A Note to White Allies

Fellow white allies – we MUST speak up.

Being afraid to say the wrong thing often means we don’t say anything, and we don’t take risks to use our power to stand up for those with less power. This silence then upholds the very power dynamic that makes our voices as allies so important.

That’s why silence is violence, and inaction and neutrality maintain the status quo. That’s why not being racist isn’t enough, we must be actively anti-racist. While it’s hard to figure out what to say, we have to try.

This may feel even harder in the face of choice, because we have the choice of staying silent when others have no choice and no easier alternative. It should not be the responsibility of the black community to struggle alone to find the words to help others understand how racial inequity is not right.

We as allys should be next to them, doing the work to not only listen, and learn, and think, but also to put words to our support of them and of the changes we wish to see in our communities. Without using our voices, we’ve stopped short of taking meaningful action.

I encourage you to take some risks, like many black people are doing, to speak out in support of a more diverse and inclusive community in personal finance and the world at large. Yes, you may say the wrong thing. Yes, you may lose readers or sponsors or a little bit of money.

But acknowledging that you are in a better position to take those risks than the others who already have, I hope, will inspire you to have the courage to speak.

While you work to develop the right words, you can elevate the voices, perspectives, and platforms of black people by sharing their thoughts and work.

You can also look at your own platforms and take action to make them more inclusive to a diverse community by acknowledging the role that factors like race have on personal finance and examining past work to see if it was unconsciously biased & making the appropriate changes.

I don’t have the “right” words, but I will continue to speak out. And my intent is to help you see that there are ways to move forward & use your platform to create real change. There are risks involved, but nothing worth fighting for is ever easy.

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