WHITE FOLKS

TALKING TO
OTHER WHITE FOLKS
ABOUT WHY
#BLACKLIVESMATTER

Talking about #BlackLivesMatter and racism against Black people enforced by

police and other law enforcement can be difficult; particularly when discussing
the issue with white families, white friend groups, and white peers.
This booklet is meant to offer some support for that conversation.

HISTORY OF #BLACKLIVESMATTER MOVEMENT

The #BlackLivesMatter movement began after George Zimmerman was not charged
for killing Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teen. Organizing began online and in
Florida around the issue of how black peoples lives seem to hold less value within
the US-American society. The movement gained steam after the killing of Michael
Brown in Ferguson, MO., where #BlackLivesMatter became a unifying rallying
cry. #BlackLivesMatter is a loosely affiliated coalition with independent chapters
throughout the US and even the world. While the movement is most widely known
for their stance on police violence, #BlackLivesMatter has also focused on the
criminal justice system, the prison industrial complex, and the rising rates of murder
of black transgender women in the US.

AWARENESS OF WHITE PRIVILEGE

IN THE CONVERSATION

White privilege affects the conversation about #BlackLivesMatters and being

aware of that can help you shape conversations with other white folks. Remember
that we are allies in this conversation. The value of white lives is not contested;
we are not experiencing the same violence as people of color from our criminal
justice system. For some people, its hard to understand an issue they have not
experienced. They may believe, Well, Ive never seen that happen, so how often
does it really happen? The statistics in this booklet may help you respond to that.
White privilege also shapes when and how often we talk about #BlackLivesMatter.
We have the ability to walk away from conversations. Since we dont experience
the violence, we can more easily say, I cant worry about this right now, or Im
tired of talking about this.
But its complicated. While you may be a white person, there are other layers
of privilege that come with different identities. You may have been harassed by
police because of another identity, but not because of your whiteness. We can
recognize that and still support Black people who experience racial violence. In
fact, recognizing both experiences increases support for reforms across the board.

#BLACKLIVESMATTER DOES NOT MEAN ANTI-POLICE

Some folks resist or dislike the #BlackLivesMatter movement because they view it
as an anti-police movement, and they sympathize with the police because of the
danger that police put themselves in every day when they put on their uniform.
However, police are given much more power, and (in the words of Spider-mans
Uncle Ben), with great power comes great responsibility. #BlackLivesMatter wants
to institute checks and balances to the system (such as police body cams, civilian
oversight committees, and limiting the use of force). #BlackLivesMatter focuses on
changing the system, instead of individual police officers, many who responsibly
do their job.

ALL LIVES MATTER

Yes, All Lives Matter. However, saying Black Lives Matter does not undermine that.
The reality is that in this current moment, and historically, in the US and around the
world the value of Black lives has been undervalued, exploited, or non-existent.
As the comic below illustrates, all lives do matter, but in this moment our Black
friends, family, peers, and community are suffering from violence and injustice.
#BlackLivesMatter is a powerful statement and tool that draws attention to specific
violence against Black folks. If all lives matter, then proudly claiming that Black
Lives Matter should not be an issue.

BUT BLACK-ON-BLACK CRIME

When confronted with #BlackLivesMatter statistics and discussions, many white
people ask, but what about Black-on-Black crime? While it is true that Black
US-Americans are more likely to be killed by another Black person than a white
person or by the police, there are countless examples of organizations, initiatives,
and protests aimed at ending Black-on-Black crime. Protests and marches against
crime within Black communities have happened for years in Chicago, Baltimore,
New York, and DC. Initiatives from anti-gang task forces to President Obamas My
Brothers Keeper program to the Million Man March include discussions and plans
to curb violence within Black communities. Discussing and addressing violence
from police does not in any way negate long term conversations that have been
happening within Black communities for decades.

