At an anti-racism protest, you asked teens why they were there. I’m willing to bet that 1. you’re white, and 2. you’d say you’re not racist.
But instead of joining their support, you wrote the paper about your personal dissatisfaction with their responses.
Those kids deserve your praise, not your criticism. They showed up.
We don’t experience racism. We’re white. But if we are truly against racism, we owe it to our fellow Americans to listen to their stories of discrimination.
These are heart-wrenching lunch dates.
We’re not afraid of getting shoved against a wall by security before we can show our receipt for that new sweatshirt we loved enough to wear out of the store.
We won’t get tackled at gunpoint while jogging because we look suspicious.
No one is going to charge us with their car yelling racial slurs.
We don’t have to have “the talk” when our children start driving.
We’re not afraid of leaving our homes because of the color of our skin.
We are losing our empathy. Please don’t lose yours. Show the world all lives matter by showing the world Black Lives Matter.
Because if Black lives really mattered, these protests wouldn’t be happening.
Elizabeth Goodwin
West Milford