Reflecting on #amplifymelanatedvoices and Black Lives Matter
What a month we’ve had here. It’s hard to know where to begin, but it’s not an option to not begin, at all. I’ll start by saying I fully support the Black Lives Matter movement and acknowledge the wide presence of white supremacy and police brutality in our society that has been enabled and excused for centuries. I’ll also note that I’m a white cisgender woman with lots of privilege. I will make mistakes. And, I will work at my own anti-racism work every day, for myself, my clients, and my community. I appreciate any feedback, education, and opinions that you may have during this time, and encourage sharing as we navigate this public safety crisis together.
In the past week, I participated in an Instagram movement called #amplifymelanatedvoices, created by @blackandembodied and @jessicawilson.msrd. In brief, the goal of their challenge was to mute white Instagram accounts and repost content from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous People of Color) creators on my page and stories, then to reflect after the fact. Firstly, I encourage you to check out both of these accounts and dive deeper into their work. I heard mixed opinions on this movement throughout the week, and for me, what it came down to was that participating would allow me to learn and grow from Black creators in the mental health industry who I previously was not supporting. Additionally, muting the white accounts I follow made it painfully clear how few Black and POC professionals I do follow. This allowed me to look inward, examine why I only now am following a more proportionate amount of Black creators, and look directly at the privilege I carry, all the way down to my Instagram account.
Seeing Black professionals reflected in my feed and stories came with a variety of feelings: refreshed, guilty, honored, and saddened. I appreciate how many Black creators are taking the time to educate us white folks despite the fact that it is never a Black person’s job to teach us about the systemic racism in our society; these narratives have been out and about for years, and I learned through several creators that this is tiring for many to have to continue directing white people to Black and anti-racist resources that have been around for decades. Naturally, this made sense once I heard it explained this way, but my privilege kept me from having this train of thought before this week.
The other aspect of this past week I wanted to share about was my own feelings of incredible sadness, defensiveness and hopelessness in several aspects of this crisis. I found myself unfollowing white accounts who were not acknowledging the Black Lives Matter movement, which felt both insignificant and liberating. Those who are silent during this time have no place in my feed or life. I would be lying if I said I never felt defensive (white fragility made plenty of appearances) during this week as a white person. There were plenty of times I did, and these feelings allowed me to look inward and understand why I felt an urge to defend myself. Having one’s character put into question is unsettling. Having one’s identity discredited based on the color of their skin is horrendous. I sat with that discomfort, then calibrated. My feelings of discomfort are nothing compared to what Black people are experiencing in 2020, not to mention the past several centuries when their lives have been undervalued, or not valued at all, by white people.
I will never know what it’s like to be Black. I will never understand the systemic oppression, overt and covert racism, and the fear for my life when around police officers and white supremacists. And, I hear the pain, the grief, and the generational trauma in this community. My own work will continue with the following concrete action steps:
Educating myself by reading literature and articles, and watching films and webinars on anti-racism in conjunction with Black history in America.
Calling out overt and covert racism when I see and hear it.
Initiating conversations about racism with my white community.
Financially contributing to Black-owned businesses, content creators, and educators.
Continuing to speak with clients about racism, and hold space for Black clients.
Thank you for spending the time to read this. If you take anything away from this post, please know that Black Lives Matter, racism is rampant, and the Black community is long overdue for white advocacy to step up.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Disclaimer: This blog is for informational and educational purposes, and is not to be used as a substitute for a therapeutic relationship, individualized mental healthcare, or medical healthcare.