When I quit drinking alcohol, my not drinking became a source of discomfort (and still is) for many of those who continue to partake. Although I understood on one level that it wasn’t “about me”–it was about them and their relationship with alcohol–it was tough on me. Tough or not, I stayed the course, even though the pressure could have pulled me back to a life I no longer wanted to live.
Now that I have been awakened to the atrocities our Black brothers and sisters have endured for centuries, and coming to understand that being “not racist” is not enough, I am being very vocal about my antiracism work (you might have noticed). And this has caused a similar discomfort to my not-drinking in people who have differing views than mine when it comes to racism.
I’ve been encouraged by so many people sharing posts and resources, talking about their experiences at protests, sharing what they’ve learned after reading books and watching documentaries, doing the work to unravel the truth from what the media wants us to know.
We are waking up and banding together to stand with our Black brothers and sisters.
I’ve also been receiving several messages, always from white people, who don’t agree with what I’m sharing, telling me things I *should* know. They privately share videos of Black people discounting the Black Lives Matter movement. They reply to my posts with, “ALL lives matter!”, “Blue lives matter!”, and “Sarah, George Floyd was a BAD man!”, and I find myself responding the same way every time: Black lives have NOT mattered for hundreds of years and the time for change is NOW.
As with my sobriety, no matter how uncomfortable it gets, I will continue with my antiracism work. And, just like my sobriety, I realize it’s not a sprint to the finish line, but rather a marathon; a lifetime of learning and unlearning.
Here is what I need you to hear if you are with me, in this space: I am just getting started. I have literally barely begun my antiracism work, and by work, I mean I am reading, watching and listening to Black people share their lived experiences so that I can grasp the severity of the issue and begin to unravel my own thoughts and feelings around race, racism, antiracism, slavery, redlining, Jim Crowe, colonialism, white supremacy, white body supremacy, white privilege, white saviorism, virtue signalling and reverse racism, to name a few.
Barely. Getting. Started.
And while I am a tiny baby just starting to crawl, I refuse to cower to the pressure of bullies trying to shame me into believing I am seeing things wrong or that “it’s not as bad as [I am] making it seem” (and other messages bearing the same sentiment).
I will say this again: I am just getting started, and if you don’t like what you are seeing here or on my social media pages, then kindly remember I am not holding you hostage! My profiles are all public. There is literally not even a door to walk through. You are free to carry on with your life while I do the same.
But I will not be shamed into silence.
I did that for too long with my addiction and my recovery, so I know how it feels. My guilt and shame kept me small and stuck and I will never, ever go back there again.
When it comes to racism, I have been awakened and I have made a promise to myself and to my human family that I will never, ever go back to sleep.
In the largest civil rights movement in the history of the world, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind what side of history I want to be on.
Of course, I’m not abandoning my passion and I’ll continue to speak to issues around health and wellness, body image, food and sugar, and freedom. But what I have come to understand is that unless and until we are ALL free, then none of us are truly free.
I know I am strong on my own. I am proud of myself for the many obstacles I’ve overcome, the things I’ve done to get to this point in my life, but it’s time to seek out ways I can use my strength to support others in a bigger way.
We are stronger together.
If you decide to stay, I believe we can create real change not only in our own lives but in the lives of all of those around us.
That is a revolution.
And it takes each and every one of us.
I love you. Keep going…
P.S. Here is a FREE 30 day course I’m currently taking by Tedx Speaker Rachel Elizabeth Cargle designed to be an eye-opener and a call to action for those who seek to be allies to Black women. I’d love for you to join me and please pass it on!
Leave A Response