Politics begins with anti-racism work

If your politicking and your politics don’t start with anti racism - I don’t want to deal with you.

White women have awoken - sort of. Many are running for office and many are leading different organizations and many are puzzled as to where to fit in.

There are organizations all over the country fighting back against the Trump administration, registering voters, organizing mutual aid and more.

If you find yourself googling and unable to find one may I suggest that you take to social media and search in your area. The reason I say all of this is because many white women are trying to start organizations that already exist that they could fit right into. And we’re stronger when we work together.

The biggest challenge I see though is that (especially for liberal white women) many haven’t done any work yet on the inside. That’s why I started this essay exactly this way. Because many organizations in the United States have been founded and are led by non white folks. They’ve been operating for years. Because they had to. Creating community in the face of an adversarial government is a survival mechanism.

Black Americans. Indigenous Americans. Immigrant Americans. They all have different lived experiences than we white ladies do. So joining an organization that is already plugged in often means being led by a non white person. Who is LIKELY more experienced than you.

Many of us lead with our ego and I say this from experience. Ignoring the historical context of white women trying to take over movements while creating a hierarchy of some sort.

Now isn’t the time for ego. It’s the time for hard work, community, and building on systems that already work.

So if you’re a white liberal woman who is consciously or subconsciously ignoring the needs of the marginalized groups around you - it’s time to look inwards and change the vibe inside.

We all suffer under the systems of white supremacy and we all have what I like to call factory settings. Our factory settings, as white Americans, defaults to supremacistic tendencies. I’ve watched white women who claim to be anti racist default back to it as soon as they were asked to be accountable for their actions. I’ve felt my own chest tighten up in a moment of accountability. It’s our jobs as adults to learn that trigger and shut it the fuck down.

So if you feel the need to start something new so you can lead it or think that your version may be better than something that’s been around for 60, 80, or 100 years. I need you to dig in and find out why? Is it because you have more skills or is because you’ve been told and taught by the structures around you that your exceptional when you’re not.

If you’re asking why I am bringing this up now? Well I talk about racism on the left a LOT. Mostly over on TikTok and Instagram, but it’s worth talking about everywhere.

As you may or may not know, I joined the Ashley Bell Campaign for Congress. I joined her campaign because she deeply understands the racial history of our country. She deeply understands medical racism and is going to DC to fight for better medical outcomes for all of us. And she knows that rising tides bring up all ships.

You can follow along with the campaign @ashleybellforcongress on Insta and Threads and soon to be YouTube. You can sign up to donate or volunteer wherever you are in the country. I hope to see you soon at one of our volunteer trainings.