Thread by @ElizMarkowitz

Dear Fellow White People,

I am a gay woman of Jewish ethnicity living in #Texas and have faced discrimination in my life. However, my experiences are through the lens of a white woman, someone who doesn’t face the daily #SystemicRacism embedded in our society and institutions.

Let’s be clear. The USA was built on the backs of slaves, human beings who were considered property for no other reason than the color of their skin, and the institutions within this country were both developed and implemented by, and for, white people.

By virtue of this fact, white people have the inherent privilege of living in a world that was created for their benefit.

If this makes you feel uncomfortable, it should. Any individual with a moral and ethical compass should be outraged that a caste system based upon the amount of melanin a person has, a system upon which our country was founded, continues to negatively impact the lives of our man.

The goal is not to make you feel guilt, sadness, or anger. Nobody is asking you to justify the current system, explain your heritage, or apologize for the color of your skin. After all, you are not responsible for either the actions of those who came before you or your phenotype.

You are, however, responsible for your actions, behaviors, and the way in which your actions and behaviors impact others.

It is your responsibility to recognize the inherent privilege you hold and be actively #antiracist.

It is your responsibility to hold your fellow white people accountable for their words and actions, calling out behavior that perpetuates racial #prejudice and division. It is your responsibility to actively listen to #POC and advocate for changes to a system rooted in #inequity.

It’s not a difficult concept. Use the privilege you’ve been given to work with those that are forced to operate in a world of discriminatory processes and policies to create a more equitable society. 👊🏽💙

#racism #WhitePrivilege #BLM #CRT #privilege #DearWhitePeople #WhitePeople