THE STATISTICS

As countless stories come into national focus around police violence and racial
discrimination, white folks tend to view these as individual incidents. Statistics can
help show how these incidents are not isolated, but pieces of a larger systemic issue.
While there are no official statistics on people killed by police, a nationwide
report, Killed by Police estimates that between January 1, 2016 and July 9,
2016 610 people have been killed by police.2

In the entire history of Iceland, police have only killed 1 person ever.3

While police actually kill more whites than Blacks each year, Black victims of
police violence are twice as likely to be unarmed than white victims.4

Black people are nearly 1 million of the total 2.3 million incarcerated people
in the US.5

Black people serve virtually as much time in prison for nonviolent drug offenses
(57.2 months) as whites do for a violent offense (58.8 months).6

25% of the worlds prisoners are US-American, though US-Americans represent

only 5% of the worlds population.7

The average life expectancy for a Black transwoman in the US is 35 years old.8

According to the NAACP, Zero Tolerance policies have an adverse affect

on Black children. 35% of Black children grades 7-12 have been suspended or
expelled at some point in their school careers compared to 20% of Hispanics
and 15% of whites.

http://killedbypolice.net/
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-25190119#TWEET972719
4
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jun/01/Black-americans-killed-by-police-analysis
5
http://www.naacp.org/pages/criminal-justice-fact-sheet
6
http://www.sentencingproject.org/doc/publications/inc_federalprisonpop.pdf
7
http://www.naacp.org/pages/criminal-justice-fact-sheet
8
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/addison-rose-vincent/the-state-of-emergency-co_b_7981580.html
3

WHAT CAN WHITE PEOPLE DO TO SUPPORT

#BLACKLIVESMATTER?

Keep listening & learning. By staying informed from media and #BlackLivesMatter,
we keep ourselves engaged in the issue.

Start new conversations. Having conversations about #BlackLivesMatter with

your friends and family, especially white friends & family, can be hard. White
allies can use their privilege to bring racial justice conversations into places
where they may not have happened before.

Honor Black experiences & make room for Black voices. When people of color
talk about their experiences with discrimination, it is important to respect those
experiences by not reframing them. Dont says things like, Well that was just
one time, or Im sure they werent trying to be racist. In group settings, white
people can also make sure that white people dont dominate the conversation
by leaving space for people of color to contribute.

Start a coalition of white anti-racists. If you would like to keep having

conversations with fellow white allies to unpack privilege, ask questions, and
process, you could start a coalition for fellow white allies interested in antiracist work.

Advocate with others. Connect with local organizations and movements so

that you can support collective actions for change, such as Black Action Now
(https://www.facebook.com/Blackactionnow), Black Lives Matter RVA (https://
www.facebook.com/BlackLivesMatterRVA) and Southerners On New Ground
(http://southernersonnewground.org/).

WHAT WHITE FOLKS AND NON-BLACK POC NEED TO

UNDERSTAND ABOUT SYSTEMIC RACISM:
Listen to what Black people have to say

Feigning colorblindness is not helpful; it can actually be downright insulting

Knowing a Black person is not the same as BEING a Black person

Stop telling Black people what violence will or will not solve

Do not compare black-on-black crime to state-sanctioned violence

Do not expect applause for being an ally

Black people are not here to educate you about racism or systemic inequality

(http://www.forharriet.com/2015/04/what-white-folks-and-non-black-poc-need.html#axzz4DwVJh1gE)

ADVICE FOR WHITE FOLKS IN THE WAKE OF THE

POLICE MURDER OF A BLACK PERSON

If youre White, dont look to your friends of color for answers right now.

What happened to Alton Sterling and Philando Castile is, in fact, about race.

Be aware of a few standard, and racist, media tropes about Black victims.

As a White person, you are in a unique position to influence the perspectives

of other White people.

1.

11 THINGS WHITE PEOPLE CAN DO

TO BE REAL ANTI-RACIST ALLIES

White people should recognize that the best way to be good allies is to go
work among their own people (white people) to create more allies.whether
in the grocery store or the boardroom. - Brittney Cooper, co-founder of the
Crunk Feminist Collective, regular contributor to Salon, Assistant Professor of
Womens and Gender Studies and Africana Studies at Rutgers

