Dialogue #2: Make the commitment today.

This project intends to inspire 400 people in 2019 to make the following commitment publicly on the 400years.today website: “I commit to deconstruct white privilege and white supremacy more consistently, concretely, and constructively in myself and in our country.”

Why am I well short of 400 commitments half way through the year?  I’ve written 26 of the year’s 52 blogs detailing the length and depth of white supremacy culture.  

I am guessing individuals hesitate due to the following:

            People are busy

            People find racism particularly hard to confront

            People are unsure what the commitment actually means

I hope you’ll find the time.

I hope you’ll manage to overcome your resistance (I find reading the history helps).

I hope you’ll come to believe that you can take some of the following actions:

Speak out against racist comments or jokes.

Become more involved in cultural events that do not usually attract your own racial/ethnic group, and include family and friends.

Support institutions and patronize businesses that are owned by people of color.

Hire people of color.

Encourage and speak openly about the importance of minority representation in leadership positions.

Work to deconstruct racism imbedded in our criminal justice system and demand anti-racism training for police, district attorneys, and judges.

Increase public educational and mentoring services for traditionally marginalized communities of color, especially by demanding that the government fund after-school programs

Support nonprofits that offer scholarships to students of color, such as the United Negro College Fund.

Ask your representatives to support H. R. 40, the “Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act.”

If you can commit to any of these actions, please click here to formalize your commitment. Fill out the brief form and join the growing discussion.

Share other ideas about how you can act on your commitment and report back to the group about the progress you make or the roadblocks you confront. 

Ask others that you know if they would like to make a difference.  We need to make a difference. Another day of systemic racism is too much, and 400 years is a long time.  

Thank you.