The Society We Live In
- Just Kate
- Jun 16, 2020
- 2 min read
For a brief period I was silent on the topic I am about to discuss, not because I was nervous, but because I didn’t really know where to start. To say the recent events that have been occurring are disappointing is an understatement.
I am not the type of person who talks about politics, but when it comes to this topic, it is something I am passionate about and feel the need to speak out about.
Black Lives Matter. Simple as that. There should be no argument on this, because after all everyone says “All Lives Matter”, so therefore, black lives should also matter. I find it hard to understand why people aren’t on an equal playing field. Why should it matter what the color of their skin is? it shouldn’t. A person is a person no matter the skin color, and because of that everyone should be treated equally.
It is during this time that I see major injustice occurring, and it is time for me to speak out, and hopefully properly educate some people in the process. White privilege exists as a direct result of both historic and enduring racism, biasses, and practices designed to oppress people. White privilege means you actively benefit from the oppression.
So what should you do with your white privilege?
teach other people the barriers to success for people of color.
promise to listen and amplify the voices of people of color.
be more than “not racist” but actively anti-racist.
confront racial injustices even when it’s uncomfortable.
The Facts:
There were only 27 days in 2019 where police did not kill someone.
Black people are 3x more likely to be killed by police than white people.
Black people are 1.3x more likely to be unarmed compared to white people
Eight of the 100 largest city police departments kill black men at higher rates than the US murder rates
It isn’t about crime either, levels of violent crime in US cities do not determine rates of police violence
99% of killings by police from 2013-2019 have not resulted in officers being charged with a crime.
It is up to us to make a difference, and it needs to start now.
How to be Actively Anti-Racist
You can watch these films or shows that dive deep into past and present racism:
Hulu:
If Beale Street Could Talk
The Hate You Give
Netflix:
13th
American Son
Dear White People
See You Yesterday
When They See Us
Books on the Topic of Race
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
I’m Still Here: Black dignity in a world made for whiteness by Austin Channing Brown
Black feminist thought by Patricia Hill Collins
How to be Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
Say Their Names:
It’s time to be proud of the world we live in today.
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