1/8 Why it is important for white allies to speak up on issues of racial justice: a thread. #ScholarStrike #BlackLivesMatter

2/8 Anyone who engages in racial justice work knows that it comes with costs: the discomfort of colleagues, family and friends, the time and effort that could be spent on other important work, or (as prompted this thread), trolling.

3/8 For some, calling out racial injustice can come with much more profound costs, including losing a job, financial insecurity, death threats and more. We should not forget that people continue to lose their lives in the fight for racial justice.

4/8 It is important for us as white allies to recognize that when we are silent, we place the entirety of those costs on BIPOC. When we ask in response to events like George Floyd's death, "what can we do," this is one important response: share the burdens of racial justice work.

5/8 It is also important to understand that it is far more likely that BIPOC's calling out of racism will be dismissed as "playing the race card" when white allies remain silent. All of our voices are needed to raise up the message that racism is real.

6/8 For all of these reasons, it is critical for white allies to speak up around issues of race. This no doubt will feel uncomfortable for many of us, who have been taught that it is impolite, and indeed racist to talk about issues of race.

7/8 As white allies who are advocating on racial justice, we will also surely make mistakes, and that too will feel deeply uncomfortable. We may be so afraid of those mistakes that it feels more comfortable to stay silent.

8/8 But we can't be effective allies if we stay silent. And we shouldn't be willing to stay silent if we know that racial injustice continues to exist. #BlackLivesMatter . #ScholarStrike