Activism Prereqs

“Why yes, I’m an evil, left-wing sheeple, snowflake, working for the deep state, here to force your wives to get abortions and then leave you for transgender lesbians, why yes it was us ANTIFA who stormed the capitol to make you all look bad, here to take your guns, spread communism and blast Cardi B in your churches, and your never gonna stop us, never gonna stop us…”

This song is a satirical take on commonly held beliefs about liberals in the US, and it cracks me up! There’s something deeply amusing and yet also disturbing, about how movements, like Black Lives Matter, that I believe are so fundamentally necessary to achieving equal human rights in this country, are so easily demonized by people who don’t believe in them. I feel baffled when people don’t share the same beliefs as me, because I like to believe that the vast majority of the population holds beliefs that, in their opinion, guide them to do the best for their fellow citizens. I still believe that to be true in most cases.

So then, what causes people to write off Black Lives Matter as a communist movement, or to violently argue that Black people in our country aren’t disadvantaged? It’s hard to say for certain, but beliefs are formed by communities, cultures, religions and so on, so it winds up being quite difficult (although notably not impossible) to break out of those.

Maybe it sounds like I’m ragging on conservatives now but hold up a minute. Are you truly open minded? Are you any better than people who hold on to their beliefs with clenched fists, refusing to question their views? Exactly how many times have you gotten yourself into a conversation where you boldly stand up for what you believe in, only to find that, when asked to support your claims, your mind goes blank, or you “Don’t have the statistics to back it up right now”? I've gotten myself into that situation many times in the past, as you may have too. It shows that we’re guilty of taking on the opinions of others too easily. Maybe you’ve even observed yourself doing this, nodding along with peopled close and credible to you, as they explain their beliefs. We think, yes, totally! That sounds so right! in the moment, only to find seconds, days, or years later that we (and/or scientists) completely disagree.

So, are you also a product of your surroundings, albeit different surroundings than of others? The answer will almost always be a resounding “yes.” So how do we get out of this? How do we stand up for what we believe is right, yet not be “sheeple,” as the tune I mention above satirizes? I don’t have all the answers, but here is a rough list of “Activist Prereqs” that I’ve found useful so far as a white person:

1. Remember that “racist” isn’t pejorative (I learned about this one from Ibram X. Kendi’s book, How To Be an Antiracist, which is basically required reading for beginning racial justice activists). Yes, if I do a racist thing, that’s bad. But that action doesn’t condemn me as a person. When I recognize something that I thought or did was racist, I can move on and make improvements accordingly.

2. Always question yourself. Ask yourself why you think “[insert popular belief that you take for granted here]” is something you support. If you can’t walk yourself through why you believe that with the help of credible sources, challenge yourself to research further. It takes work to parse out those sneaky "given" beliefs we have, but when we learn to intercept our thought processes that rely on them, we'll be much better off.

3. Surround yourself with people who are comfortable with calling you out and being called out by you.

4. And finally, LISTEN TO PEOPLE OF COLOR. If you’re white like I am, it is incredibly important to listen to and amplify the voices of people of color in order to better understand their marginalization and oppression, and keep your own perspective of your activist actions in check.

To that end, here is a list (that I paraphrased) by Kendal-Alexis Carter on TikTok, that goes beyond how to keep an open mind, and offers guidance on “How Not To Be a ‘Good White’”:

1. Let go of the idea that intent matters— if you hurt someone accidentally, it doesn’t matter that it was an accident. It’s the clean-up that matters.

2. Check your white fragility— it is not serving you

3. Keep in mind that those holding you accountable are trying to make a more beautiful space, and sometimes we have conscious or subconscious traits that make spaces not beautiful.

4. Mind your business— some business is just Black people business, or just people of color business.

Go check out Kendal-Alexis's series on “Good Whites (and why I cannot stand y’all)” on their page, and all of their other work! Their words are powerful and beautiful and thought-provoking and a wonderful resource for us as we learn to be better activists.