Marion
Marion
Aug 23, 2017 · 1 min read

Thank you. I grew up in the south as well and can totally relate to your story of growing up. Same for me. Same arguments, same defenses. I remember learning about slavery in elementary school and being horrified. As I tried to process it with adults, including my teachers, all I got were justifications — as if it was not something to be horrified by. “Yes, but the slaves were treated so well! Yes, but the Africans were to blame as they sold their people to us! Yes, but the north is even more racist — they benefited from it just like the south!” I now live in the north and I can concur that racism is just as rampant up here — though to say “more” is pushing it — it’s the same just plays out differently. One of those differences I see is that it’s a lot easier up here to “hide” behind of a cloak of white progressive superiority. The point is not “which side is more racist” — it’s to acknowledge that ALL of us white people are complicit in this system that we created and have spent centuries justifying. We must take proactive steps to truly educate ourselves, to undo what our ancestors created, and to stop perpetuating it with our inaction and our silence.

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    Marion

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    Marion