More Education, Less Segregation: Two Goals of Mine

I am recently home from a weeks' exploration of Selma, Montgomery, and Birmingham, Alabama. I chose this destination deliberately: a big part of antiracist work is getting educated about historical racism in this country. I'm also making a big effort right now to bust out of my very segregated world.

Before the trip, in the company of both white and Black women, I said, "I do this kind of racial equity stuff for fun". Immediately I felt how inappropriate my comment was: it revealed the privilege I have to choose to put myself in situations focused on racial equity, because I don't live mired in them every day; and I made light of something that causes others great pain. While at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery—a stunning monument to over 4,000 lynching victims—I thought about how it would feel if I was at the Holocaust Memorial instead, and someone flippantly said they were "there for fun". This kind of reflection is yet another big part of antiracist work: seeing where my insensitivities, blindspots, superiority and other qualities of white dominant culture live inside me.

I recommend this pilgrimage to anyone and I'm happy to share details. I have included relevant resources in the post “See Slavery in Everything”.

Aug. 2022 Back to Blog Home

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