I want to be clear where I stand.
If you are “property over people”–if you are talking about burning buildings and not lives lost–unfriend or unfollow me.
If you are “all lives matter” and don’t see why that is offensive, go ahead and unfriend or unfollow me.
I grew up in the South, but I am NOT about Southern culture, traditions, implications and flags that go with it. If you’re full Southern in all its “glory,” I’m out. Unfriend, unfollow.
If you are are not interested in being part of the necessary change in this country, I am not interested in your “friendship,” “like” or follows. Unfriend me. I am not your friend. I don’t want you as a friend.
I am educating myself on MY part in this systemic racism, oppression and silence.
I do not know WHAT to do right now or what to say, but I will not be silent on where I stand. I am reading all the antiracist material I can find, I am LISTENING, and I am donating money. I am reaching out to black activists and voices to take over my (albeit small) platform to amplify THEIR voices (if anyone has anyone to connect, please do…)
Yes, I will say the wrong things during this time. I will be clumsy. But I will listen, and I will share the messages from black voices who have been fighting for these changes (for far longer than I have been alive or conscious).
Until now, I have been too chickenshit, blind and unconsciously and consciously racist to see my part in this larger problem, to see the work that I must do, and the path we must take for change to happen.
I will stumble. I will say the wrong things, but I am here.
I am not silent.
I STAND with my fellow black Americans.
I will take their lead.
#BlackLivesMatter