The Fight Against Racism
Jul 05, 2020
When I was a teacher, I was also the Anti-bullying coordinator at my school, and the lesson we taught students was that during an instance of bullying, it wasn't the bully or the target who had the most power, it was the bystanders. They had the power to turn things around very quickly by taking sides and speaking up.
I know many brown people don't give a shit about the challenges of other minorities, and unfortunately I've also experienced racism from people of other minority groups... therein lies the challenge and opportunity.
Minority groups, whether based on race, gender, orientation, or economic situations are only minorities and underrepresented when they exist alone. We can't stand up for Black Lives, and ignore the oppression of #Aboriginal communities or the plight of people in #Yemen. We can't simply address #PoliceBrutality and ignore the inequalities #Trans people face. The fight against racism is also the fight against economic inequality and mental health stigma, it's amplifying those whose voices are being drowned out. There's momentum being established in civil rights for underrepresented people, and we can all do our part to take that energy to new heights.
None of this means we have to feel guilty that we're not "woke" enough on the latest issue; online slacktivists will act like desi aunties and use guilt and shame to try to make us do more, fuck them, everyone learns, grows and contributes at their own speed. What I'm encouraging is for us to tap into the spirit of our power as bystanders to do a little more than we did before, and speak up for others.
When Minorities groups join together and mobilize, they are no longer a minority, and we can no longer be pushed around by dinosaurs who are frantically clinging on to the 20th century status quo.
This requires all of us to give a shit about issues, causes, and policies that may not have any direct benefit or affect on us as individuals. We are in this together. Tiny drops of water will dry up in the sun, but if we put them together, they’ll form an unstoppable ocean #unity
I know many brown people don't give a shit about the challenges of other minorities, and unfortunately I've also experienced racism from people of other minority groups... therein lies the challenge and opportunity.
Minority groups, whether based on race, gender, orientation, or economic situations are only minorities and underrepresented when they exist alone. We can't stand up for Black Lives, and ignore the oppression of #Aboriginal communities or the plight of people in #Yemen. We can't simply address #PoliceBrutality and ignore the inequalities #Trans people face. The fight against racism is also the fight against economic inequality and mental health stigma, it's amplifying those whose voices are being drowned out. There's momentum being established in civil rights for underrepresented people, and we can all do our part to take that energy to new heights.
None of this means we have to feel guilty that we're not "woke" enough on the latest issue; online slacktivists will act like desi aunties and use guilt and shame to try to make us do more, fuck them, everyone learns, grows and contributes at their own speed. What I'm encouraging is for us to tap into the spirit of our power as bystanders to do a little more than we did before, and speak up for others.
When Minorities groups join together and mobilize, they are no longer a minority, and we can no longer be pushed around by dinosaurs who are frantically clinging on to the 20th century status quo.
This requires all of us to give a shit about issues, causes, and policies that may not have any direct benefit or affect on us as individuals. We are in this together. Tiny drops of water will dry up in the sun, but if we put them together, they’ll form an unstoppable ocean #unity