Breathe! When they can’t, take a minute and breathe. And look around. We are NOT alone!

There are others fighting with us. Don’t allow our frustrations to blur our vision. YES there are a lot of ignorant, selfish, privileged individuals that may NEVER understand what we go through as people of color in America!

But at the same time, there are a lot that feel our pain and they are hurting too. Don’t judge the mass by the simple minded folks you see on your social media timeline. Look around and take stock of our help in the present and in the past!

In the present, look within the crowd of the current riots. Just like there are blacks within the crowds, there are plenty whites as well. The ones I saw getting pepper sprayed in the face, they were older white men. Hands raised in the air are not all black hands. Don’t get it twisted, we have help!

In the past, surely you don’t think we arrived to freedom by ourselves. Freedom riders were not all blacks. Many whites placed theirselves in harms way literally on the front lines blocking us to protect us because they knew the cops wouldn’t shoot the blacks if they stood in front of us.

And the same is for today. If those crowds were all black, chances are great, they would’ve been armed with deadly weapons that would’ve been used…instead of being armed with non-deadly items (pepper spray, gas bombs, plastic bullets, etc). Ironic right. So there is non-deadly force available. You wouldn’t know it especially when so many times only deadly force is ever used against blacks armed and unarmed…detained and those not detained.

We are still the minority and that won’t change anytime soon. But throughout our history, our progress has been fulfilled with our counterparts that know our truth, know our value, know our hearts, and they are standing with us.

My only purpose is to remind us that not all whites are racist. Not all whites agree with the treatment we are getting. They are hurting with us. I have a white work colleague/friend to inbox me how she was hurting for us after watching that video. She mentioned that she thought about my kids and the blogs I’ve written about my concern for my son, my husband, and even my daughter. Her heart was hurting. She had been crying. And she made sure I knew that she loved me and wished this stuff would stop.

For those that make our blood boil, let them continue to expose themselves. I actually love knowing whose who. It’s good to know those that are on our side and those that are not! The below is a picture I snapped of comments of a neighbor of mines. She posted a picture that said “WHITE PEOPLE. DO SOMETHING.” And below are a couple of comments that were under that picture.

There are two kinds of white people. Those for us and those against us. Never confuse the two.

Thanks for your attention. Remember you are your own competition.

Competition of 1