One of my favorite quotes is from Mother Theresa:
“If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.”
I’ve always wanted to change the world. In my personal life, I’ve loved my family, and let my kids see me love my friends and even strangers … hoping to instill love as a practice, an action. In that way, maybe I’ve changed the world. Professionally, I’ve always hoped that my writing could make an impact on someone, and then have a ripple effect. As a journalist, I shared important stories about education, and even won awards for my education reporting. Many educators said my stories helped the schools get money they needed to make necessary repairs districtwide. In my personal writing, here on this blog, I’ve striven to be honest and to share my perspectives with love.
In light of everything that’s been going on since the death of George Floyd, though, I’ve remained silent.
Yesterday, I received an email from a business coach I follow. In it, she talked about how the bystander effect can paralyze us into remaining silent because we don’t know what to do or say. We want to help, but we don’t know how. We don’t want people who read our thoughts or hear our voices to condemn us. But remaining silent contributes to the problem.
I’ve remained silent because I don’t have any expertise. I don’t have any personal experience with racism. And in my own life, I don’t see it. We live in a small town comprised mostly of white people. From what I’ve seen, including with my own daughter, who is black, members of this community welcome and celebrate people of color.
BUT.
I am aware that I don’t see everything. Not in my community, and not in this country.
America is supposed to be the greatest country in the world, yet our brothers and sisters don’t feel safe walking down the street. One woman called the police on a black man because he asked her to put her dog on a leash in an area where the rules require dogs to be on a leash. What?! Two people killed a black man because he was jogging. I jog every day in my neighborhood and I’ve never worried about my safety.
Racism still exists. It’s a hard truth, but it’s a truth. Just because YOU aren’t racist, doesn’t mean racism doesn’t exist. Just because YOU don’t see it in your community doesn’t mean it’s not there.
There’s a difference between being not racist and being anti-racist. Being anti-racist means moving beyond the bystander effect. It means speaking up.
For me, speaking up via this blog post is the first step.
But I am an action taker. I acknowledge the problem, and I want to take action to help solve it. But what do you do? Like the coach who inspired me to write this blog post said, “Google that shit, yo.”
Google anti-racism resources and there are tons of ideas for ways to get educated and take action to help create a change in this country. Speak up. Share your voice.
Now more than ever, we must remember that all the people in this country are a family. We’re a family of Americans, no matter the color of our skin (or our political beliefs or religion or job). We should all feel safe and loved and embraced in our home, no matter which room we’re in.
Now more than ever, we must come together, because together, we rise. No matter how hard it is, we must look for opportunities to step above the polarization and truly LISTEN. And we must love each other. Because if you want to change the world, your family is the place to start.
