White Privilege - Use it Wisely
- nevesanchez
- Jun 3, 2020
- 6 min read
So, I was dithering between doing this blog or not. Dithering between keeping silent or being a voice. As you can see I have decided on the latter.
I've done this because, alike everyone else, I have seen the dreadful things happening in America at the moment towards the Black community and have been disgusted at the racial discrimination and abuse they have faced.
That they have ALWAYS faced.
I dithered because, well as you can probably see, I am white and have been privileged enough to never face racism or face any issues in regards to my skin colour, race, religion etc. So I wondered if I even had a right to voice my opinion, but after seeing the black community on my social media pages, friends posts and in the media the one theme was constant - stop staying silent. So that's what I'm going to do. Stop staying silent.
The first thing I want to say is what the f***.
Unless I've time travelled in my sleep, I'm pretty sure we are in 2020?! And people are still being valued on their SKIN COLOUR?! A colour? A colour that only shows your heritage, ancestry and your background. A beautiful connection linking people to their roots and bottom line...the skin colour determines the climate of the country of those roots. That's it. That's all. It says NOTHING about your personality, your morals, your values, if you are a good or bad person, if your more likely to commit a crime, if your violent or clever or anything. It determines none of these things yet people still look at the black community and make certain assumptions.
You may think that these 'assumptions' are just normal to you and they aren't hurting anyone. But they are, They're hurting the poor black men and women who are being murdered by police for unjust reasons. They are hurting their families and friends by snatching away a loved one they will never see again. They are hurting parents who feel a little sick every time their black child leaves the house and pray that they come home again that night. They are hurting an entire race of human beings to not have the same rights as everyone else. It's disgusting, and that's not up for debate.
So, like I said above, I am white and have never experienced racism first hand. However, I have seen it. I am white but I am actually mixed race (by blood not by skin tone) - my dad is a Spanish man and my mum is English. Every time we go to an airport, my dad gets 'randomly selected' because its clear to see from his skin tone he is not English. Now this is not even a slight percentage of what the black community are facing but shows that even though we have come a long way from the days of slavery, the 'No Irish No Blacks No Dogs' signs in windows and segregation - we are still a million miles away from equality. And that's why I wanted to say something, because its our responsibility, as white people, to fight for those who don't have our privilege. To be the part of the voice that they have been deprived of and make it louder. And to show that we believe everyone is equal and they deserve and have the right to walk down the street feeling as safe as every one else.
So
To my white friends
Be more than an Instagram trend - don't just be one of the people who posts a black screen on Instagram and then doesn't give a second thought to whats actually happening - research, sign the petitions (i'm gonna link some below), donate (if you can), teach others, support black owned businesses and push for diversity in the media, become outraged at the injustice.
Challenge your family - "i'm like this because of my parents or grandparents" hahaha nope. no excuse. And frankly this is my LEAST favourite excuse. I don't care that your grandparents or parents grew up in a different generation, you didn't. So use that to teach them. Show them the uncomfortable videos, question their problematic behaviour and racial slurs and help them understand that times have changed and its time for equality.
Challenge your friends - you may have friends that use racial slurs, or voice racist opinions. Call them out on it. Tell them that its not okay and show them how much it would hurt someone. And if they don't, then well your friends with a d*** and you're probably better off without them.
Challenge yourself - Now lets all be honest, we've all said or done something before that could be considered racist, be that unconsciously or consciously. Maybe you've found yourself singing a racial slur in a song or using them in real life. Maybe you've been treating the POC around you differently to the white people around you? Maybe you've been conditioned to believe the completely untrue stereotypes made of POC and judge people using them? The media, your environment and so many other factors have made this seem like nothing to us but we need to notice that it IS a huge problem. If you realise you are doing this then you need to make an active decision to stop. If you continue, then next time a black person is murdered don't make yourself feel better by posting RIP because you're contributing to the problem.
Educate Yourself - a girl I follow on Instagram did a story basically explaining what we can do to help and something she said really resonated with me. She said 'we need to educate ourselves, don't be asking your black friends what to do, they have a much bigger fight to focus on' and I thought this was so true. It is not the role of the black community to educate us, we must educate ourselves. Research, watch documentaries on racism, read books, show your outrage. You will probably feel guilty and uncomfortable but I encourage you to please turn that into power! Fighting for the right thing!
To my black friends
I'm so sorry.
I'm sorry your community is being murdered.
I'm sorry you feel unsafe.
I'm sorry you aren't protected by the police.
I'm sorry you are treated differently in the work place.
I'm sorry you have to hear white people sing the N word in clubs.
I'm sorry you are still fighting so long after your ancestors fought.
I'm sorry you aren't being treated as you should.
But we hear you. We're angry and can fully understand why you are too. Do what you need to do, protest and scream because this has gone on long enough. You deserve the right to be treated equal like everyone else. You deserve to feel safe, respected and protected in the eyes of the law. You deserve to live without fear.
We will stand with you. We will fight with you.
Below are some links I have found through my own research and seeing what other people have been posting (if anyone knows of anymore please feel free to message me on my social media pages and I'll be more than happy to do another blog including them -
Petitions:
Aritcles and Websites:
Donate:
The above are just a few of the links I have personally found or that I have seen people post. There are so many more online that you can find and have a look at! Please remember, that the current events you are seeing in the media is only a one example of the racism in today's society, it is happening every day and I urge you to research and learn examples of this. George Floyd's murder is one of many.
Additionally, a lot of the information within this is a mixture of my own opinion, research I've done, videos I've watched and posts I've seen. I just wanted to show my support to the black community in this tough time and I hope that came across, I support you.
Lastly, I just want to quickly reference to the protests. Please, please, please be safe. You deserve the right to protest and show your outrage but also remember a pandemic is still going ahead so protect yourselves. Wear masks, use hand sanitiser and if you have any symptoms please stay home. There is a protest coming up in my home town but I've made the decision that I won't be attending. As someone with OCD being in a crowd that large during this pandemic would greatly jeopardise my mental health and mental well being. So all my love, support and prayers to you all.
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