What Can I DO
“What can I do?” I’m asked this frequently. After America elected a racist as president I asked myself this a lot. Really a lot. My answer for myself was to write. Bring badly needed information and history to my fellow Americans. I could sort of write and I sort of knew the history. Almost four years later I can write gooder and I know the history more better.
But for you, the answer is something you’ll have to come up with yourself. There’s a lot that goes into you answering your own question, “What can I do?” You have to ponder: Who am I? How much time, energy, and money do I have? What skills and interest do I have? What groups and book clubs do I belong to? How much do I despise racism? How much trouble do I think the country and democracy are in and how much do I even care?
None of us have never been a part of or at least privy to a conversation about race. Most of those conversations are kinda useless and based on either emotion (Oh can’t you see how horrible racism is? Can you even imagine being Black in this country?) or are based around our national narrative (Everybody has the same equal chance. That’s what makes America great. Exceptional ! Those people just need to make better decisions and stop with the Black and Black crime thing.) Those are useless, go nowhere conversations.
But the specific thing that we ask you to do is have informed conversations about race in America. We do the research, the writing, and lead the conversations that aid you in becoming informed. As a famous person said, “If we want to change the way people think and act we need to change the conversations we have.” (Well, ok…I’m not actually that famous)
We have two goals: End America’s thing with race. And talk in an informative manner with every person in America over age 15 or so. Are we really going to end 405 years of racism? Are we really going to inform every adult in America? We’re sure going to try. This is where you come in and actually get the chance to do something easy and only slightly uncomfortable and will cost you nothing. Forward our newsletters to the people in your various communities and ask them to subscribe.
This next part will cost you money. Sign up for recuring monthly donations of $5.00. I’m grateful that we are fortunate enough to have a few large donors. But they can’t carry the load themselves. They - and we - could use your help. There’s a ‘Donate’ button up above.
P.S. And this from above: The percentage of Black people shot and killed by other Black people is only slightly higher than the percentage of White people shot and killed by other white people.