Interested in a lesson in white privilege? Oh good. I’ve got just the person to talk to, my friend Shanterra McBride. A badass Texan educator that I’ve known since I was a tween. She's my sister's bestie, and they've worked together for years trying to bring justice and dignity to schools and kids all over the country for decades.

I'm starting with someone that I know, well, that can help me have this conversation because even though I am a liberal NYC person who believes that they are consistently doing their best, I know I can do better. Furthermore, embarrassingly,  before talking to her, I actually didn’t really consider myself a white person. 

Yes, yes I know, this could sound crazy. But growing up Jewish, I never considered myself in alignment in any way with the blood soaked hands of the original sinners that built this country. If anything I grew up thinking that I was an ally to the Black community. But that doesn't mean that I haven't benefited from white privilege. 

My ability to say whatever I wanted to whoever I wanted (especially to people in positions of power) originates from there, and I embarrassingly mostly just attributed that to internal charisma.

The fact that I can do and say the kinds of things I have said to the police without fear and walk away unharmed, and without a record, stems directly from there. 

So I bring to you a somewhat awkward (on my part) and hopefully informational conversation with someone who's got many messages to share, but a one that is really somehow obvious only after having this conversation is that white people need to stop asking their black friends what to do. You have a supercomputer in your hand at all times, you want to find ways to educate yourself, ask google!

You want to protest and find ways to show solidarity? GOOGLE. You want to donate money to causes in the Black Lives Matter space? Once again, google is here to help all white people stop outsourcing the actual work all of us need to do to be better allies to all communities. Oh yeah, and just because you posted on social media does not mean you are doing enough. Protest - Vote - Donate - Educate Yourself 

Check out her Marvelous University here: www.marvelousuniversity.com

@marvelous_shanterra

Twitter: @shanterramcb

FB: Marvelous University 

Link to cheat sheet on how you can educate yourself: 

Anti Racism Cheat Sheet

This is the best protest Instagram account out there right now for NYC: @justiceforgeorgenyc

If you want resources to fight for justice for Breonna Taylor www.fightofrbreonna.org

Music: Hell You Tambout - Janelle Monae f. Wondaland Records