Dialogue on racism
June 03, 2020, 8:15am
Dear family and friends,
Firstly, I hope this email finds you in good health as we navigate life through this global COVID-19 pandemic.
I am writing today regarding the racial injustices that have been brought to the nation’s forefront in the wake of the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Tony McDade. I am sure that many of you, like I am, are devastated by their deaths and the systemic racism that their killings reveal. At the bottom of this email, I have included a link to a google doc with actionable ways for us all to help address such inequalities (petitions, places to donate, contacting local officials).
However, another objective in my sending this email is to create a dialogue about race and to discuss the ways in which we can use this moment as one to really learn and further our understanding of racism in this nation. As non-black people (and most of us white) we will never experience firsthand the racism and systematic oppression that black people and people of color experience every day. But because we do not experience racism and systemic inequality does not mean we can idly allow them to exist. We have a responsibility to educate ourselves about the injustices happening in our nation and to use our privilege, voices, and votes to help make the world a more equitable and loving place for everyone.
I have always been inspired by our family and friends’ desire to do good— to be charitable and kind. I am thankful to have grown up in a family that prioritizes such important values. I’m sure many of you have already taken action against such inequalities and the racism in our country, and I thank you for all that you have done. I ask that we all continue to open our hearts and minds to our nation’s injustices and vow to use our privileges to enact positive change.
As part of my effort to be more educated about and active in the fight against racism in our nation, I am attempting to further my own education of racial injustice/ racism by engaging with anti-racist books, movies, writings, etc. I hope that you will all do the same. In the link to the google doc with action items, I have also compiled educational materials sourced from various anti-racist lists online. If anyone wants to sync up our reading/ watching lists so that we can discuss them, I would be thrilled to do so. Self-reflection is a really important tool we can use during this time to critically examine our own relationship with race and racism. The document also includes some questions I found online that can be used while reflecting.
As many have said, learning about racism and educating ourselves on race will not happen overnight. It is a lifelong journey that demands introspection and self-reflection, listening to community activists and leaders, listening to the oppressed, and being actively anti-racist. It is imperative that we all use our privilege to fight against racial injustices and examine how we might contribute to our nation’s oppressive systems.
Thank you for all of the ways in which you have already helped make the world a better place. I hope that we can all continue to challenge ourselves to do even more.
Love,
Olivia
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