Dear Racists,

  Honestly, I do not know where to start. I, for real, can’t stand y’all. Ever. I just can’t seem to reflect on myself deep enough to ever find a lick of sympathy for yall. Please understand that this is not a whole manifesto or hate letter, whatsoever. HOW-SOME-EVER, please also consider this wake-up call and set it on FULL. VOLUME.

   But get this: I, for once, can sympathize with y’all. I understand that there can be tons of overwhelming feelings of pressure… When you see a whole community of people discussing nothing but the ugly, it’s easy to feel like the whole world is on your shoulders and all eyes are on you, forcing you into alienation… but this is JUST a taste of what the BIPOC community— if you don’t understand that acronym, it’s a sign— has gone through for YEAAAAAARS! WOW! 

   Where the work comes in is when you begin to chip away at the rough exterior of your ignorance, allowing yourself to be exposed to the light of other cultures, mindsets, practices, and stories of others. The more you allow yourself to be vulnerable and open to learning, the more you can adapt to using your privilege to promote good! What also aids us immensely is not relying entirely on us to educate you, so make yourself useful.

Take it upon yourself to do the work, as well; Google exists for a reason! Furthermore, if this is all new news to you, it’s okay to feel a bit uncomfortable along the road of enlightenment; it’s a sign of growth. 

   And what gets me every time is that people of color just simply want… To. Be. HEARD! Sure, the POC who happen to be part of the wonderful “Gen Z” may not have experienced the long, dreadful history of oppression that their elders in the community may have, but there is no doubt that the ache of the scars that systemic racism has left us to heal on our own still affect us regardless. 

   We are not being “too sensitive.” We are not being “too loud.” Just as this society was founded upon aiding to the crippling ideology of white supremacy— that the narrow-minded quite frankly benefit from in their own existence— please learn to validate the voices of the sufferers. So… please… be kind. 

 Alright… that was probably a lot to take in. So now, let’s figure out the big question: What can you do? Where do we go from here? All of what has been written above is a guide book to embodying the magnificent lifestyle of an ANTI-racist because, of course, it is never enough to simply just express that you are “not racist.” 

  This is when the work comes into the playing field; remaining open-minded and letting your ego be willing to accept the jabs of criticism is honestly no easy task, but it all takes time. Also understand that we ain’t asking y’all to be perfect, either; nobody is. Allow yourself to express vulnerability; don’t be afraid to be wrong or ask questions. It’s okay to be absolutely lost, as long as you are determined to find the right path.

   You know that saying, “Curiosity killed the cat?” Well, racism is definitely not a cute and sweet and colorful with candy and rainbows topic, so this saying will most definitely apply. Racism is never the cutest topic to ever depict, but the first step is awareness. Just acknowledgment of its deteriorating existence is never, EVER a bad start. And most importantly, y’all; just be kind to one another, thanks. 🙂

Cheers,

Naomi Diaz