Dear Fellow White People in America,

Maybe you’ve already come to this conclusion, or maybe you never will, but we have a responsibility to dismantle white supremacy in all forms. Embarrassingly, I’ve come to this conclusion not very long ago.

If you need proof this still exists, here’s the tip of the iceberg:

A black woman is 3-4 times more likely to die in childbirth than a white woman.
4 out of 5 Native American women are expected to encounter violence in their lifetime; more than half will be victimized by domestic violence or sexual assault; and murder rates against Native American women exceed ten times the national average in some tribal and urban communities.
While women overall make only 80 cents for every dollar the average white male makes, black women and latinx women only make 63 cents and 54 cents, respectively.
LGBTQ people of color were over twice as likely to report experiencing anti-LGBTQ discrimination when applying for jobs and interacting with police than their white peers.
Black men who commit the same crimes as white men receive federal prison sentences that are, on average, nearly 20 percent longer.

Empathy without action will not end racism, so from now on I will:

correct people who make racist comments or ‘jokes’.
educate white people about racial injustice.
continually learn about modern forms of race oppression.
work to dismantle white supremacy.
show up to events and marches led by people of color.
listen and amplify their message.
acknowledge that people are imperfect.
recognize this process will be uncomfortable.
vote for candidates not because of their party, but because of their humanity.

I’m sorry it has taken me this long to show up for people of color. It’s always been my belief that my family and I can’t truly thrive unless EVERYONE in my community, state and country are thriving. My white privilege has allowed me to be ignorant for too long. I refuse to be complacent with my ignorance any longer. I refuse to watch people of color fight against racism from the comfort of my home.

Will you join me?

With love,
Amy Dean, a white girl from Wisconsin