Keep Your Foot on the Gas

via Shonda Rhimes facebook

There are a lot of memes right now declaring "what we'll remember most is not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends," and "if you're neutral about injustice you have chosen the side of the oppressor," and it's total bullshit. The latter sentiment carries some weight, but people are using it to throw shade, like if you're not screaming from the rooftops that you're an ally, you're the enemy by default. Even in these times when we should be banding together most of all, we find ways to judge and criticize each other. 

I don't talk about a lot of things on social media, and I'd like to take this time to clear something the fuck up. It's not b/c I'm not "political" or I don't care. It's b/c it's not my style. I'm the definition of non-confrontational. And while I don't harbor the small-minded views of some of our country - and leadership-  I'm not going to post something simply for the optics. I'd rather not draw attention to myself in this way and have to defend myself to ignorant bigots.

In what world is trolling people on social media who have different opinions than you ever a good idea? Studies show that when people are presented with information that challenges their convictions, they dig in their heels and double down even more, whether they are correct or not. Attacking someone from high school on their uneducated take of current events is almost always a giant waste of your time; someone posting racist/misogynist/ethnocentric words has a zero percent change of being persuaded by any wise words and facts you throw at them and is probably just waiting for someone to spar with. 

Is re-posting the same meme we're all seeing anyway really going to bring about change? Words are powerful. Social media is a great tool. But change isn't going to happen from all the out-of-context MLK quotes people are posting. Blackout Tuesday was a great way to show solidarity for the black community, but now there's backlash that it had the opposite effect, as it clogged up #blacklivesmatter and other information channels with a bunch of black squares. 

We all want to do something NOW and have change enacted NOW. This seems like the normal reaction to watching someone being murdered right in front of us. But racism is complicated. It's not just "not liking" someone with a different skin color. It's literally the foundation our country was built on. It's 400 years of inequality. It's written into our laws and policies and is going to take time to undo.

There's a long road ahead of us. It might feel hopeless at times. Obama said it better than I ever could in his speech on Tuesday: "This is a moment, and we have had moments like this before where people are paying attention. And that doesn't mean that everything will get solved, so don't get disheartened, because this is a marathon, not a sprint. But the fact that people are paying attention provides an opportunity to educate, activate, mobilize and act. And I hope we are able to seize this moment."

Post your photoshopped Nelson Mandela quote if it's going to make you feel better. But back it up with something tangible. Sign a petition. Call your local politicians. Support black-owned businesses. Donate to an organization that is improving the life of black people. Speak up when someone says something racist. Educate yourself. We can't go back to "business as usual." We shouldn't even want to.