White On White Crime: Don’t Let George Floyd’s Murder Become Whitewashed

My heart is heavy with the senseless murder of George Floyd.

This last week I have seen many friends and family cry out and condemn police brutality and the injustices that Black people face in our society.

However, amongst this solidarity I have witnessed an influx on social media of “virtue signaling.”

In an article from The Washington Post titled: White people are speaking up at protests. How do we know they mean what they say? by Stacey Patton.

She states:

Are white people protesting because they are in honest solidarity — or because it helps to soothe their own conscience or assuage their guilt?

For many White Millennial’s it may feel as though we are damned if we do and damned if we don’t. BUT that IS NOT THE CASE!

Patton states further:

This movement has got to be rooted in a commitment to stop anti-black violence — not just proving individual white people are not racist.

Here is how you can stay off the growing number of “virtue signaling” lists that White people are making to call out your inactivity on social media platforms.

Ask yourself. When was the last time you just called your Black friend to shoot the shit with?”

Was it in the last week because you were being told by Facebook to check in on your Black friends? YOU DON’T have to become a Performative Ally!

And yes, posting random links and lists of anti-racist books that you have never read also falls under this category.

Change comes when YOU expand your Immediate Circle of Friends and making sure that they are a reflection of who YOU want to be.