White people, and the United States as a whole, have a longstanding and despicable history of dismissing white violence against Asians and quickly letting it fade into cultural irrelevance. And while the new year did not bring a respite from violence and discrimination against AAPI people, it did bring the opportunity for us all to grow as allies, advocates, and anti-racist activists for AAPI communities everywhere. It did present us with the opportunity to keep our eyes open. To truly see these horrific acts for what they are – discrimination, prejudice, and hate crimes. To turn our outrage into action.
After Watching, Learning, Listening, and Grieving: Action
Over the past few weeks, the nation has turned their intense sadness over the unjust deaths of more and more Black people at the hands of the police into unprecedented action. Like many white people, we, the founders of Gild Collective, have been unsure of how to respond, how to react, and how to move forward as agents of change that elevate the Black community. We have been watching with open eyes, learning as much as we can (including a lot of re-learning what we thought we already knew), listening to Black voices, and grieving for and with Black communities.
More than anything else, we have been thinking about how we will commit ourselves going forward to anti-racist action and Black community support. How will we take action?
The Importance of Discomfort – Identifying & Owning My White Privilege
A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to attend the Racial Equity Institute’s (REI) Phase 1 Racial Equity Workshop. The Greater Cincinnati Foundation (GCF) invited REI to Cincinnati offer several (free!) sessions of this Phase 1 workshop as a part of their Racial Equity Matters series, “illustrating their commitment to conversations about racial equity that build connections and move us forward with enhanced insights and shared purpose.” The two-day session, facilitated by REI trainers Suzanne Plihcik, Matt Bell, and George Clopton, delivered on that commitment and so much more.