I am deeply saddened today by news of the mass shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in South Carolina, a crime apparently motivated by racism. Ferguson, Baltimore, Charleston—and the many places that never make national headlines. When will it end?
I am thinking of the victims, their families and friends, but also about what I can do as a White person to be a better ally to people of color and to teach my son to do the same. Racism remains a pervasive sickness in our country, and it is up to those of us born with a privileged skin color to put a stop to it. We need to speak out when we see racism, and we need to listen to the voices of people of color to better understand where racism lurks and the impact is has. Here’s just one example:
Tomorrow is Juneteenth Day, a celebration of the full legal emancipation of Black people in the U.S. Despite that milestone, we still have a long way to go.