Motivating white people beyond Black Lives Matter yard signs

Report back from tonight's zoom gathering for the nextdoor communities of East Atlanta Village, Grant Park, and surrounding neighborhoods.

Even though 17 mostly white womyn - and one man - expressed interest in participating, not one person from the neighborhoods showed up.

Two white womyn from out of state did come onto the call and we first talked about how to motivate white people beyond the easy, comfortable place of putting up Black Lives Matter yard signs and making posters to a more difficult commitment to actively challenging racism by venturing deep onto the path of an anti-racism journey through life.

Most of our discussion then centered around the topic of change: whether anything has really changed over the past 450 years or has just morphed into different ways and means of oppression.

On the one hand, saying "nothing has changed" is repeating the mantra of those in power who say we can't do anything to change, we are powerless, hopeless, whatever we do will never work.

On the other hand knowing that certainly not enough has ever changed over all the decades and centuries this country has been in existence except the methodology, certainly we must honor the work and sacrifices of ancestors and present-day peace and justice-loving shera and hero warriors.

Now the gross injustice and violence of racism, misogyny, war has become unmasked to many of those white people previously blind and silent, which helps fuel our determination to change, to be anti-racist, pro-justice.

In conclusion, we discussed what revolution is necessary to foment real change, renewed our determination to find like-minded folks willing to tear down racism, tear down sexism, end white and male violence, to work to create the space necessary for a just country to be born, a society built on valuing and protecting all beings, honoring the sacredness of Mother Earth's life.

We will try again to invite the local Atlanta nextdoor neighborhood to the next zoom gathering in two Tuesdays, Tuesday July 21st 6pm