Getting square with racism - for white people

There's a war going on in the US. It's been raging since about 1619. It's a civil war. It's an information war. It's a scope limiting war. It's a race war. It's a war you won't always be able to opt out of. It will be coming soon to a neighborhood near you even tho it's been there the whole time. 

Check out this article on Racial Battle Fatigue

To get square with racism you'll need to be involved in several pursuits. You need to understand why you're doing it. At what personal level are you committed to making the world better by changing the racism dynamic? This requires introspection which is a fairly rare skill. Many people have a very limited understanding of themselves in the world at large. What motivates you to undertake the endeavor of justice for black people? Justice and honesty are two of my strongest values with maybe openness a close third. It's a developed skill enhanced by use. It's helpful but largely not necessary to survive for white people. But you've got to understand your motivation and it's got to be a strong motivation. You're going to face painful realizations. You're going to face generations of lies perpetrated by those you love and admire. You've got to have and maintain the strength to power thru these challenges. My personal commitment is due to my family. That's somewhat selfish, but it's the truth.

So you've found your motivation? What's next? Go back in your mind and create a racism journal. How did you learn about race? Who were your elders who either helped you understand or deceived you? Think back on some of the historical landmarks in civil rights. When and how did you become aware of them? What was the reaction of those around you? What was your reaction? Depending on how old you are it could be the civil rights era, Rodney King, OJ Simpson trial, some of the recent videos of police violence, Black Lives Matter. You can also think of why you may not have even known about them or if you're too young, how you learned about them. Just examine your history of learning about race. Maybe examining this history can help you understand how far you've come. 

Now you've examined yourself in two ways: your motivation and your history. Now or in combination with the above you can take on educating/re educating yourself about race in history of the US. If you try to understand race in all contexts or slavery thru all of history you'll be biting off more than you can chew for at least 5 years. You'll have enough to deal with just under the immediate scenario. There are lots of good websites. You'll need to be literate in the terminology of the movement: whitesplaining, the new definition of racism, intersectionality, reverse racism, race baiting, colorblind, implicit bias, internalized oppression, people of color, systemic racism, white fragility, white supremacy, whiteness, white savior, white tears. That's just some of the terminology, but the history is very rich and powerful. Remember the history of black people is not just the history of slavery. Some of it you have to imagine. A lot of sources will leave out explicit and disturbing details of the enslavement of black people. Black people submitted to unimaginable physical and mental torture to survive. This is part of the history that was suppressed by our institutions of learning. Keep in mind that I'm presenting this from my perspective as a 60+ year old from a progressive education system. If you're younger or from a less progressive background your experience will be different.

Upon graduation from a beginners level of educational pursuits you can reach out to others. You may feel you have rich tidbits to share but you are likely not ready for that. Spend a lot of time listening. Write a journal and keep notes about your thoughts. It may be valuable to you and others later. Reach out to other white people in the movement. Reach out to SURJ or one of the affiliated white anti racism groups. Black people are often overwhelmed being tasked with explaining and questioned and debated on their lived experiences over and over again. You're not ready for that. Talk to your like minded skin kin. Deal with them a bit. Remember that white people created the racist system, white people need to dismantle it. It would be good to get mentors to assist in making decisions. In the church I grew up in we had spiritual directors. They help to give you feedback and hear what you are thinking and give direction when you're choosing a path. You need that kind of insight in this pursuit, an outside ear. It will make you much more effective and valuable.

There are a couple of traps I can advise you about ahead of time. One is that you're special, you're unique. This pitfall will make you thin that you have a special understanding. You'll jump ahead on the steps and start asking questions of black people when you haven't done your work yet. You'll want to join an all black group or tell someone else how to fix their problems. It's a common problem which will set you back. This viewpoint also makes you say things like "not all white people". What white people do is documented in history. That history is at least 400 years old in this country. You don't stand out that much. Get over it quickly. Another problematic standpoint to avoid is debating. This is not debate club. This is not a political position. This is a movement to fully recognize a group of people who have not been treated as human beings. Debating is not helpful in this context. Even if you were to win the debate what does it get you? That you're superior to an oppressed person? If that's what you're going for you missed the idea in step 1 - motivation.