For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been listening and learning from Black voices. I’ve chosen to inundate myself with a bunch of information, a lot that I didn’t realize before.
As far back as fifth grade, I’ve been passionate about politics and helping marginalized communities. Anyone who knows me knows this to be true. I remember Mr. Rose teaching us about Civil Rights and I wrote a poem about segregation. As a 10-year old, I couldn’t fathom why segregation was allowed and I condemned it in my elementary-school poetry.
Up to last week, I never considered myself racist. But what I realized was that I wasn’t actively Anti-Racist (a term I learned just this week). To be Anti-Racist is not just simply to be nice to Black folx. It’s not something you do overnight or with a four-year degree. It’s not just consuming information but acting on what you’ve learned. It’s taking the burden off of Black lives. It’s dismantling a system (re: white supremacy) that’s been used for over four hundred years to prevent Black folx from ever winning in society.
I’m still (will always be) learning what it means to do the work to be Anti-Racist. I know I’ll make mistakes. I already have in the past couple of weeks.
I know that there are several paths an ally (or accomplice) can take:
