#BlackLivesMatter

[gem]

This is what I have heard from people active in BLM: first, that listening, while it may seem like doing nothing, is actually something when we are recognizing and validating voices that have been suppressed for generations; and second, that white allies can speak up about racism in white spaces where people of color may not feel comfortable bearing witness to their own experiences. Maybe that's asking questions within school, work, or community groups about whether there are systems or practices that should be examined; maybe it's challenging a friend or family member to think about a different perspective; maybe it's writing to local governmental officials in support of changes in public safety policy, trainings, etc. Specifically in our community BLM is working with our new police chief to increase the numbers of crisis intervention trained officers, and it's really important to those involved that white people speak up too, because if it is true that all lives matter, there should be no us vs. them mentality towards de-escalating violence.

[poky]

There are pages and pages and pages of essays if you google "what can a white person do about racism". This one was near the top: https://mic.com/articles/97900/10-si...son#.NdZQwFjHx

I plan to read a bunch more, but I see all of the advice boiling down to into two "camps": 1) stop being part of the problem, 2) actively help be part of the solution. The steps for 1 are a lot more clear in a lot of places than the steps for 2, understandably, but from what little I've already read, I've seen some, including this:

“Use your whiteness as a shield.”

In St. Louis, we eradicated the word “allies.” We call our white folks our comrades. Because they’ve stood in front of and next to us when we asked them to. A living demonstration of white privilege is to see a line of white people handled by the police with kid gloves, who they carefully push past to brutalize us black folks.

(from https://www.washingtonpost.com/poste...cklivesmatter/)

I've seen mention of a group called SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice), which I'm going to look into more, too. There seem to be affiliated local groups all over.

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

I think the next step, from various articles I've read, is to then have conversations with other white people about privilege, racial injustice, etc. I'm not sure you need to go around giving lectures, but perhaps the next time you have a friend or family member trying to justify or explain away the mistreatment of black Americans you could call them out. From a business perspective, the recommendation would be to recruit black employees.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

This is one thing our associate pastor (who is black) said on Sunday in our diverse but still white majority church. He said, "when in majority white contexts and someone says something generalizing/rude/racist about black people, fight for me. Stand up and say something. Don't let it slide. And know that I'm doing the same for you in majority black contexts. Start being a part of the conversation even if it's hard and awkward. Be willing to say you're sorry if you offend but KEEP TRYING. If black people and white people stop talking, we have all lost. Lost the opportunity for love, for change, for seeing an image of what the multitudes surrounding the throne of God will look like on the other side of glory. Because it won't be one color, one gender, one language. It will be all of us. And we shouldn't give up on that in the here and now"

[Flynn]

I get that, but I'm not clear what I am supposed to do with this information that makes a tangible change. Other than apologize that I'm white. I am not being a dick, I seriously do not know what I am supposed to be doing other than "listening".

I don't feel like I have to apologize that I'm white. I do feel strongly that I have a responsibility to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem with regard to racism.

How am I NOT part of the problem:

I'm aware that racism in many forms happen every second of every day and it's wrong. I KNOW it's there. I don't deny this or try and sugar coat it.

I speak up when racist jokes or slurs are spoken in my presence EVERY time.

I teach my children tolerance and to respect diversity. I encourage respectful questions from my kids about racial injustice and social attitudes. I do not allow other children to make slurs or jokes in my presence. (Yes I've had to talk with a few parents about this one.)

50% of the charities we donate to specifically target the African American community.

One of my sons plays on a racially diverse basketball team. One of the coaches is named Dontay and he's a 6'8" black man who wears hoodies and baggie pants. He has a bullet in his skull from his youth since he grew up in a tough neighborhood. Dontay's son is named Javarri and plays with DS #2. Dontay is one of the nicest, most respectful men I've ever met. He works hard for a living, parents his 5 kids with his wife of 25 years who is also has a full time job, and has been an amazing coach for DS #2. I've known him for about two years now. He told me a story about how in his business they will send him out for quotes in diverse neighborhoods but for the white neighborhoods he won't make the visit -- the lower manager who is white will make the trip and talk to the prospective clients. They get more business that way. He's not bitter or sad -- he was telling me this story when he was complimenting my son. Dontay knows that if his son Javarri every knocks on DS #2s door as an adult, my son will not be afraid of black skin because of how we are raising our kids. Dontay told me that my family "gives him hope for his kids." WE give HIM hope?




Small things matter. They REALLY do.

[GrayMatterWife]

Deleted

[reciprocity]

This is a great thread, I feel like I'm coming into it super late and everything I would have said has been said. I am unabashedly pro-BLM, and I think that everyone who has posted in support of the goals and voice of the movement has done a really great job.

I'll add one thing, and that's that there ARE policy efforts that will help us to demilitarize the police, institute community policing, and hopefully de-escalation. There are the specific individual actions to combat racism, but there are also society-wide efforts to change the institutions that perpetuate and protect bad police work.

Obviously there are good cops, and obviously cops make mistakes, which is exactly why we need to focus on the policies that allow those good cops to do good police work, and not get dragged down below that blue wall of silence.

http://www.joincampaignzero.org/solu...utionsoverview is a great place to start.

[reciprocity]

I dispute the notion that those responsible for oversight have to have the same training as those they are overseeing. Our entire judicial system is premised on the notion that citizens can be instructed on the proper legal standards and apply them rigorously.

As for the story about your family friend, that's obviously a very intense and emotional situation, and I grieve your loss. However, based on what you've said there I'm not sure it falls into either of the categories listed. A wrongful death suit is neither an investigation nor a felony offense it's a civil suit (also I don't think that a civil suit would go to a grand jury.) I don't think Campaign Zero is proposing that subjects of civil suit be prohibited from receiving paid leave or remaining on desk-duty.

If you're saying they were also being investigated by the DA/SA/DOJ and one of those institutions were seeking a felony criminal indictment from a grand jury, that would be a different situation entirely.