In anti-racism work, white people rightly defer to the leadership and accountability of people of color. In this moment, we are deferring to the leadership of Black people specifically. But what do we white people do when there are multiple Black people telling us to do different things?
Here’s the thing: Black people are not a monolith, and deferring to their leadership does not mean that we stop thinking critically. Obedience is not the answer. Liberation allows for and requires that we all show up in our messy-ass whole humanity for the work.
When you hear a call to action from a Black person, pause for a moment and think critically about the request: What is the objective of this request? Does the request achieve its objective? Why is it important? Why might you choose otherwise?
If you’re not sure, talk to a fellow white person about it, preferably one who’s been in the work for longer than you. Make a choice because you understand what you’re doing and why. “Because a Black person said so” is not a good enough reason.
You are allowed to disagree, but DO NOT ARGUE WITH BLACK PEOPLE about tactics, especially not on the internet. It’s not our place. If you disagree, walk away. Put your phone down, or call a white person. We cannot waste the time of Black people fighting for their lives with our unsolicited opinions.
Anti-racism work takes all of us, and it takes a “diversity of tactics” (a concept from Malcolm X and Howard Zinn.) That means we all show up when and how we can for a common goal, even if we have different ideas about how to get there.
Critical thinking about race is a skill and it takes practice. You might feel a sense of relief when you get instructions from a Black person, like, whew, finally, someone’s telling me how to fix this thing. But our responsibility is not simply taking orders. We have to decide how we’re going to show up for liberation.