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Clearing out my bedroom at my Mum's house, I found my Leavers shirt from secondary school. A boy in my friend group wrote "MY N*****" on the arm.
I'd completely forgotten about it.
I can't help but think what a significant & awful experience that would have been if I was a WoC.
I'd completely forgotten about it.
I can't help but think what a significant & awful experience that would have been if I was a WoC.
This also reminded me just how often my friend group, especially the girls, used the n-word casually.
I never said it, but I never called them out on it either. I should have done better. I should have stood up to them.
I never said it, but I never called them out on it either. I should have done better. I should have stood up to them.
That event was so easily forgettable bc I'm white, but if I wasn't - it would probably be burned into my memory.
I thought of racism as an issue that was distant from me. I actively fight it, but none of *my* friends are like that.
But they were, and I excused them.
I thought of racism as an issue that was distant from me. I actively fight it, but none of *my* friends are like that.
But they were, and I excused them.
I am no longer friends with those people (for other reasons), but I should have said something. I should have said something every time they used that word.
I should have made that boy scribble out what he wrote on me in damn pitch-black Sharpie.
I should have made that boy scribble out what he wrote on me in damn pitch-black Sharpie.
"It's not enough to be non-racist, you need to be anti-racist."
I'm going to live these words.
I'm going to live these words.
