Follow the Lead of the People Closest to the Pain

"Follow the lead of the people closest to the pain."
– Autymn Harris

As a White person, I do not have the lived experience of Black people and other people of color.

I do not have the direct experience of being on the receiving end of racism, discrimination, prejudice, and bias that Black people and other people of color have based on the color of their skin.

My perspective on racism is inherently different than the perspective of a Black person or other person of color.

My approach to confronting racism must center the perspectives, experiences, and aspirations of Black people and other people of color.

To do that with integrity, impact, and influence means that I must listen to, understand, and believe the perspectives, experiences, and aspirations of Black people and other people of color.

As White people, we must build genuine relationships with the people closest to the pain. When we don't follow the lead of the people closest to the pain, we end up engaging in all kinds of ineffective and harmful behaviors.

We show up as saviors or performative allies. We make errors of emphasis. We hijack narratives. We misrepresent facts and situations and contexts – and reality.

When we don't follow the lead of the people closest to the pain, we unwittingly perpetuate the pain.