in a racially mixed neighborhood, the child of Greatest Generartion Democrat working class parents, in a Northeastern American City and guess what? I still ended up being a racist! Because that’s who was around me. IF YOU’RE WHITE PLEASE KEEP READING!

I grew up occasionally enjoying/employing racial slurs in jokes. As I got older and got out in the world more I stopped doing this and became uncomfortable when anyone else did. And people sure did! When it was just me & a fellow white person.

I eventually had black friends. I began to become a little bit more conscious of how the world affected them through listening to them. But soooooo little. A smidge, maybe.

As I continued through life I was often convinced my mind was as expanded as it was going to get & yet somehow I would be surprised to learn something due to an incredibly shocking thing happening to someone else. Eventually I realized I had a long way to go.

Eventually, I sought out lessons rather than discovering them. I listened and I read and always realized I needed to listen and read some more.

Eventually I accepted that there was systemic, institutional racism in this country. And I understood that people of color have been trying to express this forever in every way they could: quietly, loudly, calmly, angrily, sadly.

What have I done to combat the racist systems of the United States? Nothing. The answer, truly is nothing. That’s my latest realization and it stings as much if not worse than all the either realizations I’ve had about race over the years.

I have benefited from the way America works, probably countless times without even knowing it. My friends of color have doubtless been thwarted by the system countless times without even mentioning it to me.

The 2016 election shocked me. But it didn’t shock any of my black friends. That was the last wake up call I had. I told myself that would be the last time I’d allow myself the luxury of being shocked (I bet I’m wrong)

I have a long way to go and if you are bristling at any of this or dismissing it or doing the jerk-off motion right now: so do you!

I am appreciative of all the links people are passing around giving white people lists of practical things they can do to help change the culture of white supremacy in this country. I just want to add a couple very simple things...

Here are two recommendations based on the idea that black people have been trying to tell us what is wrong for so long, and the first step is to listen and believe:

SO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT RACE by Ijeoma Oluo is an extremely straightforward, lean, direct book that assumes you are taking all this seriously and are ready to hear some unpleasant things and do better.

I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO is a beautiful documentary about James Baldwin who spent his life explaining everything we need to know, if only we would listen and believe.

If you have any good recommendations on the topic of race— movies, books, podcasts— please leave them in the replies.

If you want to try and tell me this country was NOT founded on genocide and slavery and very little has changed since then, go ahead and block me instead

I feel very weak and ineffective posting this. I know it just comes off as virtue signaling to most people. But maybe there is someone who grew up like I did who is taking a first step towards change. I don’t know. Okay, catch ya later!