BRATTLEBORO — Dear white people,
I am a black mother.
My children fill my heart with love and joy and fire and heat.
This is my daughter, learning to wash her face.
When I see George Floyd's face I see my daughter's eyes.
I see a little boy, a sweet sweet boy in a racialized body.
I see him learning to wash his face, I see him learning to walk, I see him being
in a white supremacist country that sees those actions as a crime, and I don't want to center whiteness anymore.
* * *
When my people die, it feels like I can't take it anymore.
They aren't separate; I see them as my children my brothers my sisters, my family.
I see them as my child...I see her eyes.
* * *
I want you to see them as your children.
I want you to be in your body in a way that speaks that, this is your child.
I want you to show up the same way you would show up if this was your child
I want you to stop saying if, and say is.
This is your child, this is your family, this is your people.
* * *
When I see my children in danger I don't get caught up in feeling defensive, fragile, or personally offended.
I protect them.
I am asking you to protect black and brown children, I am asking you to protect our black men, I am asking you to protect our black and brown bodies, the same way you protect your own children.
* * *
Don't worry that the truth is too hard for your child to handle, worry that the truth is killing black and brown children.
Please don't message black people asking them what you should do. If you have resources and support to distribute to them to support them - do that. This is not a time to access more free consulting labor.
I don't have much advice right now - I just don't want black and brown people to have to die; I don't want constantly to convince you that you should do something, that our lives might potentially be more important than your comfort.
Please allow urgency to push you to learn how to show up, raise your children, fund people of color to rewrite policy and have leadership positions, and redistribute resources.
Don't allow urgency to drive you through this process, but allow it to push you to continue to do this work without reverting back into comfort.