Sunday, May 04, 2008

An open letter to my white friends

When they come for me, maybe this year, maybe the next, whenever they come for me I will need allies. I will not need people to be afraid for themselves. I will not need people to acknowledge their limitations. I will not need anyone to call my mother. I will need you, my white friends, to stand up and say "It is wrong that you do this to my black friend." Yes, refer to me as your black friend, so that no one can forget me. I do not think it will be other black people that will come for me. So you as a white person standing up for me will have an extra significance. If you need help with the idea of doing this, watch all 12 minutes of a white man standing for his black friends.

4 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

I would like to have that kinda white friend as well. "Jesus is a mad man"

9:11 AM  
Blogger Delia Christina said...

i say this to my white best friend all the time when we go to places like Wisconsin or Minnesota: "Girl, you are the only thing standing between me and some crazy country ass white person with a badge."

(father pfleger rocks; he's here in chicago and his parish won't let him go.)

10:50 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I've got your back, and you know it.

10:17 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

An open letter seems to demand a response. As one of your more caucasoid pals, let me second what anonymous had to say. Also, this is awkward, but maybe I read your opening sentence too literally... but it seemed far-fetched. I know that now places me in the category of daft white boy, and that's OK, because that's my honest response, although with a full acknowledgement that I do not know whereof I speak.

10:05 AM  

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