In light of recent events, the question on most people’s minds is, what could I do as an individual to further the cause of equal rights for black and brown citizens of the United States?

We witnessed the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police this past week and it sparked worldwide outrage. It was the ultimate breaking point. Enough is enough. There are many more victims’ names to add to the list and justice must be served, especially when it comes to police brutality and systematic racism in the United States and far beyond. 

As recently as March, police served a search warrant to the wrong home and shot Breonna Taylor eight times. In February, a white father and son killed Ahmaud Arbery in his own neighborhood while he was jogging. The list of racial injustices that people of color face on a daily basis goes on and on. 

These past weeks have highlighted how huge the issue is, even though this has been going on for over 400 years. Things have not gotten better, and we as a country cannot tolerate this systemic oppression any longer. We at  A Girl in LA stand as allies and in solidarity with Black Lives Matter.

As a white citizen, I do not know how or what it’s like to be a BIPOC. I will never know the struggles; I will never experience the discrimination. This is because of white privilege. White privilege can give white people the view that everyone in this country has equal rights because we have the same laws. However, people of color experience monumental differences, not only by the police but by ordinary citizens. Our responsibility as allies is to recognize and act upon this. 

White privilege comes with many benefits that most of us don’t think about since our system and culture treats it as the norm. I have seen my privilege in day-to-day life, such as getting out of a simple speeding ticket. If I had been a person of color, I most likely would have had a much different experience. Our system likes to pretend that this doesn’t exist. Therefore, it is our sole responsibility as a white person to confront the privilege, actively educate ourselves (and others), and be progressively anti-racist. 

We must listen to people of color and learn about their firsthand experiences. We must speak up, speak out, and challenge racism when speaking to intolerant people. We must use our social media platforms to educate others about the true reality of racism, police brutality, and inequality. (Twitter has been an amazing platform during this time, sharing so many resources and videos from the protests unseen on mainstream media). Anti-racism is a set of actions, such as calling out racist actions, words, and beliefs, no matter the cost. We can be constant and active allies to truly effect change.

I think the first thing we could do is to refrain from making assumptions as to how a person of color really feels. I cannot claim to know the struggles that people go through each and every day of their lives. What I can do is educate myself in the historical sense, but also ask questions and listen with an open mind. It is only by hearing their plight that we can begin to understand their frustration and fears. We must de-prioritize white comfort by understanding we will never be as uncomfortable in our challenge of racism as a minority person who faces it is.