Black Lives Matter + Pride Month

Where do I begin?

I have a few thoughts I would like to share about the recent events. First off, I feel a little embarrassed that it has taken us all this long to bring this much attention to such an important issue. Late is better than never, but the world deserves better.

I absolutely understand that I am white, and privileged, and a heterosexual cis-woman, and these things contribute to my experience of the world. However, I believe that saying something is better than saying nothing, even if that something is not perfect. I know that I don’t always get it right, and I think the fear of saying the wrong thing is what keeps some of us from speaking up. So, be patient with me. I’m learning with everyone else (and I realize that it’s a privilege to educate myself about racism, instead of having to live through it).

I know a few basics: discrimination is wrong. Always. Treating people differently based on their abilities, race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, etc. is not okay. We are all different and that’s what makes the world a better place, in my opinion. If everyone was the same, it would be a boring place to live. We should celebrate each other’s differences, not condemn them.

Black Lives Matter. Those of us that are privileged must actively fight against unconscious biases and stand up for what is right. Everyone deserves to be treated with kindness and respect. Everyone deserves to feel safe. It’s when those in privileged positions stay silent that we fail those that are in marginalized groups.

I think we need to continue to have uncomfortable conversations. I am proud to say that my husband and I have had a few great conversations around the dinner table recently about race and the current events. We don’t have all the answers, but at least we are talking about it.

I like to learn about brain science and psychology, and there’s something called confirmation bias. It means that we as humans look for things to confirm what we already believe to be true. If we think the sky is blue, we are going to look for the sky to be blue and we are going to discount or disregard any evidence saying the sky is red or purple. If we think blondes are dumb or women are bad drivers, we are going to look for evidence to support that view.

I think it’s smart for us to question our beliefs, especially when we are stereotyping large groups. There is also brain science that suggests that if you know only one person of a group, you think the qualities of that person represent the larger group. If you’ve only ever met one Texas Tech fan, and they were loud and obnoxious, you might think all Texas Tech fans are that way. These principles apply to race and gender and so on. Let’s be careful about stereotypes and labels, and leave room for people to be themselves.

June is Pride Month, and Humor & Grace also supports equal treatment and rights for all LBGTQ+ folks. I am including Pride Month in my post about Black Lives Matter not to diminish either one, but to build both up. The two issues are similar - let’s just treat everyone with kindness and respect. It should not matter the color of your skin or who you love - we are all humans and deserve to be treated as such.

Be kind. Be kind to yourself and to others. Remember, everyone is pushing a boulder up a hill. You may not see the boulder, but give everyone a little kindness and grace. Give people the benefit of the doubt and assume positive intent.