destroyed by White people either violently or with legislation, like - Tulsa’s Greenwood District in the early 1900’s known as the “Black Wall Street”; Rosewood, Florida; The Jackson Ward in Rich- mond, Virginia; Durham, North Carolina’s Hayti District which was also referred to as the “Black Wall Street”; the “U” street area in D.C.; The Ville in St. Louis - and many more. Long-term, we will also need business and health education pro- grams, re-training programs for our people that were simply under-served by a failed K-12 educa- tional system. But these 8-demands will start us on the path to all of this beautiful future.
MY WHITE FRIENDS AND FAMILY Please … Please … Please … Shut up and
listen! You have absolutely no idea what its like to be black in this country! Quit sayin’ “I just don’t understand why they’re burning down their own neighborhood.” It sounds racist… And of course you’re not. But if you shut up and listen long enough, you just might hear a good enough rea- son to see why people have gotten mad enough to burn shit down. And I’ve also noticed an oh-too- common silence and absence of anger and out- rage over the events that led to these bouts of civil unrest from some of you. Listen to some of your close Black friends
that you know for a fact ain’t goin’ out lootin’ and burning down buildings. Because we’re your next-door neighbors, and your co-workers, grad- uated from the same schools as you, shop at the same fuckin’ stores as you, and drive the same damn model cars. And if we are telling you that we feel the exact same frustration over this racist bullshit in this country as the people you refer to as thugs, Black-looters, and Black terrorist on your TV screen - then it might be time for you to finally listen. We’ve had to live under this racist hell our
entire lives, and we’re sick of not being able to talk about it around you because it’s not a com- fortable topic for you. We’re sick of the subject of race being simply dismissed by White people with political power, police officers, co- workers/bosses, etc. - as if it’s all in our heads. Your close Black friends have simply been trying to subtly congratulate you for winning the “social prosperity lottery” - so as to not agitate you - or
lose our jobs. But you guys consistently process it as us either whining or trying to discredit your hard work. I know for sure that most of my White friends have worked their asses off for everything they have - because none of them are from true fi- nancial privilege in this country. But each of you enjoy a certain level of
good ole’ fashion, standard government issue - White Privilege. And that goes for White people who are neighbors with the Kennedy’s, or grew up in a trailer park, or a series of homeless shel- ters, on a farm in Idaho, or in the hood. And it is used to varying degrees by my different White friends and White family members. It’s usually based on the situation. Some of you call on your privilege a lot more than others, and a handful of you try to actively avoid using the advantages it provides. But my Black friends and family would call me an Uncle Tom if I didn’t mention that: “A lot of modern White people still live off the cash and property wealth of the American slave labor - even today” … 150-years ain’t as long as yall’ make it out to be! Having said all that, we still love open-
minded, modern, progressive thinkin’ White folks - and we still need ya’ help. Now, we ain’t askin’ y’all to evacuate your homes, take all ya’ family pictures and degrees off the wall, and turn ya’ house keys over to a Black family. Or forfeit your job to a Black person in 30-days, and train him/her to replace you - like we’ve had to do many times. And y’all will still get to hunt and fish, play golf, travel, etc - and live your lives as comfortable as you have to this day. But going forward, we expect that if you’re
going to continue to be part of our family and friendship groups - that you are going to have to become an ANTI-RACIST. And I suggest you sup- port this list of 8 demands. I’m personally not committed to the theory that my White friends have to choose between us and your racist friends and family, like a lot of my black friends are sug- gesting. But the Black community is in total agreement that we need our White friends to con- sistently correct your White friends and family members about racist comments and behavior in every all-white setting - even the uncomfortable ones.
We are no longer willing to watch you cele- brate and pour champagne over your heads in the
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