I’ve been black for almost forty-three years, almost forty-four if you count my time in the womb. There’s been heartfelt desire and urgency for people to not just care more about racism but to take a collective stand against it by reflecting it in their day-to-day actions, choices and mentality.
As the conversation about racism has intensified online, I’ve experienced a myriad of emotions. Is this just a ’moment’, or is real, sustained change afoot? Are people really against racism and #listeningandlearning? Or, are some jumping on a trend while being unwilling to show up in everyday life? So many questions.
Please don’t misunderstand: I am very much here for more non-black people standing up against racism. Yes, post black squares. Mute your feeds, amplify black voices and resources, do your homework, read more, protest and donate. It is appreciated and necessary. But it takes more than this.
Character is who you are even when no one is watching.
We have to be willing to ask ourselves what we’re prepared to be, do and say even if someone isn’t around to click ’like’ to validate what we’ve done. Character isn’t about being ’perfect’, but it is about who we are even when it’s not convenient and it runs the risk of conflict and criticism.
I expand on this topic in a video on Instagram, which you can watch here.
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