Author : Alexandria Traylor | thesouthernmuse.net
The occurrence of senseless fatalities within the past five years has taken a mental, emotional, and moral strain on our country.
Tragedies have stricken our hearts with sentiments of grief, despair, and have even driven some individuals to utter disdain. Some have questioned why, while others have argued over answers and pondered upon solutions. The current climate of society is tense, however that does not mean that life changing topics such as the #BlackLivesMatter movement should be taboo.
Problems will not become solutions and solutions will not be given the opportunity to manifest into action until perspective changing conversations begin to become common place within not only the black community but with those of diverse backgrounds that we come in contact with every day.
Do not be afraid to instigate conversations about the epidemic of social and economic disparities as well as the plague of police brutality with your white “friends”. As a minority in the workplace or within a certain friend group you have the opportunity to be extremely powerful. Politics in the workplace have always been a touchy topic. It has been deemed an unfavorable subject to discuss in certain social settings.
However, nothing has ever changed by staying the same or following unspoken social norms. A teacher cannot persecute a child for being uneducated when it was their responsibility to educate them in the first place. It is our responsibility to constructively educate our counterparts with the unknown bias that some of them hold. The weight falls upon the black community to give an insider’s perspective to those who claim ignorance over empathy.
A alteration in a person’s point of view can start with the conversation that you choose to ignite. Don’t fear the response that others have who don’t look like you. Be prepared to agree to disagree, yet be confident that you have gotten the wheels turning in their minds. You may deem yourself one of the bold ones or you may not consider yourself to be courageous. If you are tired of racial iniquities, recognize the opportunity for change is now. You may not know how or where to begin the conversation. I challenge you to take a co-worker or friend out to lunch and put these ten conversation starters to use.
- Where were you when you first heard about the Dallas Police Department tragedy at the peaceful #BlackLivesMatter protest?
- How did you first hear about #AltonSterling and #PhilandoCastile?
- How do you believe instances such as #AltonSterling, #FreddyGray, and #PhilandoCastile will affect the future of our nation?
- Do you believe that there is tension between races? What are some steps that you would like to see policy influencers make?
- What do you thing the root of the #BlackLivesMatter is? Is this cause something that you could see yourself supporting if you were directly affected?
- What would you do if one of your loved ones was wrongfully killed or put in danger by someone that was supposed to protect them?
- How do you believe that the black community feels in the current state of society? Do you think we feel safe?
- Would you protest against something you did not believe in? If so, how?
- How do you think two opposing sides can work towards the similar goals of growth and peace?
- Simply, share your story. Casually share a time that you felt prejudiced against or have witnessed unequal treatment as those privileged in the exact same situation.
