I’ve started about a hundred blog posts about Black Lives Matter, and Pride month.
None of them felt right.
And it FINALLY dawned on me why.
A a cis, straight, white woman, I have nothing to add to this conversation that BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) haven’t already been saying for hundreds and hundreds of years.
White people talking over BIPOC is part of the problem!
That definitely doesn’t mean I’m off the hook, though. I want to be part of the solution. Advocating for social justice aligns with the social work code of ethics, as well as my own personal morals.
I know fighting for social justice is going to take time, and commitment, and sacrifice, and a lot of self-reflection.
And yet, we all have to start somewhere. So I’m going to start by amplifying Black voices.
Start Reading This.
Between the World and Me – Book by Ta-Nehisi Coates. A heartbreaking and eye-opening letter from father to son.
Heavy: An American Memoir – Memoir by Kiese Laymon. A vulnerable account of a brilliant Black man and his relationships with his body, his mother, and his liberation.
Redefining Realness – Memoir by Janet Mock. Not only the story of growing up poor, multiracial, and transgender in America, but also, of a self-actualized woman currently living her dreams.
We Should All Be Feminists – Essay / book by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Her intersectional and affecting take on feminism in the 21st century.
1619 Podcast – Podcast hosted by Nikole Hannah-Jones. Learn through a gripping combination of storytelling and facts how the history of slavery in the U.S. continues to impact our lives today.
Still Processing – Podcast hosted by Jenna Wortham and Wesley Morris. Reflections on pop culture and media through a Black, queer lens.
With all of this said, I would love to diversify the blogs I read. If you are an LGBTQ+ and / or BIPOC writer, PLEASE comment below and let us know what your blog is about! Thank you in advance!
– Rebecca
Rebecca Ogle, LCSW, is a psychotherapist who provides compassionate tele-therapy. She helps folks heal from anxiety, depression, people-pleasing and burnout using their strengths and inner wisdom.