As someone with very low tolerance for racist bullshit, I’ve managed to surround myself with white people who are cognizant of their privilege and strive to make the world a less terrifying and frustrating place for people of color. This means that I often deal with said white people asking me what they can actually do to affect change. So here, anxious allies of the world, are 100 simple ways to be the change. It’s not nearly comprehensive, but it’s somewhere to start. Go forth and disrupt our harmful racial paradigm!
1. Just because you can’t see racism around you doesn’t mean it’s not happening. Trust people of color’s assessment of a situation.
2. Don’t assume that all people of color share the same views. We are not a monolith.
3. Don’t assume or guess people’s races. This is NOT a fun game for us.
4. If someone tells you they’re from Uganda, don’t say, “I went to Nigeria once!” Just, please.
5. Related: Don’t refer to Africa as a country. It’s a continent and it’s wildly varied. Yes. Take a moment.
6. Oh, and rest assured that literally no person of color ever wants you to get back from holiday, show off your tan and excitedly exclaim, “Look, I’m almost as dark as you!” Cease and desist.
7. Don’t assume that a person of color knows everything about their country of heritage. Do you know everything there is to know about America? Germany? Sweden? That’s what I thought.
8. Don’t assume we can run if we’re Black, do math if we’re Asian, have drinking problems if we’re indigenous…
9. Regard us as autonomous, unique individuals, not as representatives of our race.
10. Don’t make embarrassing jokes to try and be “down” with people of color. We’ll laugh at you, not with you.
11. Don’t rinse our culturally specific memes. They’re ours. Go enjoy that weird one about the plums.
12. If you’re at my house party, don’t turn off the Weeknd to put on Arctic Monkeys. (Okay this one is very specific but it happened to me once and I’m not over it. The audacity!)
13. Avoid phrases like “But I have a Black friend! I can’t be racist!” You know that’s BS as well as we do.
14. When you endlessly complain about how terrible white people are, you are being that terrible white person. Jeez.
15. Don’t say shit like, “I know what it’s like to be a person of color…I’m a ginger!”
16. Don’t question someone’s Blackness if they’re light-skinned. It’s not your place. Other Black people can make sure that light-skinned Black people are cognizant of their privilege.
17. Never try and tell a person of color what is or isn’t racist.
18. When you find instances of racist bullshit online, please don’t send it to us. We know racism exists, thanks.
19. Read something already written about it rather than coming to your friends/acquaintances of color looking for hot takes on anything and everything appropriative a Kardashian/Miley Cyrus does. We don’t wanna think about this shit 24/7!
20. Understand that some days are even more mentally exhausting for people of color thanks to the news cycle. Try not to badger us for our opinions on the latest atrocity that has occurred. Leave us to grieve.
21. But when we do have something to say about it, listen.
22. Share articles relating to the everyday experiences of race and racism written by people of color.
23. But don’t be that person who is weird and sycophantic and loves to demonstrate their wokeness constantly to the people of color around them. Be thoughtful.
24. Read books by people of color. I recommend Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde, The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander and literally everything that Junot Diaz writes for great insights into Blackness.
25. Watch shows that are created by people of color i.e. Atlanta or Insecure. (Seriously, if you haven’t seen Atlanta, you need to watch it. Now.)
26. Have a critical eye when watching TV and movies. How are they portraying people of color and why? What purpose does it serve?
27. If you go to an art gallery, notice how many works are by people of color. If it’s lacking, make some noise, send an email, query the curator. White people shouldn’t have a monopoly on what can be considered art.
28. If a character you assumed was white in a book is portrayed by an actor of color in the movie, embrace it. Whiteness is not the default.
29. Support plays written by and acted in by people of color. The world of theater is overwhelmingly white.
30. Refuse to go to club nights or drag shows or burlesque nights that use culturally appropriative acts.
31. If you have kids, buy them dolls of color and books with characters of color.
32. Support crowdfunding campaigns for cultural products created by people of color if you can.
33. Donate money to grassroots movements around you that are run by and support people of color.
34. Support small businesses owned by people of color.
35. If you’re upper or middle class try to avoid moving into an area that has historically been populated by low-income people of color. Gentrification tears communities apart.
36. Don’t assume people of color can’t speak English.
37. But also be patient if our English isn’t perfect. Are you bi/tri/multi-lingual? Probably not. It’s hard.
38. In general, just don’t assume we want to be white or want to assimilate. And don’t pressure us to do so.
39. Recognize that you can’t assume someone’s religion based on how they look. Not all South Asians and Middle Eastern people are Muslims, not all Black people are Christian, not all East Asian people are Buddhist. You get the idea.
40. Remember that not all people of color are straight.
41. Remember that people of color are not inherently more homophobic than white people.
42. People can be Black and gay and disabled and trans and middle class. Blackness is expansive. It doesn’t look one way. Keep this in mind.
43. When we talk about race, we’re not just talking about men! Repeat after me: Intersections of race and gender exist.
44. Remember that it is Black women and Native women and mixed race women who are most likely to be raped in their lifetimes in America. You cannot be an advocate against sexual violence without considering the impact of race.
