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Given the situation in the US right now, we asked a few empowered women about their thoughts and feelings on the issue. One of them is entrepreneur Lua Jones, who runs ‘Dear Teenage Me’ (https://dearteenageme.com).

Here is what she shared with us:

“At school, when I was about 11, I remember being shown a video about slavery, racism and the civil rights movement. It rocked me to my core. I felt my first huge flush of white guilt. I was outraged by my own skin colour, at how people that looked like me had done such despicable things. I was knocked sideways and it stirred up in me a great ‘need’ to do something about it!

However, in reality, I did a whole lot of nothing, nothing of any repute. I simply began identifying myself as ‘non-racist’. Soon after that, I embraced everything black culture and upheld it, celebrated it, exalted it. I wanted to be on ‘their’ side. I looked to black music, language, countries for my redemption and solace and to quell this white guilt. And, as I have talked about before, in fact, what I now realise I did, was in fact to appropriate black culture. My own naive and uneducated way of attempting to be an anti-racist. I know now to do better.

Looking back, I see that I felt stopped in my plight, the plight so clear to my 11yo self who felt called to address the racial injustices of the world, and be an ally. Instead, I worried; about what others would think, whether I could even make any difference, about getting it right/wrong, or what might happen to me if I stood out in a crowd and be the only one to speak up. I was also scared of being vilified by those I was trying to ‘help’, or that I would be called-out for being racist, a ‘white saviour’ or bad feminist, and that I might lose credibility, or admittedly, even lose some of my own privileges, god forbid! Also, at play, was ultimately how much energy I needed to ‘give’ to this, when in reality I could totally ‘get away’ without addressing it, because it didn’t affect me directly. And hey, there are other battles to fight right? All this, clearly my own white fragility and privilege at play with a good ol’ dose of ‘not my problem’.

I am now seeing so many people ‘stand up’ that haven’t before. And, I am so pleased to see this happening, it’s a shame of course that it hasn’t happened sooner, but I do believe it is never too late, what matters is right now, who we are being about it RIGHT NOW, and we must stand up now!

To those who remain silent, your silence is deafening!! Because finally, this is erupting and we are already late to the party. I personally can see how much of a coward I have been. That there have been so many things that I believe in and have wanted to bring to light, and yet I’ve stood back, held my tongue and waited until others would go first, because I wanted to feel safe amongst a crowd. I have been a fraud with no conviction.

This shows me just how much it takes to be a leader, and although I identify as a leader, I often do not act as so. This is how I must do better.

And.. I am human and admittedly it is difficult to step up sometimes, so we must forgive ourselves for that – guilt is not useful here! I know that I could keep on endlessly educating myself before I act, but this is no excuse anymore, the time is now!

I have to take risks, speak up and be prepared to fail. If I get it wrong, I will learn, and I am learning.

I am committed to being a part of the solution.

I am in awe of those who stood with Malcom X and marched peacefully in 1963, knowing that their lives would be at mortal risk.

So please, white people, we need to stand up, and we need to be the MAJORITY of people marching and protesting and making these waves, and be of service to POC, using our white privilege so that they can no longer be hurt by systemic racism.

And we must act with peace. Take your egos out of the equation, do not make this situation worse, it is not about you!

The only way to overcome this plight is through love – as with anything. We must bring gentleness, understanding, innocence, goodwill, modesty, generosity, flexibility, proper principles, honesty…

White people can make a huge difference, we cannot expect POC to be always calm when the system has been hurting them for so long, they are disproportionately affected by EVERYTHING right now!

I have privilege and I will do my best to use it correctly, and though I am very upset and want to cry today over all this, I will not, because I am grateful, I know how lucky I am to be able to live with this privilege of being white in the world today, and not feel as if my life is at risk or considered to be worth less than another – every single day of my life.

I am making my own reparations and I hope you are too.”