privilege and responsibility [part 2/3]

““Privilege” comes with “responsibility.””

This means, enjoying more privilege, equals taking more responsibility.

Responsibility can be seen as “response-ability.”  

The ability to respond.

So let’s do it.

Now, for those who excuse themselves from any action; for those who say “the problem is too deep… too great… change won’t happen anytime soon...”
I suggest the following:

It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it (Mishna Avot 3:16)

“It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it.”

— Mishna Avot 3:16, Talmud

HOW TO SHOW RESPONSE-ABILITY

Here are but a few small examples how we can (and will) respond.  

Send us your suggestions (here) and join us for future conversations (stay tuned).

EMPATHIZE and SUPPORT

Tune-in to the experience of black people.  

Have courageous conversations
Converse and connect with young people, teens and adults, friends, colleagues, neighbors and other people you meet.

Listen to the untold stories, unspoken experiences and unexpressed feelings
Listen to the feelings of courage, determination, fortitude, as well as fear, frustration, stress and more (often suppressed in order to “make it.”)

Seek to understand more
Through listening, reading and learning more. Click here for more from us.

Validate the experiences of black people. 
This could be the most impactful thing; truly resuscitating oxygen for individuals suppressing their lived reality.

“Just “validating” a person’s lived experience,
can be “resuscitating oxygen”
especially for people who suppress their lived reality.

They can breathe again.”

— Uri Schneider

EMPOWER and ADVOCATE

Pass the mic to black people so their voice is heard. 
Find ways to share your platform or opportunity to give black people a fair chance to share their story, to step-up-to-the-plate and have a turn to play.  (See short clips of two of our heroes, Stephen Miller and Frankie Jones, features in our first film “Transcending Stuttering” )

Teach children to fight hate - young people in your family, your students and your community.
One guide is Anti-Racism for Kids: An Age-by-Age Guide to Fighting Hate from Parents.com

Wherever you are, be a voice-of-consciousness. 
Speak-up In your own world - at home, at school, with friends and at work.  Speak-up for what is right, and hold other people accountable when you hear their words of racism, bigotry and injustice.  (And if you’re not sure whether it is or it isn’t, that probably suggests it is.)

“If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.”

— Free Will, Rush

A story worth telling. When Mike Brown apologized to me for the Holocaust. Please see what we can do... https://www.schneiderspeech.com/blog/not-equal-creative-resources-to-learn-more

Please go on to read, listen and learn more. Click here for Part 3 - resources.

black matters [part 1/3]

privilege and responsibility [part 2/3]

≠ resources [part3/3]