Since last week, it’s been hard to write a post here on Madam Too Much. Writing about summer clothes, shooze and getting dressed up to take a photo suddenly feels inappropriate and trivial, due to the current events. While getting our closets ready for summer season is an escape from daily life, we can always focus on that later. There will be plenty of time to get that new swimsuit. As a black mother of a black gentleman, I just CANNOT and WILL NOT ignore the greater issues we’re facing in the United States. First, we have suffered more than 110,000 deaths from COVID-19. Many of us lost family members to the pandemic, and now citizens are back to killing people of color. Can a brother get a break? It's not just about the Coronavirus anymore. Many of your friends will say, "I don't see Race. We are all humans." We have to face the fact that Race rides high in this country. Both historically & today, white people have always had the upper hand over people of color. It's not enough to just not be Racist, you have to be intentionally Anti-Racist. In other words, you have to call out your racist friends & family members. You have to vote for representatives that fight for justice for ALL, including black & brown communities. You have to educate yourself on the history of this country, so more constructive conversations can be had. You & I have to do the work. White privilege is a topic that has been a hard pill to swallow for many people in the white community. They often say “I have no privilege! I wasn't born rich and worked hard for everything I have. Don't paint me as a bad person just because I was born white.”
Ohkay! . . . White privilege has nothing to do with who you are as a Person. It has everything to do with the systematic realities of the world we live in. It is one, which generation after generation oppresses people who are black and benefits people who are white at all levels of society. When white people dismiss the idea of privilege with statements like, "I have struggled all my life and its been hard". That is Irrelevant. Because, no matter how poor you were, no matter what neighborhood you grew up in, no matter what struggle you identify with, you were still white while experiencing it. Compare this to any black person living a paralleled experience, you reaped the benefits of societal preference towards white skin. Realize that no matter how good black people are; no matter how well spoken, how successful, how wealthy, or how educated we bring ourselves to be, racism and unfair treatment due to skin color is the real Fact.
White privilege isn’t a stab at your character, it has become the American way of Life. The only way we can work toward this true "All lives matter" equality that we all want, is to dismantle the oppressive systems that the forefathers built. Not to dismiss the realities of black & brown people. We cannot fix what we ignore. Words are not just bubbles that float into air & disappear. Words are what form ideas and opinions. It is our responsibility to educate ourselves and to listen to the voices that are fighting to be heard. So, if you are tired of TV News, here are some interesting articles to read:
Opinion | My Fellow Brothers and Sisters in Blue, What the Hell Are You Doing?
How People Can Hold Each Other Accountable to Stop Institutional Racism
Opinion | Of Course There Are Protests. The State is Failing Black People.
In George Floyd’s Death, a Police Technique Results in a Too-Familiar Tragedy
America’s Racial Contract Is Exposed Anew
The Racist Roots of American Policing: From Slave Patrols to Traffic Stops
The Death of George Floyd, in Context
Black People Need Stronger White Allies—Here’s How You Can Be One
75 Things White People Can Do For Racial Justice
Millions of Amy Coopers. They could be your boss/neighbor/teacher.
Donate to the Protest Bail Funds.
We are way beyond 'thoughts and prayers'. As a matter of fact we do not want to hear it anymore. This has gone on way too long, and the current population are sick and tired of being sick and tired. There are two pandemics in the United States right now, Covid-19 & Racial Injustice. One thing is unquestionably true: Change is necessary. And for it to happen, we all need to wake up & take a stand! If pretending things weren't happening was the solution, we would have been rid of this racial talk a long time ago. The idea that white people must be held accountable is not rooted in hate. Though, that’s how some people skirt around these difficult conversations. It's a fact that the majority of the white population pushed for a wall to displace immigrants; while they themselves are also descendants of immigrants. They simply forgot that their Great Grandfather and his parents, came to America just as poor as so many of us, seeking a better life.
The latest victim of racism, George Floyd was not shot like so many others this year, he was killed on video in the street by Minneapolis police. That indifference is, that the officers themselves did not see Floyd's life as one they were bound to serve and protect, and believed that white privilege would protect them for taking his life. This is nothing new in America, it has been the norm for several hundred years! If you feel helpless, donate to the protest bail fund in the link above, these folks are out beating the pavement for us and we can thank them for their generosity. All we hear from the Leaders is that we must Love each other and Live in peace. Telling oppressed people to ‘love’ their way out of the systematic racism in this country is part of the problem. Do not fall for the same ole "okie-doke". We are BETTER THAN THIS . . .
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