We live in a world rife with unintentional irony.
When Katie McHugh got fired from Breitbart for Islamophobic tweets (and you KNOW it’s bad when even Breitbart is like, “Yeah, maybe you’re just a little bit TOO full of hate”) she turned to crowdfunding to help cover medical bills and living expenses while she found a new job. The funny part? She had been a vocal critic of affordable and accessible health care.
Then there’s the case of Logan Wright, who bragged on GoFundMe about beating a Mustang in an impromptu highway road race and got a $500 speeding ticket as a prize. At last count, his fundraiser had raised well over $2000. Meanwhile, black women who also have to turn to crowdfunding to raise their money for critical matters routinely get overlooked, underfunded, or outright insulted.
One might argue that McHugh got press because she was already somewhat of a public figure and Wright went viral because his post was funny (at least to a certain audience). It’s hard to imagine that a black woman in either of their positions would have gotten much support. In fact, they probably would have been vilified for being irresponsible especially if, like McHugh, they were raising money after indulging in illegal activity.
I have so many black female friends who I routinely see asking for help not for themselves, but for other people of all races and backgrounds. Black women specifically often protect others and offer nonjudgmental support in difficult situations or under extreme circumstances. Instead of reciprocating this support our society ignores or attacks them.
I believe that people who want to be allies and accomplices have a responsibility to boost those signals.
As a disabled woman on a fixed income I don’t have a lot of money to spare. When I am able to donate I give my money to black women in dire straits due to medical issues, abusive situation, or earning poverty-level wages. Even when I don’t have cash to spare, I use my privilege and my social network to provide any kind of platform for black women to get the help they need in a world that is stacked against them.
Actions speak louder than word. Providing a listening ear, words of comfort, or offering to provide emotional labor for black women by speaking out against their oppressors is important work. Just remember, black women cannot survive on camaraderie and good intentions.
Many black women are kept in untenable circumstances because they lack the privileges and unearned advantages that many of us with white skin take for granted. I urge my fellow white women to put our money where our mouth is and support the black women who routinely support us. Join a reparations group, monitor GoFundMe and share campaigns. Ask the black women in your life where you can be of service and listen what they say. Most importantly, show up.
