anti-racism commitment

in the very act of crafting this commitment, I am engaged in reckoning with my own intentions. certainly, the events of the past few years– the murder of countless Black Americans, the border and immigration crisis, the violent attacks on Indigenous people + land, and the long-standing inequities pressurized by COVID-19– have increased the publicity and magnitude of dialogue surrounding white supremacy. this is a critical moment, with the potential for real change. at the same time, this moment has been manipulated by white individuals and institutions who co-opt the language of Black, Brown, and Indigenous organizers in order to save face and appear as in touch with the moment. 

as I read, write, and engage in dialogue, I am energized by a desire to be in right relationship with the Black, Brown, and Indigenous people in my communities. 

to remain motivated by love– not ego, self-preservation, an illusion of correctness or infallibility– is critical. I am not immune to selfishness, greed, or the will of domination that characterizes white supremacy. it is embedded into the very core of who I am and reinforced by my lived experience. 

I grapple with my whiteness– as well as my fragility, ignorance, arrogance, and entitlement– while trying not to center it. I have immense privilege to be finding language around whiteness now, as opposed to the way young people of color too often come into understanding their racial identity through experiences of marginalization. 

what is central is a joy-filled and glorious opportunity: to celebrate the humanity of people of color, lovingly reconcile with myself and others, and contribute to a world where we may stand in our integrity, living out our values– never perfectly, but with genuine conviction. no other reward is warranted, nor could one be greater than this. 

racism and white supremacy are evil, corrosive power structures that manifest themselves in every aspect and level of daily life– internalized, interpersonal, institutional, and systemic.

because our country was founded on the forced labor of enslaved African Americans and the violent genocide and erasure of Indigenous peoples, racism is encoded into the foundational design of our society. the United States has never engaged in a process of truth-telling about its abhorrent foundations– slavery and settler-colonialism. without truth, there is no reconciliation. both are critically necessary. 

slavery has been renamed and continued through mass incarceration, which currently forces the labor of more Black people than were ever formally enslaved at any given point in America. 

Indigenous peoples are still fighting for basic human rights and autonomy over land that is rightfully theirs. 

while the outright anti-Blackness and barbarism of our police forces have come into popular focus and led to the description of our criminal justice system as “broken”, it must be noted that anti-Blackness is a feature of our very notions of criminality and the system– founded to enforce chattel slavery– is working by design. 

in addition to these flagrantly violent examples, a more inconspicuous kind of violence against people of color maintains itself through health/healthcare disparities, capitalism, working conditions, the education system, housing, access to participation in governance, representation, microaggressions, and much more– undoubtedly beyond my current understanding. 

racism manifests itself in both conscious and unconscious ways. white supremacy and anti-Blackness have been internalized by even the well-intentioned, because of the way these ideologies have been perpetually reinforced as dominant by people in power. 

thus, the reality of racism’s pervasiveness is not personal. as a white person, white supremacy is my inheritance. I feel blessed by Layla Saad’s encouragement to “go through the valley” and feel all of the feelings associated with this reality– shame, particularly– but to keep moving through it. on the other side is perspective: I am fully equipped to take personal responsibility for the ways I have directly caused harm and to join forces with others to combat white supremacy on a wide scale, knowing it is never about me and is always about what is right. 

I must note specifically that I grew up on Kiikaapoi, Tawakoni, and Wichita land in what is popularly known as Dallas, Texas. today, in Chicago, I stand on Bodéwadmiakiwen (Potawatomi), Kiikaapoi, Miami, and Peoria land. this is stolen land, on which no human can ever be “illegal”. this is poisoned, dying land detached from its Native stewards that once kept it healthy and fruitful, and continue to work in its best interest. this is land rich with Indigenous wisdom, memory, trauma, spiritual abundance, and frameworks for care and justice far more sophisticated than dominant methods. to this very best of my ability, I will be a generous steward to this land, which I have no rightful claim to. I will put pressure on those in power to defer to Indigenous wisdom when making decisions regarding this land. 

I have personally been complicit in anti-Indigenous, anti-Black, and racist ideologies and actions. I am fully responsible for these actions and obligated– through love– to repair and make amends in whatever way possible while being transparent about my continued failings and learning curves. 

I will lean into the generous abundance of resources and wisdom shared willingly by Black, Brown, and Indigenous teachers so as never to place the responsibility of educating me on people whose exploited labor has already made my privileged position in this world possible. I will listen without selective hearing and apply the principles I learn in action. I will not wait for viral depictions of Black death to be engaged in the fight to preserve and celebrate Black life. 

I can never divorce myself fully from the privilege I have been afforded, but I can reject one of its central perks– comfort– by continuously pushing myself to keep learning, remain suspicious of my own intentions, and advocate in bold ways, including using my body, resources, and platform to stand in solidarity with others. I will not align myself only with teachers who make me feel comfortable and affirm my worldview with gentleness, for this preference reinforces anti-Black sentiments and white fragility. I will not regard any racial group as a monolith or assume the experiences of anyone, being intentional about celebrating every person’s unique story and positionality.

I will specifically denounce my proclivity towards a scarcity mindset, which in the past has contributed to my participation in “white feminism” that centered my pain as a woman without regarding my privilege as a white person. acknowledging the intersections of each person’s multiple identities not only equips me to better understand their pain and how I may work to dismantle their oppression but also provides me with the opportunity to love them more fully. when I move away from scarcity, I see such abundance: through collectivism, we have all we need to create a better world. 

this is a living document that will be constantly evaluated, revised, expanded, and deepened. I will share it with humility to be criticized, re-worked, and interrogated by anyone who will grant me the generosity to share their thoughts with me. I will not respond with defensiveness and instead, be forever bound in gratitude to anyone who shares this journey with me.