This month has been very trying. I’m exhausted of apologizing and trying to hold back because other people are uncomfortable and in denial of white privilege and that we are in the midst of a modern day civil rights movement. Why are we so scared to have these conversations?
Protestors are told to “stop being a disturbance and get over it” but it’s hard to do that when when we are reminded every day by lives of unarmed black men taken by guns, a bigot as the new commander-in-chief, and often being one of few or the only person of color in the room.
It’s quite obvious that I have a lot of white friends, not because I woke up one day and decided I hated my skin color (which I have been accused of) but I went to a predominately white institution and joined many organizations (community service fraternity, on campus magazines, internships, etc..) while in school where most of the people in these organizations happened to be white. I came to terms with the fact that some people won’t realize the internal struggle that comes with being a person of color when I at times felt like I didn’t belong or I wasn’t as good as my peers so I took the initiative to try to learn more about myself to combat these struggles. I went to forums and group discussions focused on race and trying to overcome the power of the white majority and learned so much about my self and the beauty of blackness. I learned not to be ashamed of it. I have also learned that while I was taught to respect everyone, no matter their color or background, other people were not raised the same. It’s hard to watch people with so much privilege and not use it as a platform to help, support or silence it. I myself as a black woman, one of the disrespected groups in this country, own up to the some of the privilege I do have through my upbringing by an educated family and choose to no longer be silent.
Although most of our heritage has been erased when our people were stripped of their identities and unwillingly forced into a traumatic and degrating lifestyle years ago, we are still the daughters and sons of Kings & Queens and we are fighting and nothing will take that away from us. We will continue to fight for equality regardless of how uncomfortable the people on the side of the oppressor are.