Being indifferent about racism and hate does not exempt you from its reality.

Like many, I am still reeling from this election outcome. There has been so much that has gone down over the past week that has been saddening and disturbing. On the one hand, Hillary Clinton is on track to become the candidate who has received the second most votes in a presidential election (compared to Barack Obama) and still lost. She has now received over 1 million more votes than President-Elect Donald Trump.  On the other, hundreds of reports of racist acts and attacks against immigrants and People of Color have been flooding news headlines and we now know that Stephen Bannon (known for his Anti-Semitism, racist and misogynistic remarks) has gained a top position in the white house next to Donald Trump.

Last night I listened to Hillary’s speech that she made at the Children’s Defense Fund (her first public appearance since her concession speech last week). I listened as she spoke about having days where she just wanted to curl up into a ball and never leave her house again. I listened as she spoke of a dream involving her mother and how proud she would be that she had come as far as she had. I listened as she emphasized an important message for her supporters and those who fight for democracy and the wellbeing of others. Her message was empathetic and powerful. Never give up.

As I started my day this morning, I began contemplating the importance of the next 4 years, and what I needed to do to help push the movement forward.  I laughed at the fact that someone close to me registered me to have subscriptions to the Trump Campaign; the NRA; Fox News; and the Weld Republican Party in Colorado. This individual very likely saw a post I placed on my Facebook page about donating to Planned Parenthood in Mike Pence’s name. Well played my friend, or more than likely, family member. I, at least, was willing to publicly announce my support while you chose to hide behind your keyboard. You see, my family raised me to be proud and speak up for what is right, not hide behind a computer screen because you don’t want me to know who you are. Alas, I digress. I thought long and hard about the challenges we will face over the next four years and the issue of Racism and anti-Semitism immediately came to mind.

You see, whether you are willing to admit it or not, we are all racists in some sense of the word, especially when we fall into the Caucasian category. Now before you get angry and curse your at your computer, hear me out. I am not sitting here saying you are specifically a racist individual in the traditional sense. I am not saying that you support segregation, or lynching, or slavery, or Jim Crow, the KKK, or any of the “traditional” racist sentiment. In fact, up until this recent election, I was more optimistic that those sects of society had essentially died off. I feel differently about that now and you should too. I will be the first to admit that I am racist because I have been indifferent.

Let’s break this down a little further.  When you think of racism, you typically think of the most blatantly obvious forms, so let me clarify that further. I am not a member of the KKK, or any white supremacy groups. I do not actively participate in activities condoned by these groups and I do not speak derogatory terms about people of color in an attempt to establish my superiority over them. I do not believe in segregation and I certainly would never allow for anyone to implement Jim Crow laws in this country once again.  Racism is very much alive in this country, and I think that if you continue to deny that existence, you are in for a huge awakening over the next four years (but that requires you to pay attention).

The indifference of Racism is something Caucasian individuals struggle with. You and I, we don’t have to worry about being targeted by police because of the color of our skin. We don’t have to worry about access to education and we know we will be able to find work when we graduate from school, because we have the privilege to attend school in the first place (many of us with the financial benefit to ensure an excellent education, myself included). We are privileged to make decisions in this country that we know will not have any impact on us. Most of us do not live in poor neighborhoods and typically do not interact with those who do.

Try an experiment. Look around where you spend most of your time with your family; is there diversity in your neighborhood? How many black families reside there? How many Latinos? Asians? What about the grocery store? Are you in a well off area of town? How many times have you walked in to Wal-Mart and made judgments on people because you are likely better off than them (we are all guilty here, people of Wal-mart, myself included).  When you walk down the street, if you see a police car, do you get scared? Do you worry for your safety? What about if you see an older beat up car with expensive rims, what do you think to yourself or say to others around you? If you say you wouldn’t say anything you need to pay attention. Even I must admit that when I see someone driving in a vehicle of that description I think, “that guy is possibly a thug or a drug dealer”.  When you see a homeless person on the corner, do you think to yourself “get a job you lazy bum”?

Indifference is that I know when I get pulled over; I do not have to worry about getting shot. Indifference is that I know that when I walk down the street, I am not viewed as suspicious. Indifference is that I know when I am shopping in the mall, store employees will not eye me every second to see if I’m going to steal something. 

Indifference is that I know that I can drive a luxury car around town and people will think I drive it because I earned it. 

Indifference is like putting blinders on racism and I’m here to tell you, LETS ALL TAKE THEM OFF. 

Stop being indifferent and start being more involved. Speak up and do not remain silent. If you finish reading this and feel that I am specifically targeting you and that I am a hypocrite. Go back and re-read for your sake. I am calling myself out too. I, like all of you, am just as guilty of these things. I am just choosing to acknowledge the elephant in the room. I want to be better; I want things to be better. If that means I have to be the first to come out and admit my faults, so be it.

I don’t typically post bible passages, because most often they get thrown at me in a way to tell me to be more Christian, but I can’t help but think about the book of Matthew Chapter 25:31-40.

We should all do some self-reflection today.