African American
In reply to the discussion: Thom Hartman joins number of white progressives slamming those criticizing #BLM [View all]ismnotwasm
(41,976 posts)And thanks to countless sacrifices up to and including getting murdered of Black people and white ally's -- but mostly Black peoples, I don't have to be anything but culturally competent. I'm sure Black folks don't want to hear the "after all I've done for you" argument, just as I'm sure that wasn't your intent. Yet that argument keeps appearing, intent or no.
Try to understand how frustrating that is when you are terrified to let your 14 year old run to the convienence store for a soda.
Have conversations with Black friend or co-workers. I do. I don't need a cookie or anything to do this, I want to understand, as best as I'm able. Most of the people talk to are not particularly political, but the fear is there--always.
The oppressive, institutionalized poverty is there--or it's just around the corner. Where I work (this is a regional thing) there are far too few Black RN's for the population and far more "assistive personal" and this is a direct result of the lack of generational wealth combined--because of racism--along with racist lending and hiring practices (too complicated to go into for this post, or rather, too long of a history)
But the times they are a changin'. Black folks are getting educated, they are going for those jobs, they are cracking that white ceiling ~And~they are fighting for their brothers and sisters in prison, thier brothers and sisters nearly destroyed by that same institutionial racism, for their culture, for themselves-- they now have voices independent of whites -- ally's or no. They are seeing the way clear for their own future. You'll have to forgive me here, but Black people don't owe me a damn thing.
Yes I try to be an ally, I'm not always perfect, but I do that because it's a decent thing to be, and trying to be anything less is abhorrent to me. but I don't get to define what an ally is. What I get to do is listen, what I get to do is verify what my interpretation or a situation is not colored by my white filter. What I get to do is ask questions. What I get to do is an honor, and I hope, honorable.