Thoughts and Unrest

I usually try to stay away from hot-button topics like religion, politics, and social justice. Not because I don’t care about them, but because I know these conversations can be complicated, deeply personal, and sometimes uncomfortable. However, the culmination of recent events has made it nearly impossible to remain on the sidelines.

We keep hearing the same stories, witnessing the same injustices, and watching far too many of them end in devastatingly familiar ways.

Sometimes, it’s difficult not to lose hope, especially when we’re surrounded by the unrelenting chaos and darkness that oppression can bring. It can feel as though we’re moving in circles, fighting for the same basic rights and having the same conversations our parents, grandparents, and generations before them were forced to have.

You want to believe that progress is being made. You want to believe that people are listening. You want to believe that the next time a name makes headlines, the outcome will be different.

And yet, here we are again.

George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. Sean Reed. Tony McDade. Tamir Rice. Sandra Bland. Walter Scott. Terrence Crutcher. Trayvon Martin. Oscar Grant. Philando Castile. Eric Garner. Samuel DuBose. And so many others whose names deserve to be remembered, spoken, and heard.

How many more?

How many more families must grieve? How many more communities must protest? How many more lives must be lost before meaningful, lasting change becomes more than a promise?

These are questions that can leave you feeling angry, heartbroken, exhausted, and overwhelmed all at once. They can make you wonder whether anything you do will make a difference.

And perhaps the hardest question of all is this: What can I do?

Silence Is Not Neutral

In the words often attributed to Archbishop Desmond Tutu:

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”

Those words have stayed with me because they challenge the idea that staying out of a difficult conversation is always the safest or most reasonable choice.

Sometimes, silence feels easier. It’s comfortable to avoid a conversation that might upset a friend, create tension at a family gathering, or challenge something you’ve believed for years. It’s tempting to tell ourselves that politics and social justice are too divisive to discuss, or that someone else will speak up.

But when people’s lives, dignity, and fundamental rights are at stake, discomfort cannot be the only thing we consider.

Now is not the time to remain silent simply because speaking up might make someone uncomfortable. It is not the time to be more concerned with maintaining the peace than addressing the harm that has made that peace possible for some and painfully elusive for others.

Conversations need to happen. They need to happen in our homes, in our friendships, in our schools, in our workplaces, in our communities, and on platforms both small and large.

Some conversations will be productive. Others will be difficult. We won’t always have the perfect words, and we won’t always agree on every point. But avoiding these conversations altogether does not make the problems disappear.

If we are to move toward the more perfect union envisioned in America’s founding ideals, we must be willing to confront the distance between those ideals and the realities experienced by so many people.

That means acknowledging police brutality, systemic racism, discrimination, inequality, and the many ways injustice can become embedded in institutions and everyday life.

It means recognizing that good intentions alone aren’t enough. We have to be willing to examine the systems we participate in, the assumptions we carry, and the ways our actions—or inaction—affect other people.

And it means understanding that equality is not achieved simply because we would like to believe that everyone is treated equally.

Allyship Is More Than a Hashtag

Please don’t be an ally only when someone is watching. Don’t be an ally only when a particular issue is trending, when your social media feed is filled with statements of solidarity, or when supporting a cause is socially convenient.

Allyship requires consistency. It asks us to do the work even when there isn’t an audience, a public acknowledgment, or an immediate reward.

It means speaking up when a racist joke is told at the dinner table, even if the person telling it is someone you love. It means challenging discriminatory behavior in the workplace, even when doing so feels uncomfortable. It means listening when someone shares an experience that differs from your own rather than immediately searching for a reason to dismiss it.

It also means recognizing that being an ally isn’t about making ourselves the center of the conversation or expecting praise for doing what should be a basic responsibility.

You don’t need to announce every good thing you do. You don’t need to have the perfect response to every headline. And you certainly don’t need to know everything before you begin.

What you do need is a willingness to learn, a willingness to listen, and a willingness to act.

