I Don't Know How
I don't know how to talk about what's going on in the world. I don't know how to talk about the police brutality and the deaths and the looting. I don't know how to talk about the hatred and the racism and the horrible shit I hear about every single day: Hello, I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News. Today, protests across America....
I don't know how, and I'm not comfortable because I don't know how to say the right things in the right way.
But we need to talk about it.
Here's the thing with privilege: I've learned it's not enough to simply acknowledge you have it. It does literally no good, for anyone. Once you realize you have privilege, you must use that privilege. You got a coupon? Use the coupon. Use it for the benefit of other people.
You must use your privileged voice to support those who are less privileged. To be an ally. Not to embody the super white savior complex, but to truly, genuinely fight for those who are unjustly oppressed. You must use your able body to fight for accessibility for those with disabilities. This is why I'm so passionate about (speaking heteronormative-ly, here) men being a part of the feminist movement. People need people need people need people. People need people to fight for people to fight for people to fight for them.
You shouldn't be comfortable talking about this stuff, because it's horrible. Honestly, I think the worst part is how desensitized we've all become. I was reared on breakfasts at diners with TVs with reports on police brutality. I was nurtured on school shootings. It's incredibly uncomfortable. But you (we) need to learn to talk about it. You (we) need to listen to the stories of other people. You (we) need to have empathy.
There's a pretty bad show on Netflix right now, called Hollywood. Not terrible... it's no Love Is Blind... but it's pretty bad. I like the intro, though. It's a bunch of people from different backgrounds, races, genders, sexualities, cultures, communities, etc. helping one another climb the giant Hollywood sign. They hold hands. They compromise. They work in tandem.
I don't know how to make the world work in tandem. But I'm hopeful we can get there, if we listen before we speak. If we use what we have at the individual level to help humanity as a great big whole tandem bike. Raise your voice in that whole. Be the bell on that bike.
Second star to the right and straight on 'til there's change.
Take care of each other.
- Maya
Here are some resources to donate to the cause. I found these organizations through Karsten Runquist's YouTube channel. The descriptions here were (if not in quotations) written by him:
Reclaim the Block - organization that "coordinates Minneapolis community and city council members to move money from the police department into other areas of the city’s budget that truly promote community health and safety" https://secure.everyaction.com/zae4pr... Black Visions Collective - twin cities local organization working to "shape a political home for black people across Minnesota" https://secure.everyaction.com/4omQDA... North Star Health Collective - grassroots healthcare initiative providing medical supplies for protesters https://www.northstarhealthcollective... Black Lives Matter - org. fighting for the freedom, liberation, and justice of black americans https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_... Official George Floyd Memorial Fund - fundraiser set up by George Floyd's brother https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd Minnesota Freedom Fund - org. covering bail for arrested protesters https://minnesotafreedomfund.org/donate NOTE: They have released a statement saying they have received a huge wave of support and want donations to be directed towards other organizations, listed above Simpson Food Pantry - food pantry in south Minneapolis, an area which is likely experiencing an increased food shortage after last night https://www.gofundme.com/f/fill-the-s... Optimism IC Fundraiser - fundraiser for a black owned business that got looted https://www.gofundme.com/f/Damages-to... Scores Sports Bar Fundraiser - fundraiser for a black owned business that got looted https://www.gofundme.com/f/scores-bar... ACLU - organization which works to fight for civil liberties https://action.aclu.org/give/now?ms_a... Color of Change - organization which “designs campaigns to end practices that unfairly holds black people back and champions solutions which propels them forward” https://secure.actblue.com/contribute... Brooklyn Bail Fund - brooklyn local organization raising bail money for those jailed in Brooklyn https://brooklynbailfund.org/donation... Louisville Community Bail Fund - bails out people jailed in Louisville as well as provides post-jail support to help those released get to a situation of safety https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising... Columbus Freedom Fund - bails out people jailed in Columbus https://www.paypal.me/columbusfreedom... Protest Safety Tips: https://twitter.com/narcojks/status/1...
I don't know how, and I'm not comfortable because I don't know how to say the right things in the right way.
But we need to talk about it.
I am white. I am female. I am disabled, but I pass. I am well-off, socially and economically. I live in a democratic country, have access to education and health care, and am more concerned with finishing homework assignments than worrying over what I'll eat for dinner. If I'll eat for dinner (winner, winner chicken). To put it plainly, I am extremely privileged, and everything that's happening has made me reevaluate that privilege. We have to check our privilege, constantly.
