First, let me begin by saying I know that this moment in our lives is one of the scariest, most chaotic, and anxiety-ridden times any of us could have ever imagined.
I totally get it.
It is terrifying and debilitating.
I know that in a time like this, many of you feel that your mental load honestly could not handle one more thing and your plate is completely full.
And here I am begging and pleading for you to put one more thing on your plate.
Black Americans are suffering on a daily basis in this country, and since March, they have been pleading with America to finally be honest and truthful about our past/present and how we as a society have ingrained racism into almost every aspect of our daily lives.
They need us.
Enough is enough.
When the Black population in the US is 14.6%, and the White (non-Hispanic) population is 60%, it is easy to say that they are way outnumbered.
As a white mom, I am pleading with all my fellow white moms in this country: please stand up.
And by stand up, I mean to constantly be listening, educating, and asking ourselves very hard questions about this country we call home and love so very much.
Standing up means you will be an ally to this cause and not try to argue, belittle, or simply ignore the plight of so many people of color in our communities.
If everything in America were great, do you honestly feel that this many citizens would be this upset?
I highly doubt it.
Something is wrong, and has been wrong for generations. If you cannot even acknowledge that much, it is time to delve into the perspectives you normally would not seek out.
We have to step out of our comfort zones and face some very hard truths.
If the phrase, “Black Lives Matter,’ makes you immediately defensive or angry…
I am asking you to look deep inside of yourself as to why the plight of such a small percent of the population makes you feel so strongly this way.
To me, if finally facing it all, truly acknowledging how awful it was/still is, and continuing to learn, grow, and DO BETTER could possibly save my children from this same fate, then I am all for it.
This history from our country CANNOT and SHOULD NOT be repeated.
We owe it to our children to learn and educate ourselves so that we can better teach them to ensure they have a future filled with love and understanding. Not hate and violence.
I will add some resources that have helped open my eyes to so many heartbreaking truths from the formation of this country to how the white nationalist party has emerged once again in America.
It is an absolute fact that in American public schools, the history we were taught was extremely one-sided and omitted numerous very important aspects of our history.
The fact that I was raised in Oklahoma Public Schools, but was NEVER taught about the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, is proof of that in itself.
How could we have not been taught that story?
In the words of one of my most favorite educators on this topic:
“Any white person who was born and raised in school in the United States of America, if you aren’t a racist, you’re a miracle.
Either that or you decided to educate yourself. Because education in this country is about ‘White is right, brown is alright, black’s gotta stand back […]
We educate in a way that says white males have done all the adventures, all the discovering, and everything that has been good has been accomplished according to social studies by white males.
Its a lie! But we do that to maintain the myth of white superiority. The myth of race has to be maintained at all costs in this country.
If white people have to give up the color of their skin as being something that makes them perfect, what do they have left?
If we start teaching the truth about history […] it will totally change the way we conduct ourselves in the classroom. It will have to.” – Jane Elliott
Teaching our children the atrocities that have happened in the past will not only give them better insight; it will help give them an empathetic view of the world they live in.
Racism has never been okay.
Racism will never be okay.
It is time for white moms to stand up.
For our children, for children of color, and for our country.
This should not be a political debate – it needs to be a humanitarian effort.
If you are already out there being an ally for this cause, please know I am sending you all of my love and strength.
Thank you for standing up for what is right and helping me fight this fight that should have been resolved so many years ago.
Equality for ALL is so important.
https://www.nytimes.com/column/1619-project
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/23/podcasts/nice-white-parents-serial.html
https://www.indy100.com/article/racism-school-teacher-black-lives-matter-jane-elliott-9551471
https://www.littlebrown.com/titles/seyward-darby/sisters-in-hate/9781549199905/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_United_States
https://www.sealpress.com/titles/ijeoma-oluo/so-you-want-to-talk-about-race/9781580056779/
I love you, this everything I wished I could say and be heard. Thank you.
Thank you Shannon! ❤️
Very well said!! I want to mention native Americans plight is pretty much the same as black men and women in our recorded history!! We can all learn so much in this article and through all the sites you mentioned. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings and asking all women to stand up for each other!! Can you imagine what a wonderful world this would be if we all loved each other and had compassion for each other? I can!
Thank you mom, and yes I completely agree! ❤️
Such a needed post. Thank you.
Thank you for reading, sharing, and commenting! ❤️😘🖤