Dear White Lady Who Commented on My Profile That Reporting Voting Records By Race Should Be Illegal Because It’s the Most Racist Thing Ever,
Thank you.
It’s really hard sometimes for me (a white person) to tell when someone is racist. When I accepted your friend request, you weren’t spewing racist garbage on your profile – you were a writer! (Like me!) And wrote sweet little romances (I write romances too)! You were probably friending me because you thought my success as a writer might help you sell books. Or maybe you saw one of my posts about balancing work and life, and that drew you in.
Thank you for showing me your ugly side, so I could block you before I inadvertently helped you in your career. As for life tips, here’s the first thing you need to know: don’t be a racist.
Thank you for reminding me that racists are sweet and nice and pleasant to those who they think are like them. They are “nice people”… except when you remind them that people of color exist. Except when they have a chance to suppress the rights of Black people to vote. Except when they vote into power politicians who speak their inner racist thoughts out loud.
Thank you for affirming my decision earlier today to donate to WokeVote.US and ColorofChange.Org and HigherHeightsLeadershipFund.org – organizations devoted to supporting progressive Black candidates for office (especially women), shifting the representation of people of color in media, and in particular, getting out the vote in grassroots efforts that combat voter suppression.
Thank you for reminding me that, for “nice people” like you, the most racist thing ever isn’t lynchings or KKK rallies or being pulled over for Driving While Black or being paid less or denied housing or jobs or loans… or being subjected to racial slurs when you’re only 14 years old and simply walking through the airport (as happened to a friend of mine’s son recently). No, the most Racist Thing Ever for “nice people” like you is being reminded that Black people exist and persist and VOTE.
Thank you for stiffening my spine and my commitment to educate myself about the systems of White Supremacy in our country (that’s MY job, not the job of my Black friends) and to keep looking for new ways to combat the bigotry that’s a cancer in the body of America.
Thank you for giving me a reason to say these things.
I won’t hold my breath waiting for you to change. I’ll use it to speak out and work to make sure people like you are put out of power… and with any luck, Black women will take their place.
Sue