How often have I chosen to stay silent?

It's time for change!

3 Ways I Will Fight Racism Moving Forward

1. Personal Reflection to Identify My Own Prejudices
Whether we realize it or not, we all are guilty of prejudice. Much of this comes from our own life experiences—the things we have seen and heard.

I grew up in South Carolina, a state that flew the Confederate flag on its capital until 2000 and on a confederate memorial outside the capital building until 2015. When you live in a state where such blatant racism exists...

you adopt certain beliefs (prejudices) without even realizing it.

Just because I grew up with Black friends and teammates does not mean those prejudices didn’t exist. The reality is these prejudices appear in small ways we aren’t even aware of, and we become tolerant of ...

“small” racist comments or acts.

One of my encouragements to coaches is to ask your Black players, co-workers, and friends if there was ever a time when something you said or did made them feel uncomfortable or discriminated against.

And then we need to really listen with an open mind—not ready to defend but ready to apologize make needed changes. One of the most powerful ways to grow is to build relationships with people in which honest feedback and discussion is respected—even when it is difficult to hear.

These conversations won’t be easy, but they are crucial.

2. Call Out Prejudice and Racism When I See It
You may not experience racism like John Wooden did, or like I did back in 2016, but we all see it or hear it at some stage.

Too often, we “just ignore” prejudiced and racist comments from a stranger, acquaintance, or even a family member. We often do so either to avoid making a scene or because we don’t feel it’s our place to correct them or call them out on it.

We might not need to make a scene. But we do need to call it out and name it for what it is. While my anger and temper may get the better of me at times, I am going to work to be intentional and call people up, to encourage others to be better, and to reflect on how those...

words or ideas are part of the problem.

In a recent group call with some Black coaches, one suggestion I kept hearing was the need to work on building trust with athletes. It’s in these moments when we can gain or lose their trust.

Black Americans need to know we are in the fight with them, too.

3. Listen to Their Story
As coaches—especially white male coaches—we don’t understand. We have no idea what it is like to be Black or any other minority in America. Years ago, I sensed the tension and prejudice in those white country schools...

but I never stopped to think or even ask my players how it made them feel. I missed out on an opportunity for me and other kids in our program to empathize and connect with the Black players in our...

program. They may not have ever been subjected to the violence that George Floyd was subjected to, but they have been the victims of racism.

Therefore, anytime we can, we should look for opportunities to create safe places for minorities to share their stories of...

prejudice and racism. We may be unsure how to initiate those conversations. On a recent TOC Community coaches’ call, @coachmikeavery of http://CenterCircleIn.com  suggested that we can start with something as small as, “I am not sure where to go with this…”.

Once we’ve initiated the conversation, the most important thing we can do is listen. Therefore, it’s not about finding the right words to say; it’s about letting people know we are ready to listen.

Read the Full Article Here https://thriveonchallenge.com/three-ways-i-will-fight-racism-moving-forward/