Its Time To Call Out Passive White America

Laqwanda Roberts-Buckley, LMSW

Executive Director 

​I know I’m not alone in watching the bullshit that took place yesterday with my mouth wide open. My thoughts were like most If these were Black Lives Matters protestors, we would have been slaughtered. We witnessed racism and white privilege in its purest form yesterday. Domestic terrorists attacked the U.S. Capitol, and nothing was done for hours. 

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As I watched in both disbelief and full belief that this was occurring in America, I began to wonder about the discussions of the white community. There tends to be a pattern that when other racial groups are dealing with issues this Country calls them out. For example, how many times have you heard the term “black on black crime”? And how many times have you heard Americans call for the black community to step up and do something about the issues our community might face? Its happened countless times.

​However, the language of the Country is modified when the “issues” at hand are caused by members of the white community. When members of the white community riot or demonstrate their privilege, it’s called an “American” problem or concern. We often hear calls for “unity” and us “working together” to rid the Country of racism, white privilege, and the domestic terrorism we witnessed yesterday.
 
However, I disagree 100%. This is not an “American” problem. This is a problem within the white community that they completely ignore. The white community has passively dealt with the racism that members of their community project onto others since they first stepped on this stolen land. The white community slaughtered Indigenous people, stole & enslaved African people, and has profited from the evil they have projected upon any other racial group in this Country. The white community has refused acknowledge their ancestors’ role in the development of systematic and generational racism which led to the displays of domestic terrorism that we witnessed yesterday.
 
The white community has a problem, and it is much deeper than what we witnessed yesterday. This community has become so passive that it utilized the energy of other racial groups to challenge the racism that it creates. In other words, they don’t actively fight racism. Instead, they passively interact with the causes and movements established by other racial groups. This community does not take ownership for the bullshit its members do.

​This community will come around black folks like myself to talk about the events that took place at the Capitol in shock and disbelief. However, they will NOT speak up when they witness racism, discrimination, or inequality in the workplace. They will NOT correct that family member who is out of line. They will hear the stories of the domestic terrorists as they go back to work and remain silent. Instead, some members of the white community would rather hide among Black Lives Matter protestors to give off the perception that they are fighting for change THAN go home and challenge the blatant racism they hear Sunday morning at Church.
 
Allow me to be very clear to members of the white community, you cannot say BLACK LIVES MATTER if you have not challenged the group of racists that you know personally. You cannot call for peace and unity when you have not stepped up and called out YOUR people. You cannot be passive in fighting the issues of racism embedded in the white community. So, my question to you is, will you continue to remain passive? What will you say to your fellow WHITE AMERICAN tomorrow or at church on Sunday? If the insurrection at the Capitol did not show your that wearing a shirt with a hashtag or having a sign in your yard is not enough, I don’t know what will. 

Laqwanda Roberts-Buckley, LMSW

With over 18 years of social service experience, Laqwanda Roberts-Buckley, LMSW is the Founder of Healing Black Women which serves as a safe space designed to encourage and promote all forms of wellness/healing for black women. She is also the Chief Editor of HealingBlackWomen.com. She is a Certified Life Coach and Reiki II Practitioner. She serves as Behavioral Health Specialist and is the former Director of Outreach for the National Office of Mental Health America. She is an established/nationally recognized motivational speaker and has spoken on various platforms/panels with entities such as Eventbrite, Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Austin Black Pride, Environmental Protection Agency, Council on Social Work Minority Fellowship Program, Kaiser Permanente, and Entrepreneurs’ Organization to name a few. As a Mental Wellness Advocate, Laqwanda serves on the Board of Directors for NAMI Northern VA and RPSV, Inc. Instagram: @Laqwanda