If you’ve made a mistake, acknowledge it. If you’ve said something hurtful, take responsibility. If you discover that a belief you once held was rooted in misinformation or prejudice, be willing to reconsider it.

The goal isn’t to prove that we’re already good people who have nothing left to learn. The goal is to become more informed, more compassionate, and more intentional about the world we help create.

So, What Can We Do?

It’s easy to feel powerless when the problems we’re facing seem so enormous. Systemic racism, police brutality, and discrimination cannot be dismantled by one person acting alone.

But that doesn’t mean individual action is meaningless.

Change can begin with a conversation, a donation, a protest, a book, a vote, or a decision to challenge something that has been accepted for far too long. Small actions do not replace structural change, but they can contribute to the collective effort required to achieve it.

Here are a few places to start.

1. Educate Yourself

Take the time to understand the history behind the issues we’re discussing. Learn about systemic racism, racial discrimination, the history of policing in America, and the ways inequities continue to affect communities today.

Read books by Black authors. Listen to Black educators, historians, journalists, organizers, and community leaders. Watch documentaries and films that explore the African American experience.

And don’t stop at the first article or video you encounter. Look for credible sources, examine the evidence, and make an effort to understand the broader context rather than relying solely on social media posts or headlines.

Education is an ongoing process. You won’t learn everything in a day, and you don’t have to. What matters is making a genuine commitment to continue learning.

2. Have the Difficult Conversations

Talk to your friends. Talk to your family. Talk to your coworkers.

If someone makes a racist or discriminatory comment, consider how you can challenge it rather than allowing it to pass without acknowledgment. Sometimes, a direct response is appropriate. Other times, asking a thoughtful question can help expose an assumption that has gone unexamined.

These conversations won’t always be easy, especially when they involve people you care about. You may encounter defensiveness, disagreement, or outright hostility.

You cannot control how another person responds, but you can decide whether you’re willing to speak honestly and respectfully about injustice.

Remember, too, that it isn’t the responsibility of Black people to educate everyone else about racism. Seek out resources, do your own research, and take responsibility for your learning rather than expecting others to do that work for you.

3. Support Black Voices and Businesses

One practical way to show support is to seek out and amplify Black creators, writers, educators, entrepreneurs, and community leaders.

Read their work. Share their resources when appropriate. Support Black-owned businesses when you can. Pay for creative work and expertise rather than expecting people to provide their labor for free.

Representation matters, but meaningful support goes beyond visibility. It also means recognizing the value of Black talent, expertise, and contributions in everyday life.

You don’t need to make a purchase or spend money to show support, either. Sharing an educational resource, recommending someone’s work, or directing attention toward a credible organization can also be valuable.

4. Donate Where You Can

If you’re financially able, consider supporting organizations working to address racial injustice, provide legal assistance, support affected families, and build stronger communities.

You can look into local grassroots organizations, civil rights groups, community initiatives, and verified bail funds supporting protesters who need assistance.

Research an organization before donating so you understand where the money goes and what the organization does. If money is tight, remember that donating isn’t the only meaningful way to contribute. Time, skills, and thoughtful advocacy can also support the work.

No one should feel pressured to give money they cannot afford to give. The goal is to find a sustainable way to contribute, not to measure someone’s commitment by the size of their donation.

5. Participate in Your Community

If you’re able to do so safely, consider attending a peaceful protest, community meeting, educational event, or local organizing effort.

You can also contact elected representatives, learn about local policies, and pay attention to the decisions being made in your own community.

National conversations are important, but many of the policies that affect people’s everyday lives are shaped locally. Understanding what’s happening in your city, county, and state can help you identify where your voice and participation may have an impact.

If you attend a demonstration, familiarize yourself with the event’s safety guidance and local requirements. Consider your own circumstances and the risks involved, and look for other ways to participate if attending in person isn’t possible.

There is no single correct way to get involved. Find an approach that allows you to contribute thoughtfully and consistently.

