This has been a rough week for so many of us.
I know I don’t need to name all of the reasons why because you are all probably watching the news and talking to people and seeing pop ups on your computer and you’re most likely spending time on some type of social media.
As a person of hope and faith, I have to believe that all of the horrible things that are happening are getting people’s attention and that positive change will be the result.
As a white person who believes and wholeheartedly desires to be a part of the solution and not part of the problem, I am looking for answers. I have come to the conclusion that right now the best thing that white people, me included, can do is to listen and learn and not to educate and share.
We don’t know what we don’t know and though it may be hard to wake up and realize what you didn’t know, it’s crucial that you do. We need to learn so that we can teach our kids and we can actually walk all of that good talk. Our good talk is meaningless if we haven’t taken the time to educate ourselves. It won’t be easy.
Now is the time to dig in and do the work. And you don’t have to do it alone. Read trusted sources, listen to and learn from BIPOC (Black Identifying People of Color), watch panels, find a group, attend trainings, look inside yourself and be willing to see your tendencies. It is not about whether you are good or bad- you have just learned to live in the world in a certain way with certain beliefs. It is time to unlearn.
For some of you you need to rethink how you do business, as well as how you conduct yourself in the world. I have seen more than one business deeply affected and called to task this week.
If you are having a hard time with all that is going on in the world, find a therapist to help you to sort things out. Or find a good coach to help you to strategize your learning plan so that you can move forward. You may need to do a lot more self care including exercise to work through and process all of this so that you can begin to be a part of the solution.
These are just some thoughts I am having this week- I am not trying to tell anyone what to do. I am only saying one thing- get educated.