Step one: listen to women, especially women of color.
Step two: listen to non-white people when they tell us how white people screw up.
Step three: act on the things we learn when we listen.
Step four: NEVER NEVER NEVER just go along with some white person who is being a shitty garbage human because you don’t want to rock the boat. Call that shit out, and make sure they know that you won’t just stand there silently while they are racist, bigoted, homophobic, transphobic, misogynist, etc.
Step five: I’m serious about step four. These fuckholes feel empowered and protected by the silent and implied consent of other white people. Do not ever give them comfort or the feeling that they have a safe space to be racist, etc.
Step six: yeah yeah yeah free speech. That’s not the same as speech without consequences.
Step seven: Seriously, step four. You have to speak up, because when you don’t, you’re putting the burden of standing up to horrible white people on the very people they hurt and oppress.
I’d love to hear from anyone else, especially nonwhite people, who have other things to teach me and my fellow white people.
