I’ve been spending some time recently trying to figure out how I can engage in the anti-racist protests and activism that’s been going on – then I realized that it wasn’t that I didn’t know, it’s that I was nervous about how my involvement might be received. So now I’m taking the advice that I’ve given to a number of people recently (it’s awesome when you start to hear your own words as a therapist coming back to you) and just engage and learn.
There are a few posts that I plan to write about topics that I’ve studied, learned, and even taught about over the past few years, but I want to start with some thoughts about advocacy and activism in general. It comes down to:
- Learn what you can
- Engage as you can
- Take care of yourself
Easy right? Let me unpack some of that, and offer some specific ideas on each (these ideas are things I’ve done, it’s not meant to say everyone should do them, it’s just to help get people thinking of their own ideas if they feel stuck).
Learn what you can: This all depends on where you are already – I doubt there’s anyone out there who can’t learn more about systemic racism, but everyone is at different levels. Read books (e.g., Michelle Alexander’s “The New Jim Crow” – a great historic outline about how White Supremacy has reinvented itself over time, a vital read now as we try to make sure that doesn’t happen again!, or anything – ANYTHING – by Angela Davis). Watch movies and documentaries (“I am Not Your Negro” – a recent documentary about James Baldwin’s planned book about MLK, Malcolm X, and Medgar Evers). Follow the organizations that are doing anti-racist work – on social media, their email newsletters, things they’ve posted on their websites, etc. Learn from people – don’t randomly ask any Black person you know to tell you their story! People have already shared their stories – in books, videos, and other sources – check them out!
Engage as your can: Protesting and donating right now are the most visible options – but they are not the only options, and as we continue through the longer-term work of rooting out systemic racism it will take more (also by mindful that not everyone is in a position to engage in protests – e.g., people with immigration status concerns and justice-involved people, nor is everyone in a position to make donations). Look at your own skills and strengths and find a place to engage – start working with one of the organizations I mentioned earlier, engage family or friends who are doing or saying racist things, consider your workplace and how you can help make changes there.
Personally, I’ve been thinking hard about what I can do as a therapist (more about that in another post). Over the past few years I’ve developed and presented training sessions on working with justice-involved people, which includes significant information about the criminal legal system as a system of racial oppression (more about that is available in my profile if you’re interested).
Take care of yourself: In a best-case scenario this is a long-term process, if you don’t take care of yourself you’ll be less effective in the movement. I could say a lot more about “self-care” but I think there are plenty of others talking about that 😊
Above all – and this is particularly for White people reading this – learning and engaging is an ongoing learning process. You will probably make mistakes, you will probably be called out on those mistakes. Reflect on the criticism, learn what you can from it, and engage again. There might be some anger in the criticisms you get – understand that anger is coming from very real, lived experiences – even then, reflect on the criticism, learn what you can from it, and engage again.
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