What do I have to give anyways? Especially in issues of racial injustice.
Look at the above picture. This. This is what relationships between blacks and whites should look like.
I guess lately, more than ever, we are aware that this is not the case.
Over the past two months a quote has been circulating in my head.
YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN WHAT YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN SO YOU CAN GIVE.
Most of the time, I’ve thought of that phrase in the sense of money, time, baking skills, flowers, etc. But this morning it hit me in another way.
I’ve been given the gift of being white so I can give. Being black is also a gift, but that’s not my gift.
I’ve been born white with privilege and automatic, unearned respect. I don’t have to fear a police car driving by or question my own whereabouts. THIS IS A GIFT.
But do I take that gift and put my feet up so I can just sit back and soak up all of these undeserved privileges?
A hard NO.
I’ve been given the gift of being white so I can give.
So I can give my feet to stand for black people who have to fear for their life if they stand.
So I can give my hands to hold hands of different color to show it doesn’t matter.
So I can give my voice to speak up for those who don’t have the safety to do so and who might not be listened to anyways because their skin is the ‘wrong’ color.
While all skin is a gift and those gifts are different, I’ve been given the gift of white skin. And I’ve been given what I’ve been given so I can give.
So if you share this same gift, please give your support, please give your voice, please give your presence to help those being looked down upon and being stamped ‘unworthy’ because their black skin isn’t viewed as a gift.
Love you!
love you too:)