“Listen to Black People” Is 100 Percent Correct— and Not Enough
Amplifying Black voices is critical, but remember, it’s not their job to teach us
Let me be clear. For white supremacy to end and for multiracial democracy to triumph, white folks will have to learn to listen to Black and Brown peoples, trust that they know their lives better than we do, and follow their lead in the movement for collective liberation.
I have said this for all of the thirty-plus years I have been engaged in the struggle, and it’s the first thing I say whenever asked, as I often am, “what should white people do to engage in true solidarity?” As one can tell from dozens of other think pieces on this platform, and from many a social media commentary since the murder of George Floyd, it’s an idea that appears to be pretty central to most all notions of legitimate white anti-racism. And that’s a good thing.
But something is troubling about the way aspiring allies occasionally push this concept. Telling other white people to listen to Black people is essential. And amplifying their voices on social media and elsewhere is even better. But then refusing to share your own insights or learnings with other white folks for fear this will “re-center whiteness” or your white voice, though it may appear radical, or at least…
