For My White Friends..

I have a relatively diverse circle of colleagues and close friends. Ranging from white males the same age as my parents, to bi-racial and international. My first boyfriend, (1st grade) was Polish. My High School was largely minority groups such as Nigerian, Vietnamese, Hispanic, Pakistani. My college was 98% white and minorities combined were the other 2%. Talk about culture shock, the first time I walked into a lecture auditorium of 250 plus students and did not see one single other black face. In my current corporate role, I am the only black female in my region. So.. I have been heavily exposed to environments where the room does not resemble me.

Here is the BUT… my exposure to diversity does not equal my understanding of, acceptance into or sympathy for different cultures, perspectives and plights.

As the dialogue surrounding racial bias and systemic racism spills out of private settings and into mainstream news, international city streets and corporate boardrooms, I’ve been asking myself and peers who do we side-eye with judgement or bias and why? How does “privilege” or the unconscious (sometimes conscious) air of superiority manifest in me?

In my opinion, racism has persisted in part due to the lack of self- reflection required to admit “ I feel low key better than you because..” You are high key lying if you claim to have never flexed that energy be it, educational, financial, material, physical or moral accomplishment.

Therefore, it is my honest opinion that if we all, particularly White-Americans arguing why #BLM is a thing,

take careful inventory of every aspect and institution designed to perpetuate the unfair disadvantages imposed on African American people who were minding their business since the beginning of time.

Then determine if dismantling said institutions ( to give room for new systems built on true equality) offends you. If it does, you my white friend are the personification of the problem.

XO.

Blackity Black Kat,