unlearning white supremacy

Insert Clever Title Here

/ Alyxander James / Leave a comment

Hello, dear readers. We’ve made it to another Thursday. And, here in the US, we’re once again grappling with the ugliness of white supremacy. Yesterday a bunch of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol, and (unsurprisingly to anyone who’s been paying attention) there was very little done by the police to stop them. This is in stark contrast to the militarized police presence that was around when people were peacefully protesting in defense of Black lives over the summer.

I honestly don’t know what to write today. I have nothing new or particularly profound to say about all of this. I’m angry and sad, but not shocked. BIPOC and queer folks have been warning the world that this was coming since before Trump was elected.

This is an issue for white people to take ownership of and to fix. We cannot ask the people we’ve been oppressing to save us from ourselves.

Keep Doing Something

/ Alyxander James / Leave a comment

Hello, dear readers – I actually remembered that it’s Thursday for once, so that’s something.

I think this is going to be another short post. Not much of note happened on a personal level this week; on the other hand, there’s been a LOT happening in the world at large. It feels like people are finally actually waking up to the reality of police brutality. Anti-racism resources abound (these links will take you to a few things I’ve found helpful this week), and people also seem to finally be coming around to the idea that being “not racist” is not enough – it is necessary to be actively anti-racist.

I definitely have a long way to go in this journey. I’m still figuring it out, and I recognize that unlearning white supremacy and anti-Blackness is the work of a lifetime. It’s going to require sustained effort for the rest of my life and it’s not going to be fun. But it’s necessary work.

If you’re looking for something to do this week, here’s a place to start. First, read this FAQ about defunding the police. Then, if you’re in the US, click here to go to a site that will help you email government officials about reallocating police budgets toward community resources (which is where that money belongs and can do much more good).