If you’re a white person who cares about the global majority, there’s a good chance content on social media platforms will spark something in you. In fact, that’s the purpose: to get you enraged and engaged. You’ll probably feel compelled to take action—and that’s not a bad thing. But if you haven’t already done a lot of work unpacking the ways you’ve been indoctrinated into whiteness, it’s important to ensure your activism doesn’t cause more harm.
Some advice on what NOT to do:
Forgiveness isn’t yours to give.
It’s not your job to soften criticism of MAGA folks who are just now seeing the error of their ways. Nor is it your job to counsel people who’ve been harmed to forgive the abuse they’ve suffered in order to “bring both sides together.” Forgiveness is not yours to give—those who caused harm have to do the work to earn it from the communities they’ve hurt.
Don’t be a white savior.
Just because you’re waking up to this reality doesn’t mean others haven’t been working on it for much longer. This is not your opportunity to become a white savior or start a new nonprofit. Doing so only colonizes the resistance and takes vital resources, attention, and energy from people with far more knowledge and experience. They have already analyzed the issues, the researched histories, and built communities invested in solving problems. Jumping in to lead a project on a subject you just recently learned about is classic white supremacist behavior.
Enough with the Pussy Hats and Safety-Pins!
Wearing jewelry or selling merch “for the cause” is capitalism, not community care. Stop colonizing the resistance. Real activism is about what you DO, not what you WEAR. Just stop.
Advice on what to DO:
Take a pause.
Ask yourself why you need to respond immediately to a problem as old as time. What is happening in you that’s making you feel the need to react. Is the action you want to take truly supporting those being harmed, or does it just make you feel better? A notebook can be a really helpful tool for these kinds of reflection. (Be sure to check out solid resources for unpacking whiteness listed at the end of this article!)
Look to folks who are already doing the work.
Listen to and support the needs of Black and Native American organizers, low-income, disabled, and immigrant leaders of color, and queer and trans activists of color.
Did you see the movie The Help? I didn’t. But that’s what you need to be now. Be. The. Help. You’re not the hero of this story.
If your role in this movie was Driving Miss Daisy, you would be the driver, and no, you do not get to assume the role of “magical black Negro.” What I’m trying to say her is you are a side character—you don’t have a character arc or a prominent plot line.
In fact, I take it back. You’re not even a side character. You’re behind the scenes. You’re the gaffer, the person in charge of lighting scenes. You’re the intern getting coffee. The production assistant taping down cables so the actors don’t trip. You are Kraft services, providing food.
This might feel uninspiring because you grew up watching movies where Tom Cruise goes to Japan and becomes a better samurai than Japanese people who have trained their entire lives to be samurai. (Seriously?) You’re role is not meant to be inspiring—that’s the point.
Some ideas…
This actually not that hard, but for some reason, y’all seem to have a lot of trouble thinking of ways to help. I know some of you may be asking,
“But if I’m not starting my own nonprofit or making ‘resist’ T-shirts on Etsy, what do I do?” — random white mom.
Some ways to actually be helpful: provide rides, bring food, offer free childcare, donate professional services like research, graphic design, video editing, and website support. Offer to take meeting notes, make flyers, create surveys, write emails for newsletters, reserve venues, provide IT help, provide food, donate laptops and printers, or help get copies made. That’s how you support.
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