Black Bodies are Beloved*
Dear ones,
Last week in Minneapolis yet another black man, George Floyd, was killed by a police officer.
One of the basic tenets in Buddhism is do no harm.
For those of us in white bodies, doing no harm means not turning away from what is happening. Not using spirituality as a way of escaping, but using it as a way to hold and recognize the suffering of those who cannot turn away.
None of us are free until we are all free.
Right now, while we are all social distancing, it is much more difficult to do something. So we are forced to sit with it.
This is painful and challenging. It is also the work.
You will have shame come up. You will have grief rise to the surface. You will want to hide and judge yourself and others. You will compare. Try to get curious, and let the judgement go. You will get it wrong. Keep going. Shame will want to tell you to hide and stop. Don't listen to that voice. We need you in this.
Love yourself along the way.
There is learning to be done and it falls on those of us in white bodies to undo racism. We have been handed down a legacy and system from our ancestors who created it. Therefore we must undo it, and not expect those who have a knee on their neck, both literally and figuratively, to do it for us.
We cause harm. Remember: even if we have the best intentions, our impact can be harmful. Good intentions are not enough. That being said, we will always do harm. There is no way around it. Embrace that you are a mistake-maker. Forgive yourself, take accountability, and keep learning.
May we use our compassion to lift the suffering of others.
A few things to think about:
Look at your own bias. We all have internalized racism (as well as ableism/homophobia/transphobia/fatphobia/etc.) and beliefs that some bodies are better than other bodies. If you cannot see it, it's time to dig in and begin to look and read as much as possible. We need to be radically honest with ourselves right now. Remember: we are passed down many beliefs through our DNA. It's not even ours, but it's up to us to clear it.
I received a link to resources from another white woman. It's a great place to start.
Donate money. I like to donate both to larger, national organizations as well as local ones. (Click the national link to see a beautiful black boy, my son's age, singing with such clarity.)
Find other white people actually doing this work. Do not ask those who are in a brown or black body to process it with you. Especially not right now.
Listen. My most favorite teacher right now is Rev. angel Kyodo williams. You can listen to her here and here (day 5). She is one of the most loving, intelligent people I know. Because she does not side step any hard conversation, I trust her.
I'm sure I am missing so many other things, but it's a beginning. Black bodies are beloved. May we all begin to act as such.
xo Jen
*referenced from a poem written by Rev. angel Kyodo williams
