Now is The Time to Take Action Against Racism
Now is the time.
Now is the time to do whatever we can to fight racism.
That doing will not be the same for everyone.
Many of my clients, and I, are saying and feeling, “I’m not doing enough.”
I am of two minds about this.
First, it is true. There is more we could do, always. There is more to do than we can ever do. Even if we do all we can, we alone, cannot fix all the oppression in the world.
Do not let this stop you. Don’t let it draw you into hopelessness. There is always something you can do. Seek those actions out and do them, even if they are small.
Small actions matter. They add up. They make a difference.
Small actions feed you. They feed you so you have energy to do more. They work. They help.
My second mind says, when we spend so much energy telling ourselves we aren’t doing enough, we help less. We have less motivation to take action. We drain ourselves.
Draining ourselves helps no one.
When you are drained, you have less to give to create change. Give yourself time and space for what nourishes you. When you are replenished, you have more to give.
Let yourself be fed by the actions you are taking for yourself, and to fight racism.
Let them feed you, and you will feed others.
One of the actions I am taking is to educate myself about oppression.
If you are white, please read White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo.
It is a hard book to read. You will feel bad. You will learn ways you are racist that you never knew.
I did.
You will also have information to help you counter the implicit racist perceptions we ALL have, simply by living in the United States. It will make you more aware.
When we are aware, we can make different choices.
PBS is screening, for free, Reconstruction: America After the Civil War. It will show you the long history of oppression that still affects us today.
If you want to take action, and are not sure what would be helpful, this article is for you; It lists 75 things people can do for racial justice.
Another article, Dear White People, This is What We Want You to Do, is full of emotionally difficult truths, but they are important to know.
It is hard to know these things. It is emotionally draining. I don’t know anyone who claps for joy at seeing others’ pain, or seeing our own blindness.
Allow yourself to feel the pain. Don’t shut down. Let it open you up. Let it feed you.
When our heart is broken open, it becomes bigger. We have more compassion.
More compassion is what we ALL need right now.
Take care,
