Be Anti-Racist.

You’re not African American in the US and so you’re feeling all kinds of things, I know I am. I feel anger, guilt, and shame, you might be feeling that too.

Wrestle with your discomfort, educate yourself on the problems, try to understand why protestors are angry, and reach out to your African American friends to show your support — even if it’s uncomfortable, do it.

If you’re a non-black person of color, especially from the Asian and South Asian communities, watch this and force yourself to deal with the discomfort of how true those statements sound to you. And then do something about it.

If you have the means, donate regularly to causes that help level the playing field.

If you don’t have the means, volunteer your time to organizations making a difference.

If you don’t have the means or time, do your civic duty by signing petitions, joining protests, voting in local and national polls, and constantly educating yourself.

Don’t expect things to be laid out in listicles so you can click through once and say you’ve done your part. Being anti-racist requires work, when you put in the work it can become part of your identity. When it’s a checklist of things to tick off, it’s easy to make it a one-off event.

I’ve spent the last few days watching videos, reading articles, and listening to perspectives from activists and black creators. I’ve learned that it will take me months to understand and support in meaningful ways. I started by listening to How to be an Anti-Racist by Ibrahim X Kendi and I’ll go from there.

And more than anything, don’t let those around you off the hook. Apathy and inaction can be as infectious as covid-19.