With racial tension smoldering in Ferguson, Mo. over the shooting death of African-American teenager Michael Brown at the hands of white police officer Darren Wilson, the manifestation of a clearly-present racial divide in this country has been broadcast for the entire world to see. Troubling developments—such as the use of rubber bullets and tear gas by the largely-white Ferguson police force in order to disperse lawfully protesting, largely black crowds—has forced the nation to face the reality that we are most definitely not living in a “post-racial” world.
To some, though, all this action might as well be taking place in another country. For white people especially, the kind of outrage the black community feels is entirely unrelatable; for this reason (among many others), many whites have stayed on the sidelines and served merely as bystanders throughout the past 10 days of protests in Ferguson. You can call it willful ignorance, fear, cowardice, or any other number of things, but no matter what, the lack of white voices expressing outrage over the treatment of Michael Brown (and young black men like him) reveals a clear divide in how Americans view “liberty and justice for all.”
That is not to say, though, that there aren’t many white people who both sympathize with the pain of the black community and want to be a positive voice for change in Ferguson and the country as a whole. The Root has taken a look at this issue, and put together a list for those white people who want to be an ally to people of color and to help fight the systemic racism still plaguing the United States.
Here are a few of the ways they feel white people can instead “become white allies”:
- Learn about the racialized history of Ferguson and how it reflects the racialized history of America.
- Reject the “He was a good kid” or “He was a criminal” narrative and lift up the “Black lives matter” narrative.
- Use words that speak the truth about the disempowerment, oppression, disinvestment and racism that are rampant in our communities.
For the rest—and the ideas that drive these principles—head on over to The Root.
[via The Root]
