My spirit is telling me this slogan will be used a lot this year, and depending upon November’s election results, my patience may become nonexistent.
I’ve learned my lack of patience has come from having to code-switch, which increased after participating in multiple Racial Equity Institute (REI) Trainings. I encourage you to participate in one of them because you will no longer be able to turn a blind eye or have a deaf ear to inequities and injustices.
As a Black woman, I have to decide how much sympathy, empathy, and time I give the white participants before being a bit judgy about their level of growth. There’s also the part where it becomes difficult to have a conversation about race with people, particularly white people, who haven’t experienced the training.
I expressed my difficulties in a REI follow-up group discussion yesterday and was forever changed. The three other group members were white women who heard and identified with all I said about microaggressions, learning there are conversations that need to be had with white people that can only be had by other white people, and one asked if I had an example of a successful conversation about race with another white person?
Why was I changed? Because, while I wasn’t speaking specifically about them, they took ownership for some of my frustration. Why did they take ownership? Because they have been doing intentional race work and said they get that Black people aren’t responsible for helping them be more woke. They were also courageous enough to share some of their vulnerabilities and allow me to help them walk through next steps.
Y’all, I have to admit I teared up a little. I’ve dealt with people (of all colors) who talk about how much they commend and support me in my fight for equity, but I later discover they are silent behind closed doors. So to hear these women offer examples of how they have been putting our REI learnings to practice; I gained a smidge of hope.
Ironically a Facebook friend shared a link (https://www.scarymommy.com/stop-asking-people-color-explain-racism/) that described some of our conversation so I shared it with the ladies to let them know they are not alone, they are on the right track and to keep up the good work.
Hopefully this year will bring about more days like yesterday and less days where I have to remind people I am not my grandparents and 👀 back at people who think them 👀 at me is going to make me stand for anything other than Lift Every Voice…(despite what Jay-Z is talking about) 💁🏾♀️