Actions white people can do starting today to be an ally to the black community.

1. Do not weaponize your authority in the workplace. Black people are educated, skilled and hired based on merit. We are not “lucky to be here”. Respect their position and importance to the team.

2. Actively seek black medical care professionals. White women, trust black OB/GYNs with your reproductive health. Take your children to black pediatricians. Raise the next generation to know we are important parts of the community who are just as hard working and caring as you.

I promise you they are highly qualified and take their oath to provide the best care possible seriously.

3. Give credit where credit is due. If the black employee at your job took lead on a project or their ideas led to improvements, acknowledge their work in front of your boss and behind closed doors.

4. Read black literature. Learn who we are and the experiences we’ve endure. We are not a monolith. Black people in the north are not the same as the south. Get to know the black people who live in your neighborhood. Learn and respect but do not try to change who they are.

We have a long way to go. But here’s a starting point.