Monday's Opening Thought: July 5, 2021

This week’s opening thought: If you want to talk about dismantling systems and tackling societal issues but you don’t want to talk about racism, white supremacy, and generational trauma and impact as well then we have nothing to talk about. The two camps are bosom buddies. It’s six degrees or less of separation - more often less.

Wanna talk about the lack of access to clean and safe drinking water? You can’t talk about that topic without addressing how Black, Brown, Native, and Indigenous communities have been historically and currently impacted by the white supremacy and racist ideology that created these inequities.

Wanna talk about climate change? You can’t if you aren’t willing to talk about how Native and Indigenous communities in North America have had to fight for their stolen land and even conservation rights while watching colonialism and white supremacy destroy natural resources.

Wanna talk about food deserts? Poverty? Homelessness and housing insecurity? Pay disparities and earning more than a living wage? Unemployment? The ability to create and sustain generational wealth? Access to education? [Insert societal issue/hurdle to progress here]? You best be ready to talk about how those all intersect with racism, white supremacy, and systemic oppression.

Neglecting to talk about the intersections, whether consciously or unconsciously, is trafficking in white supremacy while claiming you want to dismantle white supremacy. Don’t @ me.