100 Ways White People Can Make Life Less Frustrating For People of Color

quote:

---

As someone with very low tolerance for racist bullshite, I’ve managed to surround myself with white people who are cognizant of their privilege and strive to make the world a less terrifying and frustrating place for people of color. This means that I often deal with said white people asking me what they can actually do to affect change. So here, anxious allies of the world, are 100 simple ways to be the change. It's not nearly comprehensive, but it's somewhere to start. Go forth and disrupt our harmful racial paradigm!

---

quote:

---

1. Just because you can’t see racism around you doesn’t mean it's not happening. Trust people of color’s assessment of a situation.

---

quote:

---

20. Understand that some days are even more mentally exhausting for people of color thanks to the news cycle. Try not to badger us for our opinions on the latest atrocity that has occurred. Leave us to grieve.

21. But when we do have something to say about it, listen.

---

quote:

---

30. Refuse to go to club nights or drag shows or burlesque nights that use culturally appropriative acts.

---

quote:

---

31. If you have kids, buy them dolls of color and books with characters of color.

---

quote:

---

35. If you’re upper or middle class try to avoid moving into an area that has historically been populated by low-income people of color. Gentrification tears communities apart.

---

quote:

---

46. Don’t touch our fricking hair.

---

quote:

---

47. If you have a Black girlfriend, please make sure that your shower is always adequately stocked with conditioner. Never that 2-in-1 stuff!!! We beg you.

---

quote:

---

56. If you have a partner of color or children of color, trust and believe that you can still be racist. You’re not exempt. If anything, you have even more of a duty to examine your behavior for the benefit of your loved ones.

---

quote:

---

59. Look around your workplace—are the only people of color cleaners or assistants? What can you do to change that? (The answer is almost never “nothing.”)

---

quote:

---

60. If someone asks you to fill a role that you think a person of color would be better suited for, recommend a talented person of color who you know and forego the position yourself.

---

quote:

---

61. Don’t make us be the de facto diversity guy at work. Or at least pay us extra to do the labor of diversifying the workplace.

---

quote:

---

62. Refuse to speak on an all-white panel. Regardless of the topic.

---

quote:

---

67. Don’t say things like “there are two sides to every story!” or play devil’s advocate when it comes to conversations about race.

---

quote:

---

69. It’s never useful to say stuff like, “But what about the white working class!!!” Have you thought about non-white working class people’s needs?

---

quote:

---

73. Be cognizant of how your whiteness could be weaponized against Black people. i.e. white women, don’t play into stereotypes about Black men being inherently threatening to you. It gets Black men killed. See: Emmett Till.

---

quote:

---

75. Record police encounters you see involving Black people.

---

quote:

---

78. If you have ever thought a phrase like “Black lives matter” is too assertive, consider why you’re so uncomfortable with Black people standing up for our humanity.

---

quote:

---

80. If you haven’t seen Get Out, watch Get Out. Understand that the everyday horror is real.

---

quote:

---

82. Don’t have dreadlocks if you’re not Black, just don’t. Beyond being offensive, it’s just not suited to your hair type. Do literally anything else with your hair.

---

quote:

---

89. Understand that America has what it has because it stole land from indigenous people and stole people from Africa.

---

quote:

---

92.Think about how race is operating even when people of color aren’t around. Be cognizant of it wherever you are, whichever situation you’re in. People of color have to, so should you.

---

quote:

---

93. Remember that your queerness/womanhood/transness/class background/disability doesn’t exclude you from white privilege.

---

quote:

---

96. Understand that nothing in your life has been untouched by your whiteness. Everything you have would have been harder to come by if you had not been born white.

---

quote:

---

97. Be grateful for the lesson when you’re called out on racism, getting defensive won’t help.

---

quote:

---

98. Move past your white guilt. Guilt is an unproductive emotion. Don’t sit there mired in woe, just be better.

---