White Folks Talking To Other White Folks About Why #BlackLivesMatter

HISTORY OF #BLACKLIVESMATTER MOVEMENT:

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The #BlackLivesMatter movement began after George Zimmerman was not charged for killing Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teen. Organizing began online and in Florida around the issue of how black people’s lives seem to hold less value within the US-American society. The movement gained steam after the killing of Michael  Brown in Ferguson, MO., where #BlackLivesMatter became a unifying rallying cry. #BlackLivesMatter is a loosely affiliated coalition with independent chapters throughout the US and even the world. While the movement is most widely known for their stance on police violence, #BlackLivesMatter has also focused on the criminal justice system, the prison industrial complex, and the rising rates of murder of black transgender women in the US.  

 

AWARENESS OF WHITE PRIVILEGE IN THE CONVERSATION:

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White privilege affects the conversation about #BlackLivesMatters and being aware of that can help you shape conversations with other white folks. Remember that we are allies in this conversation. The value of white lives is not contested; we are not experiencing the same violence as people of color from our criminal justice system. For some people, it’s hard to understand an issue they have not experienced. They may believe, “Well, I’ve never seen that happen, so how often does it really happen?” The statistics in this booklet may help you respond to that. 

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White privilege also shapes when and how often we talk about #BlackLivesMatter.  We have the ability to walk away from conversations. Since we don’t experience the violence, we can more easily say, “I can’t worry about this right now,” or “I’m  tired of talking about this.”  

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But it’s complicated. While you may be a white person, there are other layers of privilege that come with different identities. You may have been harassed by police because of another identity, but not because of your whiteness. We can  recognize that and still support Black people who experience racial violence. In fact, recognizing both experiences increases support for reforms across the board. 

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#BLACKLIVESMATTER DOES NOT MEAN ANTI-POLICE:

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Some folks resist or dislike the #BlackLivesMatter movement because they view it as an anti-police movement, and they sympathize with the police because of the danger that police put themselves in every day when they put on their uniform.  However, police are given much more power, and (in the words of Spider-man’s Uncle Ben), with great power comes great responsibility. #BlackLivesMatter wants to institute checks and balances to the system (such as police body cams, civilian  oversight committees, and limiting the use of force). #BlackLivesMatter focuses on changing the system, instead of individual police officers, many who responsibly do their job.

 

ALL LIVES MATTER:

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Yes, All Lives Matter. However, saying Black Lives Matter does not undermine that.  The reality is that in this current moment, and historically, in the US and around the world the value of Black lives has been undervalued, exploited, or non-existent.  As the comic below illustrates, all lives do matter, but in this moment our Black friends, family, peers, and community are suffering from violence and injustice.  #BlackLivesMatter is a powerful statement and tool that draws attention to specific violence against Black folks. If all lives matter, then proudly claiming that Black Lives Matter should not be an issue. 

 

“BUT BLACK-ON-BLACK CRIME…”

 

When confronted with #BlackLivesMatter statistics and discussions, many white  people ask, “but what about Black-on-Black crime?” While it is true that Black US-Americans are more likely to be killed by another Black person than a white  person or by the police, there are countless examples of organizations, initiatives, and protests aimed at ending “Black-on-Black crime”. Protests and marches against crime within Black communities have happened for years in Chicago, Baltimore, New York, and DC. Initiatives from anti-gang task forces to President Obama’s “My  Brother’s Keeper” program to the Million Man March include discussions and plans to curb violence within Black communities. Discussing and addressing violence from police does not in any way negate long term conversations that have been happening within Black communities for decades.  

 

WHAT CAN WHITE PEOPLE DO TO SUPPORT  #BLACKLIVESMATTER? 

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• Keep listening & learning. By staying informed from media and #BlackLivesMatter, we keep ourselves engaged in the issue. 

• Start new conversations. Having conversations about #BlackLivesMatter with your friends and family, especially white friends & family, can be hard. White allies can use their privilege to bring racial justice conversations into places where they may not have happened before.  

• Honor Black experiences & make room for Black voices. When people of color talk about their experiences with discrimination, it is important to respect those experiences by not reframing them. Don’t says things like, “Well that was just one time,” or “I’m sure they weren’t trying to be racist”. In group settings, white people can also make sure that white people don’t dominate the conversation by leaving space for people of color to contribute. 

• Start a coalition of white anti-racists. If you would like to keep having conversations with fellow white allies to unpack privilege, ask questions, and process, you could start a coalition for fellow white allies interested in anti racist work.  

• Advocate with others. Connect with local organizations and movements so that you can support collective actions for change, such as Black Action Now (https://www.facebook.com/Blackactionnow), Black Lives Matter RVA (https:// www.facebook.com/BlackLivesMatterRVA) and Southerners On New Ground (http://southernersonnewground.org/).

 

WHAT WHITE FOLKS AND NON-BLACK POC NEED TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT SYSTEMIC RACISM:  

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• Listen to what Black people have to say 

• Feigning colorblindness is not helpful; it can actually be downright insulting  

• Knowing a Black person is not the same as BEING a Black person

• Stop telling Black people what violence will or will not solve

• Do not compare “black-on-black” crime to state-sanctioned violence

• Do not expect applause for being an ally 

• Black people are not here to educate you about racism or systemic inequality (http://www.forharriet.com/2015/04/what-white-folks-and-non-black-poc-need.html#axzz4DwVJh1gE) 

 

ADVICE FOR WHITE FOLKS IN THE WAKE OF THE POLICE MURDER OF A BLACK PERSON:

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• If you’re White, don’t look to your friends of color for answers right now.

