Keep Up The Fight

Hello white people who want to be allies to Black and brown people. Biden is in and the previous infestation is out. We’ve danced, cried and felt the stress of the past four-plus years melting away. Ahhhhhhhh. Now, back to work. Do NOT think, “We won” or “It’s over.”

If you know U.S. history, you know that every time Black and brown people make a baby step forward, we’re attacked by vicious white backlash. We all witnessed white backlash at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 by — yeah, I’ll say it — “deplorables.” They fight tooth and nail to keep white supremacy the flavor-of-the-day. They fight legislatively and physically — spilling the blood of Black and brown people. 

Don’t wring your hands and say, “I don’t know what to do.” That excuse has gotten very old for those of us who have lived our entire lives under the dangerous, rabid hatred of white supremacists. And stop wasting time and brain cells arguing with “friends” and relatives who will never acknowledge these truths. They’re on the wrong side of history and there’s no hope for them. 

What to do? Here’s a logical step: Contact a chapter of Black Lives Matter and ask how you can support the movement. Let them tell you what to do and how you can help.

Do not fall into the complacency of thinking the past four years was an unpleasant dream. It was real! Evil still lurks. Do not squander this opportunity for meaningful, significant change.

Ramona Wise

Eugene