Very little is actually being asked of us, as white people.

To start, we are being asked one thing, really:

Sit through an entire conversation where we hear about and examine how we are benefiting from racist systems that were created to protect and serve us.

Don’t stand up in the middle of the conversation screeching, “BUT I’M NOT A RACIST!!1!1!!” and run from the room like our hair is on fire.

That’s the initial request. Here is a take on that request from Osheta Moore.

And I will speak for myself when I say that that initial request scares me. It’s sad that it does, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t feel scary to engage in conversations where I will learn about the ways in which I, as a white woman, have benefited from the oppression of other people.

Very little is actually being asked of me. And I am scared. I hear there’s a book that helps white people sort through that problem.

...

Over the past few days, I’ve decided what I’ve committed my business to do from now on. As a result of what I’ve learned, this is what I commit to:

• Recognizing there are barriers for BIPOC and other marginalized women in this society without pretending I know what their experience is like, or pretending like I’m an expert on how they can address and process their experiences

• Listening to BIPOC and women from other marginalized groups who are experts in marketing, branding, and online business.

• Reading stories of women from all kinds of marginalized groups and how they have gone public with their Big Idea

• Featuring the voices and opinions of BIPOC and women from other marginalized groups on my platform

• Paying black women for their expertise

Maggie

PS: Thinking critically about race is not something I as a white person was doing very much until about two weeks ago. As a result, the last two weeks have overwhelmed me.

Here’s a great list of ideas for how not to burn out that I will be adapting to my life so that I can keep doing this thinking and take action month after month, year after year, for the rest of my life. https://twitter.com/TatianaTMac/status/1268909345141473281. (Thanks to my friend Justine for tweeting this list, which is how I saw it.)