I know everyone is tired. And racialized and marginalized communities are the most tired. We’re exhausted. I am speaking mainly as an Asian/person-of-color for this post, but from talking to my disabled, trans, LGBQIA+, WOC colleagues, we all need a break.

  1. We need a break from having to think about white supremacy and injustice all the time.
  2. We need a break from educating people and dealing with their fragilities.
  3. We need a break from having to prove ourselves over and over.
  4. We need a break from struggling to be heard.
  5. We need a break from having to keep our rage in check.
  6. And we also need a break from fighting to be seen as more than just victims and survivors of a brutal, oppressive system.

Allies, which includes all of us, but especially white colleagues, thank you for giving Black, Indigenous, AAPI, Latinx, disabled people, neurodiverse people, LGBTQIA+ time and space to rest. You do this by being loud and vocal when you see injustice and inequity to save us from having to do it ourselves. You do this by amplifying our messages, letting us vent without judgement, and “collecting” your people when they’re being ridiculous. You do this by not expecting the people most affected by injustice to jump into every conversation, and by understanding that just because we’re silent on something doesn’t mean we don’t care.

You do this also by seeing people as more than just how we are defined by and against unjust systems, by remembering we are complex individuals containing multiple facets, by asking about our hopes and dreams and hobbies and what shenanigans our kids are up to and what makes us laugh and what TV shows we’re watching.

The physical, mental, and emotional energy required to deal with inequity on a daily basis has been a lot. Thanks for tagging into the ring when you can so people who are most affected by systemic injustice and white supremacy can rest and recharge.

Read the full article about giving racialized and marginalized people a break by Vu Le at Nonprofit AF.