This podcast is in response to friends wanting to reach out as a resource for my mental health. Thank you, but please take these thought into consideration as a person within and for the movement or Black liberation.
4:20 - 1. Please make sure Black lives matter outside of the unjustified deaths within these systems of power. This included the workplace and beyond. Using your talents, resources, privileges, access, tools, time, knowledge and everything between to advocate for Black representation and equity everywhere.
5:20 - 2. If you don’t know what to do, recognize that we all have the power to shift paradigms. If you’re on hiring committees, executive board, and/or make executive decisions is the Black perspective being considered or assisting in the decision making? At the end of the day, you have to commit to making a change.
6:15 - 3. We continue to struggle for justice and our health is being effected. Many laws, decisions, and actions made place Black bodies at a higher disadvantage to create wealth, experience higher levels of stress, and just live! Understand how you contribute to anti-Blackness and your self-care.
8:20 - 4. If you don’t understand things that contribute to the Black experience, research. We also had to research information on our own considering we learned the same Eurocentric history as other Americans. It’s okay to explore a history that is not of your own ethnicity, nationality, race, etc. If your are Black and do know how much about your history, look into it! It’s so rich…
10:25 - 5. Be willing to find yourself in a vulnerable position to learn/understand. If you’re coming from a pure intention, vocalize that and explore something together. I personally believe it’s better to be in a vulnerable place and learn than shield yourself for your own comfort and safety of your ego being in pain.
11:15 - 6. Don’t expect Black folks to be willing to teach and explain our experience to you. With that, please don’t take it personal. It may not be the right time and may never be. Don’t let that stop your curiosity of being a better ally or champion of support. Once again, we had to learn our own history too.
12:00 - 7. Reaching out can be useful, but speaking life into someone is a whole new level. These words from friends have continued to propel me forward in low times and I appreciate them. Building rapport and knowing someone’s love language may be useful to know what’s best, but the power of your actions is worth the chance.
16:05 - 8. Understand your motive: Awareness vs Action. Wherever you are, thanks. How can you propel your activism further. When you look back some years down the line, what impact do you say you wanted to have?
17:05 - TAKE AWAYS:
1. Do your part! Add to the movement where you are willing and strong.
2. Come together, organize, support, and please stick with it until things change.
3. Race never had to be so sticky, understand it is a tool. It can be used lease 2 ways. A) Understanding how different groups operate, live, what makes them different/special. B) For destruction as we’ve seen with stereotypes, discrimination and prejudice throughout history.
20:20 - Final affirmations and closing
