One of the biggest reasons why it’s hard for white Americans to really understand and commit to dismantling institutional racism and white supremacy is that it means rethinking so many aspects of our lives and developing a new understanding of how the world really works. Experiences that we thought we understood as “normal” for every American happen very differently for our Black brothers and sisters. And it’s not just being stopped by a police officer. Everything from buying and selling a home, to doing your hair, to going to school has a very different line and shape if you’re Black. And re-examining your experiences to identify and dismantle racism within them is exhausting. Learning how to not center yourself and make spaces truly diverse and welcoming to Black people and other marginalized people takes a lot more energy than we’re used to expending. It’s work. Hard work. And it never really ends. And if you’re looking to whine about it, don’t — as exhausting as it is to be anti-racist, it’s only a pale shadow of the exhaustion that Black people experience dealing with racism every damn day.
It’s good to see people becoming more aware of the origins of things they used to take for granted. Being conscious of where that phrase, that practice, that food, that statue comes from. When you’re trying to build a world with more equity in it for everyone, context matters. And context is bound up…