6. Challenge Your Own Assumptions

This one requires a little introspection.

We all grow up surrounded by messages that influence how we see the world. Some are explicit, while others are subtle enough that we may not recognize them until we take the time to examine where they came from.

Ask yourself what you’ve been taught about race, whose perspectives you’ve been exposed to, and which experiences you may have overlooked.

Pay attention to your first reactions when someone describes an experience different from your own. Are you listening to understand, or are you immediately looking for reasons to disagree?

Being willing to question yourself doesn’t mean you have to approach every issue with shame. It means recognizing that growth requires honesty.

We cannot change beliefs we refuse to examine.

7. Practice Empathy Without Making It About Yourself

Listen to people who are sharing their experiences. Resist the urge to interrupt, minimize, compare, or immediately offer an explanation.

You don’t have to have experienced something personally to recognize that it matters. You don’t have to understand every aspect of someone’s pain before you can respond with compassion.

Empathy asks us to make room for perspectives beyond our own.

It also asks us to remember that the people behind these headlines are not merely names in a news cycle. They are human beings with families, friends, hopes, plans, and lives that mattered.

Their stories deserve more than a moment of outrage before we move on to the next headline.

8. Keep Showing Up After the Headlines Fade

This may be one of the most important parts of allyship.

It’s easy to feel motivated when an issue is dominating the news and everyone around us is talking about it. The harder work is continuing to pay attention once the conversation becomes less visible.

Keep learning. Keep supporting organizations doing meaningful work. Keep having conversations. Keep examining policies and practices in your own community.

Progress rarely happens all at once, and meaningful change requires sustained effort. One social media post or one difficult conversation won’t solve everything, but neither should we underestimate the importance of consistent action over time.

The work cannot end when the hashtag disappears.

Resources for Learning and Taking Action

If you’re wondering where to begin, here are a few places to start.

• Black Lives Matter: Visit the Black Lives Matter website to learn more about the movement, its work, and ways to get involved.
• Films and Documentaries: Explore films that examine the African American experience, racial injustice, and civil rights. You can also revisit my previous article, 7 Movies to Watch During Black History Month, for recommendations. Check the original post for the specific film list.
• Books by Black Authors: Make room on your reading list for Black writers across fiction, history, memoir, essays, and social commentary. Antoinette Scully of Black and Bookish has also shared comprehensive reading recommendations worth exploring.
• Local Organizations: Research community groups, civil rights organizations, and grassroots initiatives in your area to find opportunities to volunteer, donate, or participate.
• Credible News and Educational Sources: Read beyond headlines, compare reputable sources, and seek out work by Black journalists, scholars, historians, and educators.

These are starting points, not a complete list. Continue exploring, ask questions, and seek out resources that help you better understand both the history and the present.

We Have a Responsibility to Do Better

I don’t have all the answers. I don’t think any one person does.

But I do believe that we have a responsibility to pay attention, to listen, and to be willing to do better when we’re confronted with injustice.

It’s understandable to feel overwhelmed by the scale of what needs to change. Anger, grief, frustration, and exhaustion are all human responses to witnessing suffering and feeling uncertain about what comes next.

We can acknowledge those feelings without allowing them to become reasons for inaction.

We can recognize that progress may be slow without accepting that change is impossible. We can have difficult conversations without expecting them to resolve every disagreement. And we can support one another while remaining accountable for the ways we contribute to the world around us.

Most importantly, we can remember that this work does not belong to one community alone. It requires people across backgrounds, identities, and political affiliations to confront injustice and help build something better.

We owe that much to the people whose lives have been lost, to the families who continue to grieve, and to the generations who deserve a future in which dignity, safety, and equal treatment are not privileges reserved for some.

Action comes from all of us working together to create long-overdue change.

Let’s keep listening. Let’s keep learning. Let’s keep showing up. And let’s make sure our commitment to justice lasts longer than the news cycle. ✊🏻✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿

What resources, organizations, or actions have helped you learn more about racial injustice?