That I’ve waited this long to publicly address the racial crisis in our country is a sure sign of my white privilege.
Unlike my friends of color, I’ve had the privilege —luxury— of “struggling” with how, as a Holistic Coach who helps women cope with decades of self-neglect, I can show up for them as our country grapples with the fallout of centuries of racial injustice.
Because I was raised in a family and a community that valued and lived racial diversity, I thought I was already “woke” as a white woman. Another sign of my white privilege.
In his book Perfect Health, Deepak Chopra tells us:
"A famous Vedic verse says, 'It is our duty to the rest of mankind to be perfectly healthy, because we are ripples in the ocean of consciousness, and when we are sick, even a little, we disrupt cosmic harmony.'"
The cold, hard, truth is: until we confront our own contribution to the systemic, institutionalized racism that has plagued this country for well over its 244 years of existence we’ll remain sick as a society, because a society is only as healthy in body, mind, and spirit, as its individual members.
As painful and uncomfortable as it may be, openly discussing racism is a necessity if we are to move through it and beyond it to a place of communal healing. Promoting holistic, body/mind wellness while leaving the scourge of racial injustice unaddressed makes me part of the problem, particularly when we are witnessing an acute phase in our country’s history as oppressor of non-white people.
Just as it is our responsibility to seek out and adopt lifestyles that can help us slow and reverse the decline of vibrant health resulting from decades of self-neglect — to self-advocate and self-research in order to reverse physical, emotional, and spiritual dis-ease, as white people it is our responsibility to educate ourselves on the issue of racial injustice. Please don’t put the onus on our friends of color; it isn’t their job.
Below is a very short list of easily accessible resources that are helping me in my journey to confront my own white privilege and prejudice; helping me to discover how I can be the best ally I can to Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color.
While I am not an expert in allyship, racism, and antiracism, I share the resources below in the hope that they can help all of us take action to address our own internalized racism; to better understand our part in systemic racism, so that we can truly begin the process of transforming this world into a place that is just and safe for all of us.
Click on the images below to access each resource.
Wishing you well, Susan
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