A Self-Reflection #blacklivesmatter

It’s not about me. But this – Live Learn Lovewell – blog is mine, and I have a voice. I’d like to share my perspective on what’s happening in our community.
In case it’s unclear, I stand with my Black friends, colleagues, and communities. I hear and I see the injustice, and I know that it stems from systemic racism. The kind of racism that is sometimes hard [for me] to see. Rooted in white supremacy, and continued through white privilege. Yes, even though I am a minority it does not exempt me from privilege. We all have privileges, we just have to be willing to be introspective enough to find it, and be willing to have hard conversations and listen to feedback.

I remember my freshman year in college I took a class called Race, Class, & Gender, and it honestly blew my mind. How was it at 18 years old I had never considered the privileges that I have had? I assumed because I was poor, that I was not privileged. However, I had dolls that more or less looked like me, I could buy a band-aid at the store and knew it would match my skin color. Although I thought I had grown up with very little, because of the color of my skin I was actually given a lot.

I don’t have all of the answers, I am still a student, and I am still learning. I just finished reading White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo, and now reading Between the World and Me bu Ta-nehisi Coates (it is BEAUTIFULLY written). I just received my absentee ballot to vote. I am having uncomfortable conversations, and I am listening.

I say this a lot in the classes I teach, “We get uncomfortable in order to get strong.” The world is very uncomfortable right now, but the reality is it has been BEYOND uncomfortable for the Black communities for hundreds of years (!!) And maybe I’m being too optimistic, but I’d like to believe that this new awareness, conversation, peaceful protests, and voters showing up will all bring about change and justice. We are getting uncomfortable in order to get strong, together. ?