Much of the personal, social, cultural, professional, and political divisiveness we experience around race would lessen significantly if White people weren't so quick to disbelieve the experiences of non-White people.
This happened to me.
No, it didn't.
This happened to me.
There's no way that happened to you.
This happened to me.
It didn't happen to me so it couldn't have happened to you.
This happened to me.
What's your ulterior motive?
This happened to me.
You're trying to game the system.
This happened to me.
That's not a problem anymore.
This happened to me.
I don't understand how that could have happened to you.
This happened to me.
I don't believe you.
The status quo perpetuation machine operating at full capacity.
White people who often have more political power, more social capital, more positional authority, more professional influence, casually and easily dismissing the lived realities and legitimate experiences of non-White people.
And then when non-White people speak up, they are gaslit, further dismissed, and labeled divisive.
Ad infinitum.
White people new to the racial equity discussion often ask, "What can I do to help?"
Start by believing non-White people. Validating someone's truth makes more of a difference than you can imagine.