I (like many of you reading this) have had the privilege of being raised in a community that was set up for me to succeed.
I have had the privilege of living in a safe neighborhood with a stable and plentiful family.
I have had the privilege of graduating from a school district that offered a better than average education, a safe learning environment, and caring teachers.
I have had the privilege of knowing that the social, economic, and political systems of this nation consistently support me.
Unfortunately, these experiences are not a reality for all Americans. It's so easy for us to become defensive when it's time for some truth, but I am asking my fellow white people to stop with the justifications and to take a second to just listen.
Police brutality is a major issue we face here in the United States, and it's a problem that disproportionately affects the black community. Black people have the right to be angry about that. Too often, white people try to place all the blame for the ills of the African American community on itself. Not only do we blame them for their situation but we also try to tell them how they should feel about and react to it. Not a single one of us understands the struggle of being black in the United States, so why would we presume to know what's best for black people?
What we need to realize, is that the controversy we face today over police brutality is a result of the systematic oppression of the African American community. Sure, you've heard the lingo before, "systematic oppression." What does that even mean, right? Well, let me give you an anecdote:
This summer, I have had the opportunity to work as an intern, teaching economically disadvantaged youth at a Freedom Summer Project in the Mississippi Delta. These kids live in a community that is devastated by unemployment, insane poverty rates, crime, and a failing school district. Each of these students are brilliant individuals with all the skills they need to be a success, but they are not given the tools to make it happen for themselves. This week, one of my students shared with me the frustration she feels when she hears people describe her school as 'failing.' She told me, "The school may be failing, but I am not!" Now, that hit me hard. She knows how smart she is. She knows that she has what it takes to succeed, but she also knows that the systems in her life are not giving her what she needs to be successful.
There is absolutely no debating the fact that the path to the top for African Americans is riddled with exponentially more obstacles than my path. And we can spew all the, "We are not black, white, or brown. We're American," bullsh*t we want, but that's exactly what it is - bullsh*t.
When black families are watching the news, asking themselves what they need to do in order to not be the next victim; when black youth are throwing their lives away because they know that no one is going to give them the opportunity to be successful; and when black communities are constantly punished for circumstances they have no power to change, none of us should sleep well at night. So, my fellow white people, before we form disgusting Facebook posts about how 'thugs' deserve to die, let's take a second to think about the situation the black community has been forced into, and realize that we will never understand that struggle.
If you really are so sick of hearing that #BlackLivesMatter, start treating them like they do. It's time to step up, and use our privilege to make real change.