Before we begin: I think the 'woke' movement has drawn barriers and boundaries. Calling other people out doesn't make you just. To quote Barack Obama, ""I get a sense among certain young people on social media that the way of making change is to be as judgmental as possible about other people. If I tweet or hashtag about how you didn't do something right or used the wrong verb, then I can sit back and feel pretty good about myself because 'Man did you see how woke I was? I called you out! That's enough,' he said. 'If all you're doing is casting stones, you are probably not going to get that far.'" The thing is, people mess up. They are flawed. That's cool. They just need to be open to learning to be better.
So, I'm not asking you to be 'woke.' I'm not asking you to be aware of every issue across every county of every country of the world; I'm asking you to be willing to learn and listen. Open heart, open mind. Keep that with you, please, always.
Here's the thing with privilege: I've learned it's not enough to simply acknowledge you have it. It does literally no good, for anyone. Once you realize you have privilege, you must use that privilege. You got a coupon? Use the coupon. Use it for the benefit of other people.
You must use your privileged voice to support those who are less privileged. To be an ally. Not to embody the super white savior complex, but to truly, genuinely fight for those who are unjustly oppressed. You must use your able body to fight for accessibility for those with disabilities. This is why I'm so passionate about (speaking heteronormative-ly, here) men being a part of the feminist movement. People need people need people need people. People need people to fight for people to fight for people to fight for them.
You shouldn't be comfortable talking about this stuff, because it's horrible. Honestly, I think the worst part is how desensitized we've all become. I was reared on breakfasts at diners with TVs with reports on police brutality. I was nurtured on school shootings. It's incredibly uncomfortable. But you (we) need to learn to talk about it. You (we) need to listen to the stories of other people. You (we) need to have empathy.
There's a pretty bad show on Netflix right now, called Hollywood. Not terrible... it's no Love Is Blind... but it's pretty bad. I like the intro, though. It's a bunch of people from different backgrounds, races, genders, sexualities, cultures, communities, etc. helping one another climb the giant Hollywood sign. They hold hands. They compromise. They work in tandem.
I don't know how to make the world work in tandem. But I'm hopeful we can get there, if we listen before we speak. If we use what we have at the individual level to help humanity as a great big whole tandem bike. Raise your voice in that whole. Be the bell on that bike.
Second star to the right and straight on 'til there's change.
Take care of each other.
- Maya
Here are some resources to donate to the cause. I found these organizations through Karsten Runquist's YouTube channel. The descriptions here were (if not in quotations) written by him:
Reclaim the Block - organization that "coordinates Minneapolis community and city council members to move money from the police department into other areas of the city’s budget that truly promote community health and safety" https://secure.everyaction.com/zae4pr... Black Visions Collective - twin cities local organization working to "shape a political home for black people across Minnesota" https://secure.everyaction.com/4omQDA... North Star Health Collective - grassroots healthcare initiative providing medical supplies for protesters https://www.northstarhealthcollective... Black Lives Matter - org. fighting for the freedom, liberation, and justice of black americans https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_... Official George Floyd Memorial Fund - fundraiser set up by George Floyd's brother https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd Minnesota Freedom Fund - org. covering bail for arrested protesters https://minnesotafreedomfund.org/donate NOTE: They have released a statement saying they have received a huge wave of support and want donations to be directed towards other organizations, listed above Simpson Food Pantry - food pantry in south Minneapolis, an area which is likely experiencing an increased food shortage after last night https://www.gofundme.com/f/fill-the-s... Optimism IC Fundraiser - fundraiser for a black owned business that got looted https://www.gofundme.com/f/Damages-to... Scores Sports Bar Fundraiser - fundraiser for a black owned business that got looted https://www.gofundme.com/f/scores-bar... ACLU - organization which works to fight for civil liberties https://action.aclu.org/give/now?ms_a... Color of Change - organization which “designs campaigns to end practices that unfairly holds black people back and champions solutions which propels them forward” https://secure.actblue.com/contribute... Brooklyn Bail Fund - brooklyn local organization raising bail money for those jailed in Brooklyn https://brooklynbailfund.org/donation... Louisville Community Bail Fund - bails out people jailed in Louisville as well as provides post-jail support to help those released get to a situation of safety https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising... Columbus Freedom Fund - bails out people jailed in Columbus https://www.paypal.me/columbusfreedom... Protest Safety Tips: https://twitter.com/narcojks/status/1...
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