Ally Is A Verb
“The problem is that white people see racism as conscious hate, when racism is bigger than that. Racism is a complex system of social and political levers and pulleys set up generations ago to continue working on the behalf of whites at other people’s expense, whether whites know/like it or not.” - Scott Woods
I know that prior to this past winter, when I read Robyn DiAngelo’s book, White Fragility, this was how I saw racism - as conscious hate. The truth is, racism is so ingrained in our society, it’s easy to miss. But we can’t afford to miss it any longer. Missing it makes us part of the problem.
The phrase that keeps replaying in my head over the past week is this:
Ally is a verb, not a noun.
Ally is a verb, not a noun.
If I want to be an ally to the BIPOC community, what am I going to do? I am clear that I need to be educated on so many levels. To start - What is it like for BIPOC to live in this country? Why is systemic racism deep-seated in so many of us who think of ourselves as not being racist- and more, how can we be conscious enough to recognize it and change? What is the actual truth about American History? (hint: it’s not what we read in our history books or were taught in our history classes.)
I’m doing a lot of reading and a lot of listening. But, there’s a place I’m turning for an actual conversation about what I can do: The STL Sandbox. STL Sandbox is a place to build the muscle for the messy work of change with others who are also finding their way.
In the past, this 3 part workshop series has only been offered in St. Louis - but this is one of the gifts of our current virtual world. I hope you’ll consider joining me to learn about the systems that have helped to maintain the status quo of racism in the United States and how to better inform ourselves so that we can effectively begin the work within our communities to bring about change. You can find all of the details here.
And in case it’s helpful or you’re interested, here are a few other resources that have been really eye-opening and educational for me:
White Fragility by Robyn DiAngelo
White Supremacy & Me by Layla F Saad
The podcast 1619
The podcast Seeing White on Scene on Radio
Follow Rachel Cargle on instagram @rachel.cargle
The last thing I'll say is this - this is awkward and uncomfortable for so many of us - I know it is for me. I know that I will make mistakes along the way but my mind and eyes are open.