Commentary

I am a white woman. I've had the advantage of that my whole life, without even knowing about it. I've known I've lived a pretty easy life. I don't, and have never denied that. But I've always said it was because my parents, and their parents worked hard to give their children those advantages. It never really occurred to me that even hard work can't erase systemic disadvantages. 

I haven't liked the term white privilege. I feel like it lumps us all in the same bucket. But I can't, with an conscience, deny that it's true. There is a certain privilege to being born white. Even more so, if you're born white and male. More than that if you're born white, male and rich.  

But I digress. Events in the US right now have been widening my eyes to how things work in that country, and by extension in my own. The system really is broken. It's been broken for a long time. And those it's broken for have been telling us for a very long time. It's time we actually paid attention. Because those of us who reap the greatest advantages from that system are the best ones to fix it. We have to change our mindset in order to change the system that our blindness has supported. 

I've been racist because I've taken advantage of my privilege without questioning it. I grew up in a small town where almost everyone was like me. I live in a city that's pretty similar. I have a very small social circle; at first glance it's very homogeneous - not by design but because it's small and I don't go out of my way to meet any new people. I've had connections with BIPOC but not all friendships/relationships are meant to be lifelong. I've never had any personal experience that has led me to hold judgements against individuals who look different from myself. I've always hoped (and believed) that I judge each person based on their character, and not their physical appearance.

I'm choosing to listen and learn and educate myself in order to make sure that I am being the best advocate (ally?) that I can be. I'm going to do what I do best, and read about the history of injustice in order to own the part I play in it. I am going to stop being offended by BIPOC complaints against "white people." If I am doing nothing wrong, I have no need to feel guilt or shame. But doing nothing isn't right. I pledge to be anti-racist - to point out racism and do whatever I can to quash it whenever I can.

I've learned in real terms why Black Lives Matter is really only the beginning of that sentence. It's really that Black Lives Matter just as much as every other life.  All lives can't matter until all life matters the same. I've learned how deeply the world is flawed for some people, statistically. And how we all learn these behaviours, so we have to make the effort to un-learn them. 

I don't really have anything to contribute to the larger conversation, which is why I'm leaving this here. I needed to write it, as part of my own process. To acknowledge the problems, to make sure that I do whatever I can. I do not have any power, except over my own actions, but I will do what I can to support the human race, in all it's glorious shades.

"There's only one Race. The Human Race."

The most important seven words that I have heard this week.

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