THE WORK IS WORTH THE STRUGGLE

Dear White Friends, 

The work of anti-racism calls us to risk the privilege we receive with our skin. 

This means that people will 

—Lash out at you. —Threaten your business, position, reputation. 

—Attempt to bully you into silence. —Attempt to shame you.

—Snarl at you

—Accuse you of “reverse racism” (not a thing, btw)

—Take your words out of context

—Make parody twitter accounts and tweet profane stuff you didn’t say and pictures that you weren’t in

—Send letters to you family members, jobs, the jobs of your family members

—Call you a troll

—Uninvite you to events

Personally, I have experienced all of that and more...even to the point of having credible death threats made by white supremacist groups. My feelings have been hurt and I’ve been profoundly disappointed with white people I loved. I have even been afraid.  This is par for the course. Just another day for operation #DismantleTheSystem

The work is worth the struggle. 

Matt. 5:11-12 “Blessed are you when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

If you aren’t willing to risk everything, you haven’t risked anything at all. If you cry about what you’ve lost, or brag about what you’ve risked,  you are making yourself the center of the work and have not actually done the work. I know this is hard. But you can do hard things. It’s not nearly as hard as living while black in America. 

So, suck it up, Buttercup! 

#TheWorkIsAllDivine #DismantleTheSystem #DeepAbidingLoveForHumankind