Racism, Prejudice, and a Challenge

{sigh} I've been hearing a lot about racial prejudice and discrimination. An awful lot of it framed as Us vs. Them, where Us are People of Color, and Them are The Whites. I've even heard people say that as a white, I can't help but be Part of the Problem.

Nonsense.

I'm a Baldwin. My relatives have been fighting against racial discrimination and prejudice for at least a century and a half, sometimes risking our reputations, our jobs, and even arrest to make things better as we can. I haven't had the opportunities my ancestors did, but I'm ready for my turn.

I am not part of the problem, but when folks tell me I am... it's tempting to be what they so obviously expect. It's really tempting. {bite lips} Fortunately, this ally is pretty stubborn. In fact, I'm stubborn enough to ask for a way to be part of Us, and not Them, despite being white. That's my challenge to anyone and everyone who's been pushing this dichotomy. Find a way to stop shutting me out.

 

I'm not an enemy here, and I don't appreciate folks trying to turn me into one. {determined look}

 

 

Anne Elizabeth Baldwin