Thank you for reading and for further proving my point.
I regret those things happened to you, but I also have my own views on why since I've lived in America my entire life as a Black woman. Believe me, I would not have had the luxury of having my statement taken - I likely would have been put in the back of the police car even though I was the victim.
The problem I have with your statement is the fact that you've missed the point. Like most white people, you jumped to the defensive instead of addressing the problem. There was not one word in this article that suggested that white people "suck" but that's how you took it because it's coming from the defense. I am not naive enough to believe that this is something that will be solved over night nor did I ever suggest this. These type of comments just serve to further negate the responsibility of ALL Americans to take an active roll.
Grown adults do not need hand holding to fix a problem. I've seen white people launch into action to save stray dogs, save the seals, address global warming, launch into campaigns for recycling to save the planet, and so many other causes. Why is it that white people know how to help everything else but when it comes to dismantling racism everyone is suddenly dumbfounded and confused?
The ONLY way to dismantle racism is first for people to ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT EXISTS WITHOUT MAKING EXCUSES. Anytime someone says it exists, but then goes on to explain all the reasons why it can never be eradicated completely negates the acknowledgement and puts everyone back at square one.
The amount of white people who have confronted me about racism is ridiculous. This is a system that was created to oppress my people but we are tasked with fixing it? White people know how to fix it - STOP TEACHING IT TO YOUR CHILDREN. Period. Racism can't exist without new generations learning how to perpetuate it. It's not my job to make it a cozy situation for white people. There was no concern for our coziness as our men, women and children were hung from trees or shot in the back.
It's time for everyone to claim their adulthood and start within their own families. This is not a "what's in it for me" situation - this is human life. I don't expect everyone to respond in kind because some people are just white supremacists. But for those who claim to be human beings, there is a place for them to come together just like for any other cause and make a difference.
