Dear White People,
I’ve seen the status updates and watched the streams of consciousness. You believe that remaining silent would make you complicit. That not speaking up would make you just as bad as the racists and people committing the crimes.
So you’ve spoken up.
It’s your right, and it’s appreciated. Every cause needs support. Humans are humans, regardless of color. If the roles were reversed, I’d be speaking up too. The great thing about these platforms is that we all *have* a platform.
But — and please don’t take offense to this — this is not your battle to fight.
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Where I’m from, if you’re scared to fight your own battles, you can’t come outside.
Your mom can’t walk you to school forever. Your brother can’t beat up every kid who messes with you. Eventually you have to start handling your own.
We — Black folks — aren’t *responsible* for what a bad cop does. #GeorgeFloyd literally had his hands tied behind his back when he lost his life.
But we are responsible for how we respond to it, the resources we use to respond, and how we prepare ourselves just in case there’s a “next time” (which there hopefully is not).
Something unfortunate happens and we post hashtags, leave comments and feel like we’ve accomplished something.
I don’t see it that way.
Blacks, as a group, are uneducated, unorganized, and have no leadership.
The “influencers” of our community use their influence to draw plenty of attention to themselves, but not to the education and preparation that’s built into the fabric of how you, White People, raise your own.
We’d rather compete with and “shine on” each other.
Our Leaders-by-default (because they’re famous) whip the masses into a frenzy with hyperbole and emotion — and then leave people with no “next steps” to use that energy on.
When the riots, looting and destruction of our own neighborhoods occur, those same leaders urge people to stop and go home.
We marched and protested 60 years ago, which has now been replaced by hashtags — even though we have more resources and more opportunity than our ancestors and elders could have dreamed of.
Black People: We don’t have our own sh*t together — so when things like this happen, we run to our phones, post hashtags and break windows — all of which accomplishes nothing.
What would White people do if 4 Black cops had killed a White man? I don’t know, but I do know that they’re educated, they have power, and they know how to use it.
We’re scrolling Instagram and looting strip malls.
Blacks: My CTA to every INDIVIDUAL is what Chuck D said in 1990: “Get your head ready — instead of getting physically sweaty.”
White People: your support is appreciated. What WE need to do is build our OWN internal structure up to where YOU no longer see US as needing your support.
I mean, y’all don’t call on us when there’s a White problem.
If I’m wrong, anyone can let me know in a respectful way and I’ll gladly engage.