It Doesn't Have to Be This Way

White people don't get involved in racial justice work for a variety of reasons.

One reason is that they lack racial fluency. They don't know what to say or how to say it.

They haven't spent enough time in close proximity to the people and issues and dynamics and contexts and conditions that create and perpetuate racial injustice.

They lack familiarity with how to navigate complex realities, appreciate subtleties, and understand nuances.

So, after giving it a half-hearted go for a few weeks or a few months or maybe even a few years, White people realize this work is really fucking hard, drop out of the conversation, and continue doing whatever they were doing before their interested was peaked.

It's a recurring pattern that anyone who's paying attention can recognize.

But it doesn't have to be this way.

White people, if you are committed to driving impact and affecting change, know that it takes years of ongoing absorption of concepts and frameworks and terminology, ongoing observation of lived realities of other people, and ongoing connecting the dots between the two.

It doesn't happen overnight. It takes time.

With time, you will be able to articulate your authentic point of view and be relevant in the racial justice conversation.

Don't give up so easily. Don't be lazy.