Black Lives Matter: It shouldn't have to be said, but we have to say it. The United States is lauded as a standard of freedom, though it was founded on the exploitation of nature and the genocide of native peoples. The white men who colonized this land using enslaved black people did so in the name of Christ. Intelligent people today can see the contradictions in our history. Emancipation, Women's Right to Vote, the Civil Rights Act, and legal same-sex marriage all look like great progress towards democracy. So why do we still have inequity today? Those were great legislative reforms — brought about through movements of unity, blood, and bravery — yet the ruling class stays firmly in power through racist policies, militarized police forces, and the exploitation of workers, all with scant regard for our planet in crisis. There can be no doubt that to be born white in America is to begin life with privilege. The popular media generally presents white people as the American standard. The same perspective in school testing results in lower scores for students of color, and thus diminished opportunities later. Black people in the US are incarcerated at more than five times the rate of whites. Is it any wonder the people are shouting Black Lives Matter?
I am a white American, I recognize my unjustly privileged existence, and I want to use that however I can to help create an equitable society. Most of the work on this website does not express much meaning at all, let alone my feelings, views, or any calls to action. For me, the greatest art has a message. It can be a powerful inspiration and rallying cry for unity and justice. I challenge myself to use my talents to help make a better world, as I continue the inward and outward work of being an antiracist.
Please read this brilliant primer on antiracism:
by Ibram X. Kendi, 2019
Required reading:
by Bloom & Martin, 2013
by C. L. R. James, 1938
All are available at the public library as books, e-books, and audiobooks.
Resources for building a true democracy:
Watch Rev. Al Sharpton's speech for the ages, and join the struggle for equity and democracy.