MLK Day

I hope everyone is enjoying this day off of school and (maybe) work. While a lot of people view this as just another day off, I’m grateful for friends and family that encourage me to take the time to educate myself on race, politics, and history. I know this is something I should be doing every single day, but because today is MLK Day I’ve made sure to set aside a moment of introspection and research for myself.

I don’t have all the answers about race in America. I actually don’t have many at all. I’m by no means an expert. I’ve tried hard to listen more than I talk when it comes to the things I don’t fully understand how to talk about. I think the article White People Assume Niceness is the Answer To Racial Inequality. It’s Not. by Robin diAngelo sums up this feeling well in this quote:

I am white. As an academic, consultant and writer on white racial identity and race relations, I speak daily with other white people about the meaning of race in our lives. These conversations are critical because, by virtually every measure, racial inequality persists, and institutions continue to be overwhelmingly controlled by white people. While most of us see ourselves as “not racist”, we continue to reproduce racist outcomes and live segregated lives….If I cannot tell you what it means to be white, I cannot understand what it means not to be white. I will be unable to bear witness to, much less affirm, an alternate racial experience. I will lack the critical thinking and skills to navigate racial tensions in constructive ways…We can begin [to support racial equality] by acknowledging ourselves as racial beings with a particular and limited perspective on race. We can attempt to understand the racial realities of people of color through authentic interaction rather than through the media or through unequal relationships. 

This weekend, I browsed the internet for articles on race in America. I hope you’re not surprised that I found many, many articles, news reports, YouTube videos, Facebook posts, and various other web-based writings on the subject.

I thought this article, talking about the way Americans perceive the word ‘racist’, very interesting. I personally had not thought about that word that way before.

On the other side of the political spectrum, Forbes came out with their own article on racism this time last year.

And to wrap up this week’s post, I have an article for you about Black Burnout. I wasn’t aware that someone else’s definition of burnout could be different than mine. I’d always assumed it was the same feeling, happening for the same reasons, and ending in the same way. I’d read an earlier article from Buzzfeed writer Anne Peterson about millennials being the burnout generation and intensely related to the scenarios and feelings she described. I’m so glad that someone else decided to write a follow up article from their perspective because otherwise I wouldn’t have known there was a difference.

I hope you enjoyed the articles and the discussions they may prompt. Some may find them enlightening, some inflammatory, and others dismissive. Feel free to talk about your thoughts and reactions in the comments section below.