If you love Twitter as much as I do, I’m sure you couldn’t resist following the #BETAwards two Sundays ago. #BlackTwitter has a way of connecting so many personalities, perspectives, and people to a single event. While I’m not black, I still enjoy exposing myself to the conversation and taking time to listen to very valuable perspectives.While Beyonce and Kendrick partnered up for a spectacular performance (which almost didn’t happen, by the way...) of their song “Freedom,” what really made the headlines was actor and activist Jesse Williams’ acceptance speech for the Humanitarian Award. Take a listen.

His words do more justice than my life has in 22 years. And I’ll tell you why his speech matters to every single person alive right now.

Granted, this is not me trying to appropriate his words or try to make the #BETAwards about me, a white person. But what I want to do is shed some light on why everyone needs to really sit back and listen to what Williams and the rest of Black America has been saying for centuries.

First off, are you listening? Did you hear what Williams was saying? People of power, are you tuning your ears to the injustice that has swarmed our country since its birth? Or are you retreating to your comfortable bubble of a life, too afraid to address how you as a person have been catered to by the world because of your skin color? The ignorance I see in the white community is due to their lack of listening. We have never had to listen to anyone but ourselves, and people's lives have been sacrificed because of it. Hello, privilege.

Now, being white isn’t bad. Being black isn’t bad. Being a refugee isn’t bad. That is not Williams's purpose here. What he triumphantly achieves is to bring awareness to what is detrimental to our society... to what is sucking the life out of freedom... to what is stealing the lives of black children... massacring opportunity and love...

It is how our society (mostly white people) respond to the cries of our black brothers and sisters. We aren't listening.

We cannot tune this out any longer.

Now, I am a white, privileged American female. I had to press through a journey of my own to truly understand what racial injustice in America meant to me and what role I could play in putting an end to it.

Let me tell you, it was not easy. It’s uncomfortable; it’s owning the truth of how white people collectively have taken advantage of practically every single “minority” in our country. It's owing and analyzing my subconscious biases and purposefully destroying them.

It’s seeing black people everywhere and thinking, why hasn't our country honored or taken care of you like we should have? It’s being embarrassed by racist comments from family members or people on the media. It’s the astonishment that people actually think the color of your skin defines your worth.

Jesse Williams spoke out for the sanctity of his people. It’s time that we, and I mean everyone, join this battle with them. It’s our fault that they’re in this place, and it’s our job to put a stop to police brutality, micro-aggressions and clenched biases.

It’s time to celebrate who they are. It's time to empower their humanity. It’s time to acknowledge their ground-breaking creativity, their belonging, their right to life.

Williams' speech mattered because Black Lives Matter.

And it's time that we actually stand up to do something.

To my black brothers and sisters: I stand with you, and maybe even behind you, as you work to receive the accolade and dignity that is rightfully yours.