Thank you Dr. Kendi. Today I finished reading How to Be an Antiracist. Your words have given me many pauses for thought. Many shifts of perspective. Many moments of self-reflection as an educator. Many rewriting of the tapes in my mind of the labels placed upon us. Many moments of sadness and anger over the way of things of the past, and the current paradigm in which we exist.
You have left me with so much to think about and continue to ponder and wonder, and so many questions. A good place to be.
I wonder what the best organizations are to donate to that help promote Antiracist policies.
I wonder what I, as a white male, could do that is most beneficial at this time in history.
I wonder what it will take for low-income, poor whites to see how racists policies hurt them and to enroll them in beginning to advocate for people of color, which then helps lift everyone.
I’m grappling with the difference between a demonstration and a protest in thinking about what has happened since the murder of George Floyd. Are we having protests or demonstrations? I’m confused by how you described what you did with the Jena Six, by marching in Philadelphia, as a demonstration. Was what the NBA did by walking out of the playoffs a protest?
I’m struggling with how to help effect change in racist policies to benefit blacks and people of color.
What has become clearer, interestingly, in the last few minutes, is why the phrase, “blacks and people of color” is being used. In my mind I was equating people of color to include blacks, which if I may, it does. However, in terms of racist policies, the policies are specifically to target the black community. That in itself is tragic. The sadness is it happens at all and it hurts so many.
My mind is working to wrap itself around this new epiphany. I’m going to stop here for today as I reorient.
Please let me know if I’m off base in any way.
Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man 