"There comes a time
When we heed a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
Oh, and it's time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all"
- We are the world (1985)
In the light of the current events in America and across the world "Black Lifes Matter" has become a century defining sentence and for a good reason. Black people all over the world face not only rasim everyday but also life threatening, unfair situations from violence to prejudices. This has been going on since the dawn of time and unfortunately it seems that the rest of the world, including myself, is just waking up to the ugly truth about black lifes. Something ought to be done but what can be done? What can everyone of us do in order to make this world a better place for black people from this day forward?
Disclaimer: All this info is based on what I have learned during the past week about black lifes matter movement, white privilege, racism and so on. I do not claim to know everything nor I claim to be an expert on this, in fact, I know very little, but since I have this platform and a voice it would be wrong not to say anything. Therefore, these are just things and steps I have taken to be able to understand the situation better and actions I am able to contribute. I hope this post will help you to learn as well. Also thank you to all the people who have spread useful information and are featured in this post.
1. Recognise your privileges
As white people the first step for us is to recognise our privileges so that we're able to see where and how injustice falls in our society. So, educate yourself about white privilege and try to see things from a different perspective.
2. Learn, learn and learn!
There's nothing more important than education. Without knowledge it's impossible ever to do or say the right thing, grow as a person and help others to understand the matter. What's more, there's so much resources out in the world from podcast to books and movies to articels about race, black lifes matter movement, racism, white privilege, black experience etc. that finding information should not be hard. With only a little effort you can learn so much. After all, learning is the least we can do! Also remember that it's not black people's job to teach us about these things but our own responsability as white people.
3. Speak up!
We as white people have a very powerful voice and, therefore, that voice should be used to lift up other peoples voices. We can change things if we want to. We need to change things. Don't fall silent when you hear racist jokes, conversations or comments. Don't loose your voice when it matters the most.
4. Listen
Not only you have a voice to spread awareness you also have ears to listen to black people. Hear what black people are actually saying and feeling. Their hopes, dreams and demands are the most important information you need because only they know how it is to be black and what are the real, important changes our societies need to face.
5. Follow and support
Follow black people and black businesses on social media. Also show your support towards them and make sure your feed is diverse in order to avoid living in a bubble. Remeber that even a small token matters and shows respect towards black people's strugless even if and when we don't fully understand them. It's vital to show that you're recognising injustice and that you're commited to do your part.
Here are a few black people that I haven been following for a while or recently started following on instagram. As you can see I too have a long way to go but this is a start and maybe you will also find some new and interesting people to follow here.
InTheFrow wrote a blog post about black people to follow. Read it here.
Here's also Harper's Bazaar article highlighting black creators and influencers. Read it here.
I hope you found this post infomational and helpfull. Once again I am learning and these are just the steps I am taking to be a better white person. Also feel free to express your feelings and opinions in the comments as well as share things that have helped you to understand the situation a bit better.
Thank you so much for reading!
Siiri
Comments