Over the past few weeks we have seen atrocities happen to many black lives. Such as Ahmaud Arbery and now George Floyd
I have to admit I couldn’t bring myself to read about what happened to George Floyd and just got the just from the photos and headlines on Facebook. I felt so emotional I had to just close my phone...
This got me thinking about how easy it is to do that. To switch off to turn away, look passed and not see what really is going on. To go back to my quiet little bubble but that’s not the case for the people who have to face the fear of this happening to them day in day out. How can it be that we as a human race can be so evolved and still have this shit going on. How can it be that we still turn our gaze away. This is not right. It is not right that a man is repeatedly saying over and over I CANT BREATHE I CANT BREATHE While a grown man kneels on his neck. As if his life is insignificant It’s not right that a man jogs through a neighborhood and gets shot while doing so. There would be many many stories like these that we don’t know about. I don’t understand the fear that these people feel every single day of their lives because I was born white. I have no idea what it’s like to watch my back every minute of every day. To be scared for my brothers lives every time they leave the house. I will never know how that feels. I will never know that type of injustice. We all need to stand up. We all as a collective need to stop turning our gaze, looking the other way. Every single life on the earth matters. EVERY SINGLE PERSON DESERVES TO BE ABLE TO BREATHE
Now since writing this post it was brought to my attention that things like ALL LIVES MATTER is accidentally being racist.
I have to admit I am a white, white girl. I was brought up in Central West New South Wales in Australia, in a small town which had little amount of people of other cultural back grounds apart from our indigenous that I even knew about. It has since changed which is great but what I am trying to say is that I am very naive and very unaware of the right things to say. I am though sick of turning off the TV or closing down my phone when things upset me or make me emotional. Geez, poor me. The thing is these people do not get a chance to change the channel or turn the page, they live this day in day out. They fear for their lives every time they leave their homes.
I am white and I am very much privileged but I will not continue to close my eyes to what is going on not only in other countries but in my own backyard. Unfortunately our indigenous Australians also suffer day in and day out. I choose to educate myself and I may not say the right words, but i am not going to be quiet. I will learn along the way and I am open to that education. When I wrote this post I was educated on why it is not OK to say ALL LIVES MATTER but I left it as the title to show that yes, I am learning and open to that education.
I am open to learning about my Indigenous history as well as learning how I can support those in our communities and across the world in a practical manner.
Erin Sharwood
This is a post that was on Facebook from the lovely Anita Garza, it came across my feed and I felt that I really resonated with this as a white women trying no longer be silent (on matters that I am not 100% about but that are extremely important.
Oooohhh there is a problem.
Someone, I dearly love... a white women, made a post yesterday about what’s going on and what she feels.
This is something that I seen happen across other posts to and it did not have the words until I saw the fuckery this morning.
Carful reading on. I am pretty heated, cause people I care about are crying. (There isn’t an emoji for the face I got going).
Here is why it is soooo hard for people to find the courage to speak up...
CAUSE OF THE FUCKING BACKLASH!
HOW?!?!?!?! are ya gonna tear up each other?!
Look... this is a sensitive issue, this is deeep rooted in pain and many feel called and want to speak out, but there can be such HARSH BACKLASH... that THAT could turn something that meant as good, into the reason that causes pain and THAT CAN MAKE A PERSON RETRACT BACK TO...
“well I better stay silent and not speak up again”.
People pretty much ON THE SAME DAMN SIDE, T E A R I N G the other person up for not having said in the way they would have preferred to hear it, not hearing HOW THEY MEANT IT!!!!
That’s some small minded Bullshit!
I, as a black women... Gave and give NO BODY shit for “All lives matter”. I do NOT get fucking hung up on that shit.
I see them show up!!!!!!
How DARE anyone TEAR someone down “well you did not it right, because bla bla bla bla bla”. What the fuck does THAT DO?
Is THAT how you educate?
It’s EVEN WORSE, when it comes from other Coaches.
As a coach, how the fuck you gonna tear someone down Bruh?! THAT IS showing up and following a tuck they had in their soul?! Hmmm?!
Being mean in your response. THAT IS A FUCKING PROBLEM.
YOU ARE AIDING IN THE SILENCING OF VOICES AGAIN!
Basic Psychology 1 on 1. People will shy back from what hurts them and have ti fist build courage again to show up, if they ever do again.
For many that work on removing blocks... you are doing a great fucking Job, building them...*slow clap!
Yes... THAT is what you are doing, if you come at it that way!
You do not think about that huh, when you have to be right sooo fucking right and make sure that “I have a better understandable off it, You are showing up wrong for this issue”.
THEY ARE SHOWING THE FUCK UP!!!!! See THAT!
Yes... you may have a better understanding... there may be some educating needed on it. But THE TONE makes the difference between a good educator or just mean confidence robbing voice!
You are not helping if your tone is to condem!
Aid in educating them further in it the issue, AID IN HELPING THEM LEARN, so they can SHOW UP BETTER AND BIGGER next time they do!
Here is something I loved that another person I love said
“I may not get it right from the start, but I am willing to get it wrong, face it and then get better!”
So lovey People who said something. Thank you!
Don’t retract! It’s being seen! I see your bravery to come out and speak up!
You might not get it right from the start, but man am I glad you are stepping out. This is maybe a new territory for You and trust me even as a black person, it is not always easy for me to navigate thru it myself.
But you are freaking leading! Be willing to get it wrong, to eventually get it right!
But love you are doing something and I thank you for that!
Take the potential backlash, kick it!
You have the urge to say say something, do not let 3D mess with your Souls calling to step up!
I will help educate you! You can reach out to me Boo! I won’t tear you down for all lives matter and I will back you up! Because I understand how you mean it and I rather help build you...
I am here to help you live your fullest potential anyways !
(My resting face now actually fits )
I want to share links that have been shared with me.
I reached out to those in my community to help me better understand, to stop being so unaware and to look at things head on.
Links
Everytime you say All lives Matter you are being an accidental racist. Huff post
White boy privileged slam poem
Aboriginal deaths in custody
Practical ways to support aboriginal lives matter
BOOKS
Bruce Pascoe’s Dark Emu
Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia,
Black Chucks Talking(Leah Purcell),
Taboo(Kim Scott)
Sand Talk(Tyson Yunkaporta).
anything Stan Grant has written
The little red yellow black book
My place Sally Morgan
The yield
White Fragility
TV SHOWS
The Point,
NITV
The first Australians SBS
In my blood it runs
First footprints
FILMS
Samson and Delilah,
The Tracker,
Charlie’s Country.
MUSIC
Archie roach