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