Unity has always been an important concept for me. So much so that I took it as my playa name the first time I went to Burning Man. I laugh at my young, naive self for taking such a silly, hippie name 12 years ago - but my connection to the concept still rings true. We are all one. We are all made up of the same material on the cellular level. The tress, rocks, earth, insects, plants, animals, stardust, the homeless person on the street, the billionaire across the globe - all of us are truly connected. How you treat each other is how you treat yourself.
As I start to dismantle my understanding of life as I've always known it - I realize that even the belief in this concept comes from my own privilege. Who is to say that this idea of unity isn't true when I've never really had anyone challenge it? Almost everything I've been able to do, thought, believed and understood comes from being born in this particular skin color in this particular country.
This definitely feels like a lot to take in.
But it's nothing compared to the hundreds years of oppression, violence and incarceration that black people have endured in America. My discomfort in coming to terms with my own privilege is negligible.
I have signed up for virtual 'Anti-Racism Circle' with Charlene Parker which starts tomorrow. We will be going through Rachel Cargle's 28 day #dothework Course and then Layla Saad's "Me and White Supremacy" book. I have started both. I have already felt the winds of change, the blowing open of understanding, the BLOWING UP of everything I thought I knew.
One quote in a paper that Rachel has included in her course by Peggy McIntosh really rang true for me: "I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group." This is completely how I was taught about racism. I was raised in an open-minded, non-racist home. I was taught to accept everyone for who they are, not what they look like. I thought I was good with that level of non-racism. Turns out, nope. That is definitely not enough.
Even though I was raised in this non-racist (but still lacking) way, I was still surrounded by mostly white people my whole childhood. In school, in my neighborhood, all of my friends, even all the way through college. This is modern day segregation which is described very well in this video.
We've also been watching documentaries on Netflix, listening to podcasts (recommendations below) and generally assaulting ourselves with information on white privilege and systemic racism every day. We've been digesting and processing this all with really meaningful and in depth conversations. It's intense. It's the least we can do. I'll also be donating the proceeds to each first week of Zoom classes I teach for the next 4 weeks to 4 different organizations that fight for black lives: Bail Project, Black Visions Collective, Campaign Zero and Unicorn Riot.
Still this doesn't feel like quite enough.
I know there are a lot of us feeling like we can't do enough to help. Engaging in re-education, taking a harsh look at ourselves and our white privilege is a good start. Here's what I've been reading, watching and listening to:
Books
Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad
How to be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi
The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
Documentaries
13th (Netflix)
Just Mercy (Amazon)
I'm Not Your Negro (Amazon)
Podcasts
1619 on NY Times
The most recent shows from This American Life and Radiolab also touch on issues surrounding our current situation.
Something important to remember is that this really isn't about me. At all. I'm just writing this a) to help process it all b) to inspire / support others in their journey to start to dismantle white supremacy and c) to stand up for Black Lives.
This is a truly heartbreaking time. On so many levels. It's so disappointing to see how in some ways we really haven't changed. The same things are being protested they were 30, 40, 50, 60+ years ago. But it's also provided us with an opportunity. An opportunity to research and learn, to grow, to change and to take action to reverse these devastating years of systematic racism. So take this opportUNITY to grow and dive in.
