Privileged.
Jun 07, 2020
See this girl?
She was born white. Middle-class.
She was educated in private school.
She lives in Idaho, one of the most conservatively political states and least racially diverse areas of the country.
She has the privilege of not being personally impacted by the riots and protests happening across America. She has watched from afar as unspeakable things happen to others. It makes her sad. Her heart feels heavy and broken. She is frustrated and angered and heartbroken and emotionally crushed. But she’s mostly kept her thoughts and emotions to herself. It’s comfortable in her bubble.
She’s always claimed to be an ally of those marginalized in our society for whatever reason: the color of their skin, their gender, their sexual orientation, their religious views. She opposes injustice, cruelty and systemic oppression and racism in all forms.
But she's had to check her own implicit biases this week. It's easy for her to say she's an ally, but not really do anything about it. It's easy to watch from afar and go on about her daily life. It's safe and comfortable and easy to remain silent.
It's one thing to think you're an ally and pray for peace and hope that people will be better humans. That things will magically work themselves out. But there's been centuries of systemic racial oppression in this country.
The hoping and praying and silence is not working. Apathy is also a privilege.
She's had some hard conversations with herself this week. She's even spent sometime carrying the label of "racist," and it's a heavy one. She's sitting with "racist" and asking questions. Not because she intentionally judges another by the color of skin. Nor does she make choices about who to associate with or who to promote at work or where to run based on the community in which she finds herself. It wouldn't occur to her to cross the street to avoid a group of black men.
No. She wouldn't think of herself as racist. Far from it, in her mind. But she hasn't taken a stand to otherwise outwardly reject racism. And silence is complicity.
This is an important time in our collective history. It isn't serving anyone to stay silent any longer. It will take all of us to move outside our comfort zones and stand for change. Demand change. Yell for change. Riot for change.
And truly become the ally so many of us have always claimed to be.
Sign up for The Weekly Best Life List!
My weekly newsletter is delivered right to your In-Box on Sunday mornings.
Full of inspiration, ideas, strategies and recommendations to help you live your BEST LIFE every day!
Bonus: pairs nicely with a cup of coffee or mimosa.
Like you, I hate SPAM. I will never sell your information, for any reason.
