There's Power in these Words: Black Lives Matter

My fellow writers,

You've probably heard me say this before: Words have power.

Words have power in our writing. They have power in our speech. They have the power to oppress, degrade, manipulate, and otherwise harm. And they have the power to uplift, affirm, motivate, unite, transform, and inspire.

This is true of the words we use about ourselves, the words we use about others, and the words we use to describe the world we live in.

Which is part of the reason why I firmly and unequivocally believe in asserting these words: Black lives matter.

Racism didn't end with slavery or overt segregation, and it didn't start with the murder of George Floyd. It infiltrates every aspect of modern society, and Black people bear the physical, financial, and emotional consequences of anti-Blackness in every aspect of their lives.

Affirming the inherent worthiness of Black people's lives (in our words and our actions) is an essential component of ending racism in this country.

Racism persists, in part, because white people not unlike myself continue to invoke exclusionary words and narratives and contribute (whether consciously or not) to powerfully exclusionary systems and ideologies.

As a writer, a human being, and a white person, I believe it is my responsibility to do the work involved in un-learning the racism that we've all been taught by our culture since birth. I believe it is my responsibility to do the work of practicing anti-racism in every facet of my life.

That means, among other actions:

-Examining the words I use and the belief systems they represent so that my writing and my speech can be as inclusive as possible and don't perpetuate harmful tropes

-Actively working to understand and deconstruct the power and privilege that I possess due to the color of my skin

-Listening to, reading, and amplifying Black voices. Here is a useful reading list. Right now, I'm reading killing rage: ending racism by bell hooks. I also strongly recommend The New Jim Crow. (Here is a powerful talk from that book's author.)

-Shifting financial resources to Black-led organizations by donating to the likes of Black Lives Matter, protestor bail funds, and so on

-Refusing to participate in narratives that discredit protestors as "rioters" or "looters," when video evidence tells us over and over again that protestors have been primarily peaceful and police units have waged barbaric and unconstitutional violence against them. Instead, I affirm and uplift this narrative: Protestors' demands are just and vital

-Actively striving to be a good ally to the Black community and campaigning for a more just society in my daily actions and civic choices. If you're new to this work, here is a comprehensive resource with many varied ideas. (The intricacies of some of these tips could be debated, but I think this is a decent jumping-off point)

As writers, we all possess the power to harm and to heal through the words we use (and the ones we don't). With that power comes great responsibility to contribute to a juster, more equitable, more compassionate world.

This is hard, ongoing work that challenges the ego and the stories of equality and freedom that we've been told our whole lives. And it's essential to do it.

May the words you use be a beacon of light--