Quote:
Originally Posted by Derek Sutton
You know the "go back to where you came from crowd"? This was my Dad, the anti immigrant population? Yah, thats my sister (she has other issues as well). Their education background is not extensive, their understanding of US history and race relations, minimal, their reality, blurred. Honestly they have a very childish mentality in that the first thing they wanna do when they are told not to or they shouldn't do something is do it. "All Lives Matter" "Yes Dad but they are trying to bring awareness to the mistreatment of person of color by the police, thats why Black Lives Matter is appropriate." "Well no black life is more important the any other life, All Lives Matter!!". These are the types of people that the world needs to get through to and theres a lot of them, telling them what they can and can't say does not solve this problem, looting and rioting does not solve this problem.
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It is not society's responsibility to teach racists to care about other people. I was not given an education about things like the Trail of Tears, Jim Crow laws, Redlining, Black Wall Street, etc. American History classes, by and large, whitewash all of that away.
I taught myself. I read, I watched documentaries, I listened to the voices of those who do know what they're talking about, both the kind ones and the angry ones. And that was my responsibility to learn those things, it's my responsibility to continue learning. It is not the responsibility of Black people, of Native Americans, of Latinos, etc, to do the emotional labor of teaching me their history and why I should care about them.
This is where it's up to you to calmly explain to your father, your sister, those you insist you're more aware than, why these things are important. Explain why BLM isn't a slight on others but a cry for change and for equity. Because no, people who already have racist views are unlikely to take kindly to even the nicest Black person telling them they're wrong.
But they might listen to you. So if you know more and they don't, it's your responsibility to raise their awareness.