2. ....Racial justice organizing is not about confessing race privilege, saying all
the right radical things and trying to avoid offending people of color. Its about
building social movements that can dismantle white supremacy. Everyone needs
to do that work. - Andrea Lee Smith, co-founder INCITE! Women of Color
Against Violence, Boarding School Healing Project and the Chicago chapter
of Women of All Red Nations
3. Understand that whiteness is an asset, something owned and embodied.
it allows them far more mobility, comfort and safety than those without it.
- Sylvia Chan-Malik, Assistant Professor of American Studies and Womens
and Gender Studies at Rutgers
4. ....I ask [my students] to look at their relationship with language. Every time they
are texting, tweeting or Facebooking, they are making choices about words and
the stories we tell about race. What are you noticing about headlines when the
police kill another black teenager? Is the teen described as a kid on his way
to college or as a black male? I try to raise awareness that were trafficking
in racial ideology 24-7 onlineand that we can change the direction of these
conversations every time we hit comment. - Daisy Hernndez, author of A
Cup of Water Under My Bed: A Memoir, Kenan Visiting Writer at University of
North Carolina-Chapel Hill

5. Stop talking for a minute and just listen: Comparing the situation a person
of color is in to some personal anecdote of yours is not as constructive
as you think it is. Do not think that your innate wisdom or some personal
experience has prepared you for a discussion. Do some research before
trying to engage in a conversation, preferably written by a person color....
- Kara Brown, staff writer, Jezebel
6. Read a book. Its cheaper than taking a classits free if youve got a library
cardand its infinitely better than trying to educate yourself third- or fourthhand by bugging people with questions on Twitter. And asking your black
friend or Asian friend what books theyd recommend will probably be received
a lot better than asking them to explain race to you right then and there.
- Arthur Chu, regular contributor to Salon, Daily Beast and Thought Catalog
and 11-time Jeopardy champion
7. Dear White Allies, You know that mental list you have of all your best black
friends, the non-white exes that you are still good friends with, the childhood
memories more painful than those of people of color, and all the superficial
reasons why you just love everyone for who they are? Now come up
with a list of equal length of books, essays and writings youve read about
white privilege written by people of color. Cant find them? Check Google.
- Kristina Wong, performance artist and comedian
8. I think among the most pressingly crucial concepts for white allies to consider
is not simply the privilege and power they possess in a system that favors,
elevates and rewards that privilege and power, but what it would mean or
look like to take that privilege and power down a notch, or maybe a few
notches. Because operating at even a privilege deficit for white people is still
operating from a vantage point. I dont mean give up your Pottery Barn rugs,
and I definitely dont mean feigning deference toward black magical magic
(despite our obvious magical magic). I mean cultivate racial consciousness in
ways that will inform your intellect and language, and greatly affect the way
you interact with black folks.And finally speaking of young black people,
Hunger Games actress Amandla Stenberg was recently quoted as saying:
What if we loved black people as much as we loved black culture? Think
about that. Every day. - Rebecca Carroll, op-ed writer for the Guardian and
director of digital media & marketing at Scenarios USA

9. Even this roundup is advice from people of color to white allies. If one
wants to learn from other peoples experiences, there are plenty of articles
and essays with exactly that purpose. Its actually frustratingly difficult as
a writer of color who writes about race to avoid writing for white folks.
- Matthew Salesses, author of The Hundred-Year Flood, fiction editor of The
Good Men Project
10. If you have children, even very young children, talk to them about race. Dont
wait until they encounter a problem at school, among friends, or hear about
something in the news to engage them on the subject of difference. Teach them
that multiculturalism and diversity arent just about food, costumes, holidays, and
having a few brown faces in a classroom to break up the whiteness. Expose
them to books, TV and movies featuring people of color as protagonists and
heroes. - Jen Wang, co-founder DISGRASIAN
11.

Live-tweeting Ferguson to hashtagging victims of police brutalitys names

is modish but lackadaisical.Get up and protest. Understandably, protests
are inaccessible to many, but there are other options. Im a firm believer in
DIY activism, and its something with which I am actively involved. Create
somethingzines, art, podcasts, articles. You are white; use the unrivaled respect
bestowed upon you as a societal birthright to acknowledge and rectify this.
- Sarah Sahim, freelance writer and co-host of Not All Women

A COPY OF THIS HANDOUT FOR PRINTING IS AVAILBLE AT

HTTP://BIT.LY/WHITEFOLKSBLM