Artwork by Sacrée Frangine
A few days ago, I posted on Instagram about my personal responsibility as a White person and parent of White children to teach my kids about racial injustice, the importance of being an ally, and how to make it a priority to listen to and amplify the voices of their Black friends and all Black people. I have also posted consistently in my Instagram Stories with my thoughts on what is happening right now, why it is crucial for non-Black "influencers" (you all know how I feel about that word) to speak up and not remain silent no matter how uncomfortable it might feel, and resources to help us do our part to actually creating change.
I realize now though that THIS IS NOT ENOUGH. If we are truly allies, we need to speak up, but we also need to take ACTION. I am choosing to take a break from posting here and on social media for now, so that I can (1) listen to and make room for the voices of Black people, as these are the voices that need and deserve to be front and center, (2) do as much of my own research as possible into systemic racism and ways to be truly anti-racist (rather than asking my Black friends to share their resources or experiences; they are exhausted and should not be expected to provide the emotional labor to educate me or other white people on topics we should be putting the work into ourselves) and (3) find ways I can actively make a difference to put an end to the massive racial injustice that encompasses this country, by donating funds, contacting my local congressmen/women, and finding ways to peacefully protest. I will also continue to amplify the voices of my Black sisters and brothers by sharing what they have to say, as well as resources to help create positive change, in my Instagram Stories.
I want to be an ally. I vow to do more.
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I've been following you for awhile. I always find your content creative and inspiring. I'm black and I live in Chicago, and it was nice to see some "influencers" (I'm not a fan of that word either) from my part of the country highlighting life and fun things for parents in the midwest. There are so many ways that we are similar in our tastes and lifestyles, yet I always know the difference in your life and mine. As content I follow consistently, having never seen myself reflected in your content, I still could see myself reflected in your tastes, and I never for a moment thought that I wasn't welcomed here. The sad reality is that much of the content available for consumption just doesn't feature people who look like me. Don't get me wrong, I follow many content creators that are Black. They have some of the best blogs out there with beautiful content, but I had to search for them. Somehow because of the algorithms of things I like to see, your blog was brought to me. See how deeply imbedded racism can be? Thank you for this post! As one of your black followers, I appreciate your care and commitment to love and light for Black people. Please consider looking at Project Equity for some educational content about how we got here in the first place. Also, please consider using your platform to highlight some other content creators that are Black and Brown and Native to share with your followers how beautifully creative we all can be. Peace and blessings to you and your family.
ReplyDeleteI cannot thank you enough for taking the time to make this comment. I have always viewed myself as anti-racist and as an ally, but in the past week I have learned (and vow to continue to learn) so many ways in which I can and need to do better. I appreciate your suggestions and will absolutely implement them. Thank you so, so much.
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