Black Lives Matter
When in doubt, choose love.
These past few weeks have been the most trying yet. I know life has not been easy for anyone lately and for many, I know it feels like the world has turned upside down. After the horrible death of George Floyd touched the hearts of thousands around the word, acts of protesting, marching, and donating, all gathered together to form a movement for change. Now, I by no means consider myself an activist. Up until recently, I never really thought to even sign petitions or partake in a peaceful protest, but there I was last weekend doing it all along side some dear friends in hopes for positive change.
To me, the topic of race has always been a volatile one. As fourth generation American, I identify more as American than I do as Chinese and Japanese (I’m half and half). Though I’ve definitely been asked “What are you?” in both polite and non-polite contexts, the issue of race is not something I’ve actively had to think about. It’s only when someone else points it out to me that I realize, oh yeah, I may not look like I’m from here (whatever “from here” looks like). I recognize that just by being Asian, I still benefitted from a system that actively profiles and oppresses people of color. If anything, by being Asian American, I’ve fallen into the “model minority” stereotype and more often than not, I could even be considered as “White Passing” since I don’t have an accent and my facial features are that which could be considered desirable by Western standards (glossy hair, tan skin, thin frame). Though I may be profiled for my skin, I’ve never had to fear for my life because of it. And though I know that I’ll never fully be able to understand what it means to be black in America, I know two things for sure:
The systemic oppression of black people has gone on for far too long and it MUST stop.
Black Lives absolutely matter.
So the question is, how? How do we put an end to racism? It’s a very difficult question to ask. Though I know there is no singular answer, the one thing we can all do is learn and practice being Anti-Racist. If you continue to scroll down, you’ll see I’ve included various ways in which you can read, watch, and learn about the complexities of systemic racism. Though it may seem daunting, just reading one article or even having one conversation with a friend could help turn the world in the right direction and make racism a thing of the past.
As for me, being Anti-Racist means first that I acknowledge my privilege and the issue of systemic racism. Second, I need to listen to the voices of black people and offer support when I can. And lastly, being actively anti-racist to me means that I continue learning, sharing, and having conversations about race and inequality. I know there’s still a lot of work to be done and I’m never going to reach perfection, but it’s not about perfection for one, it’s about equality for all.
There are so many times that injustice has occurred against a minority group, not just here in the States, but around the world, and I realize I’ve just become numb to it all. After dealing with a deep sense of guilt and remorse for all the times I should have spoken up, I realized the world was facing another issue: denial. While a large part of the world took time to protest, reform laws, and take down statues celebrating the oppression of black people, I started to see more and more backlash, denial, and hate. I couldn’t put my phone down for hours on end. I wanted to try to understand it all, but I couldn’t. How could there be so much hate in this world? I just couldn’t wrap my head around it.
After a long series of various conversations with friends and family, I’ve come to terms with myself and my beliefs. At the end of the day, I believe that my core beliefs have not changed but became heightened. I no longer want to be a bystander. I wish to continue to grow and learn about the complexities of race and injustice. I consider myself so privileged to have such a diverse group of friends from all different races and socioeconomic backgrounds. From old childhood classmates to college friends, each person in my life has been a window into a new world and culture. A world in which I’ve found new adventures, understanding, and of course, friendship. I can tell you one of the keys to life is having friends from all different walks of life!
I’m not here to tell you what to believe or how to come to peace with it, but I do believe that love always wins. Love comes in many forms.
It’s free. It’s endless. It’s everything.
When in doubt, choose love ❤️
PS: Happy Pride friends! 🏳️🌈
Resources:
*Disclaimer: This list is non-exhaustive and not meant to be considered complete. The list of books, movies, donation causes, and businesses are simply recommendations from lists I’ve seen from other posts online and I consider worth sharing. It’s totally up to you how you want to show your support and educate yourself. I know racism is a really uncomfortable topic to face, but there are so many ways to spread love and learn. If you have further suggestions, please leave a comment down below! I’d love to know your thoughts.
To read:
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad
Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People about Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
For more books on race, click here!
Articles:
What is the Model Minority Myth? by Sarah-Sooling Blackburn
Uncovering the “Privilege” of being a White Passing Person of Color, by Niloufar Haidari
Fighting Racism Even, and Especially, Where We Don’t Realize it Exists by Jeffrey C. Stewart
6 Ways to be Anti-Racist, Because Being ‘Not Racist’ is Not Enough by Rebecca Ruiz
To watch:
If Baele Street Could Talk (Hulu)
When They See Us (Netflix)
13th (Netflix)
Dear White People (Netflix)
LA 92 (Netflix)
The Last Black Man in San Francisco (Amazon Video)
To donate:
For more places to donate, click here!
To online shop:
47 Black Owned Brands to Shop by Elle Magazine
41 Black Owned Beauty Brans to Shop by Allure Magazine
If you are in the LA area, here’s are links to local businesses to support:
As always, thank you for reading! I know times are so uncertain and scary right now, but I still believe we’re all in this together and we can continue to push on for a better world. Please feel free to leave a comment, share, or like! I’d love to know what you think and I aspire to continue to create content that brings people together.
xx
Ella Kol
