Afraid to Stay Silent, Terrified to Speak Up (Antiracism episode)

#131: “I’m afraid to stay silent…I’m terrified to speak up and be criticized…so what do I do?”

 

This is the #1 question I’m getting from white men.

 

White men, that is, who are feeling the urge to step off the sidelines and become actively antiracist.

 

But that first step – identifying oneself visibly – is proving harder than expected for many.

 

That’s because many are feeling caught in a Catch-22:

• If I stay silent…I’ll be criticized
• If I speak up…I’ll be criticized
• So what do I do?

 

In today’s episode, I address this question head on.

 

I’ll walk you through a roadmap - informed by antiracist teachers, leaders and authorities - on how to speak up right now.

 

In this Episode:

• A roadmap for going from silent to active support
• The definition of racial stamina and how to develop it
• Why simply believing “I’m one of the good guys” carries no weight without doing your homework
• The reasons why some businesses who are speaking out in support…are getting criticized and cancelled (hint is in the next bullet)
• The difference between “performative allyship” and “authentic allyship”
• Why you need to learn how to listen deeply to the tone and tempo of the movement

 

Resources:

• White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin Diangelo
• Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla F. Saad
• Performative Allyship vs. Authentic Allyship by Seerut K Chawla
• Anti-Racism Resources for White People