I’ve still got A LOT to learn. And I’m not always perfect at integrating new learning to replace old patterns. If you see me saying or doing something that is not good ally behavior, please call me out.
As I mentioned last week, I’m educating myself right now. And wow, is it ever a wake-up call. If you haven’t yet, please, please, PLEASE read or listen to White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin Diangelo.
I grew up sheltered segregated. I still live a very segregated life. There were very few people of color in my hometown, despite being a University town. The only minority group I remember encountering as a child were the “migrant workers”, spoken about in hushed tones with the implication that they were not desirable.
Now I live in a small city on Vancouver Island. There are three First Nations bands who call this home, and West Coast First Nations art is prominent throughout the city. That doesn’t mean the City is well integrated. There is still plenty of separation and racism. And there are relatively few other people of color here.
So while I am learning how to be anti-racist, I have very few opportunities to put that learning into practice, other than on the internet.
As a white, middle-class, cis-gendered, heterosexual woman, I have quite a lot of privilege. Yes, as a pagan and a woman, not quite as much privilege as a wealthy Christian man, however, I’m still pretty high up that food chain. I definitely feel it is my responsibility to use that privilege to be a good ally, whether that be for people of color, people in the LQBTQIA+ community, or people with disabilities. And I’m sure I’ve missed someone.
I’ve been blessed to have some very patient friends to help me understand some of the unique challenges that face genderqueer and transgender folx. I have also been blessed to have some very patient people help me to navigate First Nations protocol, though I am the first to admit I still have so much to learn there!
While I am aware of my relative privilege, and I am actively working to be more aware of the injustices and slights that others experience because of their identity, I’m not always aware of what I don’t know. I’m not always aware of things I do or say that are racist or ableist or otherwise insensitive.
So please, call me out. I will do my best to take it as constructive criticism rather than a personal attack because I want to do better, be more inclusive, and be a better ally. THIS is the way we move forward. THIS is the way we evolve.
Blessings,
Mary