02 LISTEN

You can’t open your mind and your mouth at the same time.

When talking about race, actively note if yours is the only voice you are hearing.

Make space for other voices especially when people of color talk about their experiences. Don’t dismiss personal beliefs or assume an individual speaks for everyone of her race or ethnicity, as no white individual is an ambassador for all white people either. And don’t assume criticism of white privilege – no matter how strongly worded – is a personal attack you need to rebut or refute.

In general, remember that your confidence in the institutions that safeguard your access to democracy, your economic prosperity, and your children’s well-being is not necessarily a confidence shared by the people of color around you. Many people of color have different views on institutions that were created to serve white society. As an example, in many states, public school funding pays less for low-income students than high-income ones, and these divides often follow racial lines.  White people are exponentially less likely to be shot during an arrest than are people of color. If you ask, you’ll likely learn many ways in which inequality affects the people who share your education, zip code, and politics—black people even have to wait longer for a car service to pick them up. And to vote.