Please go watch Tori Washington’s latest video, addressed to white people, now. Please.

Go.

Still here? Back? Hello, then!
Someone influential to me in my youth accused me, one particular night, of coming home stoned, drunk, knocked up.
I had NEVER even: kissed someone, gotten drunk, or touched drugs.
It was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and I figured if I was going to get in trouble for something I wasn’t doing, then I may as well f-ing do it.
And so began my journey into escapism via exactly those three things, before needing professional help to get sober.

I am only one white girl, with one important person in her life breaking her down over time.
→→ now, CAN YOU IMAGINE an entire SOCIETY. A prison system. Media, news, entertainment, movies, employers, banks, landowners, lenders, educators ALL breaking down A VERY LARGE NUMBER of people over HUNDREDS OF YEARS?

What are those people going to do? They’re going to internalize those messages. And the entire system of white power-holders continues to internalize and believe these messages as true, because after all, it doesn’t inconvenience them, and it would be actually kind of more awkward and difficult to say otherwise, tbh.

So those people, who for CENTURIES have been told they’re worthless, they’re violent, they’re criminals (this person in my life actually didn’t want me wearing a hooded sweater because “gangsters wear those” and yes, that was nearly 30 years ago); these people start to believe it, or say F*** it, just like I did as a troubled youth. Except en masse. It’s like a horrible self-fulfilling prophecy.

Black people in America and the world over need support #nowmorethanever. Those individuals who can take a stand are f-ing exhausted, can you imagine?? Stand up. White, Asian, Latina/o, I don’t care, stand up. First Nations, you have so much struggle too. As a Canadian, I am sorry. I’m sorry.

Declare it: I am #antiracist.
I’ve heard from many Asians who are upset that your struggles aren’t so publicized. Let me tell you: by supporting and healing hundreds of years of racism against black people, *the end* of prejudice against all POC begins.

I need to go to sleep. I hope whoever needs to see my post, sees it. So much love to all.

Now, go watch Tori’s message.