It’s time for white people to check our thinking. Right now.

What are we thinking? I don’t mean, as in, What are we THINKING?? No, I mean, as in, what are we as white people actually thinking right now as the U.S. moves into week two of protests and month three of social distancing? What are we thinking about race, the president, Covid-19, about anything?

As a teacher, I often found that my white college students, who were studying to become teachers in public schools, were uncomfortable talking about race. They did not want to say the “wrong” thing and get called out or challenged. That’s the trade off, though, for talking openly and honestly about race. We get to talk, but we will get things wrong, and we might–will no doubt–have that pointed out. Dont worry, this is a judgement free zone–the point is to think about what we are thinking.

Here is an important point: we must think about what we are thinking so that we can know who we are, and what we support or oppose. To start with, I have a lot of faith in people. I give us credit for generally wanting to do the right thing, to get along with each other, to help each other, and to be able to see injustice and be offended by it.

So I’m going to throw some random thoughts that some of us may or may not be having these days, as we watch FOX or CNN or MSNBC, or even Lifetime. I’m wondering if we’re thinking some of the same things.

  • Covid-19 is easing up, so we can go out to eat. Or to church. Or to a ballgame.
  • Football should start on time in the fall. Especially college football.
  • The cities are on fire. What we need is some law and order. It was necessary for the military to be called up to protect….(fill in the blank).
  • There do seem to be quite a few cops killing Black people, but….(fill in blank with your reason).
  • Covid-19 was spread from a Chinese laboratory. Or a Chinese bat. Either way, it was Chinese.
  • Sure black lives matter. All lives matter.
  • These protesters are all radicals.
  • Since Martin Luther King, Blacks have equal rights.
  • It’s embarrassing to wear a mask. People will look me strange, maybe even smirk.
  • If people don’t wear masks, we will build up herd immunity to Covid-19.
  • I feel guilty about race issues. Sometimes this turns to anger.
  • It feels like the U.S. is split right now on just about any and every issue.
  • Cops would not kill if they weren’t provoked by thugs and criminals.
  • President Trump….(fill in the blank with what you think about the president).
  • I’m worried this country won’t be the same as it was six months ago, but I hope it does.
  • Why aren’t Black people more grateful and appreciative that that I am not a racist?
  • I do not have white privilege because I’ve worked hard for anything I have.
  • I want to do something to support the protesters, but what?

Again, no judgement or moralizing here. I just think we ought to be clear about where we stand and how we feel about events going on around us. Maybe you are open to new ways of thinking. Maybe you are trying hard to empathize with others. Maybe not. For myself, I feel as though I come up short with being informed and being an ally to people….what do I think I should write here….people fighting for their rights?….fighting to breathe?…people whose cause I agree with? I am weighing out which group of people I want to offend least by speaking my own truth. Maybe you also think these things.

So, IF you are like me, wondering what you can do, wondering how you can be an ally, wondering how you can find out more information on Covid–trying to figure out anything at all, I have some links to share. And finally, if you find yourself feeling a certain way that I have the audacity to write this kind of thing at all, see if you can figure out what is prompting those feelings.

First: Guidelines for Being Strong White Allies, adapted from Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Social Justice by Paul Kivel. https://www.racialequitytools.org/resourcefiles/kivel3.pdf

Here is an excerpt:

  • What People of Color Want from White Allies
    “Respect us”
  • “Listen to us”
    “Find out about us”
  • “Don’t make assumptions”
    “Don’t take over”
  • “Stand by my side”
    “Provide information”
  • “Don’t assume you know
    what’s best for me”
    “Resources”
  • “Money”
    “Take risks”
  • “Make mistakes”
    “Don’t take it personally”
  • “Honesty”
    “Understanding”
  • “Talk to other white people”
    “Teach your children about “Interrupt jokes and comments”
    racism”
    “Speak up”
  • “Don’t ask me to speak for my
    people”
    “Your body on the line”
  • “Persevere daily”

Here is another link, White Anti-Racism: Living the Legacy, from Teaching Tolerance.org https://www.tolerance.org/professional-development/white-antiracism-living-the-legacy Here’s an excerpt from that site on guilt: Guilt allows white people to maintain the status quo. Guilt creates paralysis. Guilt transfers the responsibility to people of color. Guilt continues the aspect of racism wherein white people put people of color in a situation of taking care of us.

Here’s a list of 17 Books On Racism Every White Person Needs To Read from a cite called WhiteAllyToolkit.com

https://www.whiteallytoolkit.com/resources/2017/8/10/17-books-on-racism-every-white-person-needs-to-read

And finally, Here’s a Covid-19 link from Cedars-Sinai, Reliable Sources for Covid-19 Info https://www.cedars-sinai.org/newsroom/reliable-sources-for-coronavirus-info/. You can also look at your local and state health departments, but in my opinion if you really want to get a good read on the situation, dig into how your local nursing homes are doing and scan your local newspapers.