• What happened to Alton Sterling and Philando Castile is, in fact, about race.

• Be aware of a few standard, and racist, media tropes about Black victims.

• As a White person, you are in a unique position to influence the perspectives of other White people. 

 

11 THINGS WHITE PEOPLE CAN DO TO BE REAL ANTI-RACIST ALLIES:

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1. “White people should recognize that the best way to be good allies is to go work among their own people (white people) to create more allies….whether in the grocery store or the boardroom.” - Brittney Cooper, co-founder of the  Crunk Feminist Collective, regular contributor to Salon, Assistant Professor of  Women’s and Gender Studies and Africana Studies at Rutgers 

2.  “....Racial justice organizing is not about confessing race privilege, saying all the right radical things and trying to avoid offending people of color. It’s about  building social movements that can dismantle white supremacy. Everyone needs  to do that work.” - Andrea Lee Smith, co-founder INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence, Boarding School Healing Project and the Chicago chapter of Women of All Red Nations 

3. “Understand that whiteness is an asset, something owned and embodied…. it allows them far more mobility, comfort and safety than those without it.”  - Sylvia Chan-Malik, Assistant Professor of American Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies at Rutgers 

4.  “....I ask [my students] to look at their relationship with language. Every time they are texting, tweeting or Facebooking, they are making choices about words and the stories we tell about race. What are you noticing about headlines when the police kill another black teenager? Is the teen described as a kid on his way to college or as a “black male”? I try to raise awareness that we’re trafficking in racial ideology 24-7 online—and that we can change the direction of these conversations every time we hit ‘comment.’” - Daisy Hernández, author of A Cup of Water Under My Bed: A Memoir, Kenan Visiting Writer at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

5. “Stop talking for a minute and just listen: Comparing the situation a person of color is in to some personal anecdote of yours is not as constructive as you think it is. Do not think that your innate wisdom or some personal experience has prepared you for a discussion. Do some research before trying to engage in a conversation, preferably written by a person color....”  - Kara Brown, staff writer, Jezebel 

6. “Read a book. It’s cheaper than taking a class—it’s free if you’ve got a library card—and it’s infinitely better than trying to educate yourself third- or fourth hand by bugging people with questions on Twitter. And asking your black friend or Asian friend what books they’d recommend will probably be received a lot better than asking them to explain race to you right then and there.”  - Arthur Chu, regular contributor to Salon, Daily Beast and Thought Catalog and 11-time “Jeopardy” champion 

7. “Dear White Allies, You know that mental list you have of all your best black friends, the non-white exes that you are still good friends with, the childhood memories more painful than those of people of color, and all the superficial  reasons why you “just love everyone for who they are”? Now come up with a list of equal length of books, essays and writings you’ve read about white privilege written by people of color. Can’t find them? Check Google.” - Kristina Wong, performance artist and comedian 

8. “I think among the most pressingly crucial concepts for white allies to consider is not simply the privilege and power they possess in a system that favors, elevates and rewards that privilege and power, but what it would mean or look like to take that privilege and power down a notch, or maybe a few notches. Because operating at even a privilege deficit for white people is still operating from a vantage point. I don’t mean give up your Pottery Barn rugs, and I definitely don’t mean feigning deference toward black magical magic (despite our obvious magical magic). I mean cultivate racial consciousness in ways that will inform your intellect and language, and greatly affect the way you interact with black folks….And finally speaking of young black people, Hunger Games actress Amandla Stenberg was recently quoted as saying:  “What if we loved black people as much as we loved black culture?” Think about that. Every day.” - Rebecca Carroll, op-ed writer for the Guardian and director of digital media & marketing at Scenarios USA

9. “Even this roundup is advice from people of color to white allies. If one wants to learn from other people’s experiences, there are plenty of articles and essays with exactly that purpose. It’s actually frustratingly difficult as a writer of color who writes about race to avoid writing for white folks.” - Matthew Salesses, author of The Hundred-Year Flood, fiction editor of The Good Men Project 

10. “If you have children, even very young children, talk to them about race. Don’t wait until they encounter a problem at school, among friends, or hear about  something in the news to engage them on the subject of difference. Teach them  that multiculturalism and diversity aren’t just about food, costumes, holidays, and having a few brown faces in a classroom to break up the whiteness. Expose them to books, TV and movies featuring people of color as protagonists and  heroes.” - Jen Wang, co-founder DISGRASIAN 

11. “Live-tweeting Ferguson to hashtagging victims of police brutality’s names is modish but lackadaisical….Get up and protest. Understandably, protests are inaccessible to many, but there are other options. I’m a firm believer in DIY activism, and it’s something with which I am actively involved. Create something—zines, art, podcasts, articles. You are white; use the unrivaled respect bestowed upon you as a societal birthright to acknowledge and rectify this.”  - Sarah Sahim, freelance writer and co-host of Not All Women