life's most persistent and urgent question is: "what are you doing for others?" We all like the self-cuddling phrase "I'm not racist." Today, it's pretty frowned upon to be a racist. Most people reading this would not call themselves "racists". But it's interesting to ask yourself, "Is racism a part of my life?" Whatever your skin color, if you live on Earth and are exposed to the media and/or other cultures: the answer is probably yes.
I watched this video the other day, and it got me thinking about the difference between being a non-racist and being an anti-racist. It's very easy for many white people to be non-racists. We don't yell the N-word out of our cars, we listen to black artists on the radio and have a black friend or two or seven. Some of us scoff at people who are outwardly racist, and we take comfort in knowing that we aren't like that. We think, "What that person is saying has nothing to do with me." To be an anti-racist means you don't look the other way. You don't separate yourself from derogatory remarks, from the hateful energy taking over Mizzou recently, or from everyday discrimination that may not reach out and grab you personally. You recognize it as a part of your world, and you act against it. Being a non-racist is still a good thing. Being a non-rapist is also a good thing. But if we saw someone getting raped right before our eyes, we'd probably say something. What about if we heard someone talk about it? What if they were kidding? Would we still say something? Maybe, maybe not. My point is to remember that being human is about taking action and lifting each other up. Not watching people fall, acting like we didn't see it, then picking up our iPhones and sending a tweet about puppies. It's still January – let's talk about New Years resolutions. I personally wrote a few ideas in a note in my phone a couple weeks ago with goals like "Drink more water" and "Work out more". I revisited it recently and realized not a single thing on my list benefitted anyone else but me. The world will not be a better place if I drink more water. In fact, my resolving to drink more water is an oxymoronic slap in the face to people who don't even have clean water to drink! Who do I think I am? So yesterday was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and this whole post stems from his pressing question, "What are you doing for others?" Not what are you saying about others or how do you feel about them. What are you doing. This encompasses race issues – but reaches so much further. It reaches everything you care about. So why not make our resolutions about taking action when it's so easy not to? "Love" is a verb. So is "help", "try", "listen" and "learn". Some of these things can be done with our eyes glued to a screen, but let's challenge ourselves to find ways beyond that. It's a crazy idea, I know.
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