As we are approaching a historic anniversary with the Centennial Anniversary of the 19th Amendment, recognizing women’s fundamental right to vote, it seems appropriate to take stock of the important work for equality that NOW has undertaken.
Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday.
To all non-Black people of color — it’s time we speak up against the anti-Blackness in our communities.
A white ally acknowledges the limits of her/his/their knowledge about other people’s experiences but doesn’t use that as a reason not to think and/or act. A white ally does not remain silent but confronts racism as it comes up daily, but also seeks to deconstruct it institutionally and live in a way that challenges systemic oppression, at the risk of experiencing some of that oppression. Being a white ally entails building relationships with both people of color, and also with white people in order to challenge them in their thinking about race. White allies don’t have it all figured out, but are deeply committed to non-complacency.
Being an effective white ally to Black people is a continuous process, consisting of both education and action. No matter where we are in the ongoing journey of recognizing our privilege and unlearning harmful behaviors and attitudes, there is always more we can do to fight white supremacy and racial injustice.