We are speaking to white men who want to take the next step toward becoming racial justice advocates. We are learning that African Americans are being impacted by the coronavirus at a rate far exceeding their representation in the general population, and the causes are abundant, but they can all be boiled down to systemic racism – the result of 400 years of oppression that persists in the guise of poverty, inadequate health care, chronic illnesses, living in food deserts and the list goes on.

Historically, white men, many of whose forbearers have contributed mightily to the latest injustice, have not been proportionately represented in combatting these inequities. Now is the time to see the statistics about infection and death rates – racism as a pre-existing condition – as unacceptable, and then to determine individually what your next step is to raise your own awareness and to become an anti-racist dedicated to promoting equality in whatever way works for you.

We each came to the place we occupy through different paths. Here’s how we got here:

Allen: My involvement in the racial justice movement began the day after the 2016 election. I realized that racial hostility and resentment were major factors in Donald Trump’s victory. Since then, I have been educating myself about our country’s long history of racial injustice and the effects on the lives of black people today. As I learned more, I felt compelled to take action to promote reconciliation between black and white people. I have helped organize, with black people at the center of the conversation, educational programs in libraries and community centers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire: A Conversation About Racism: Staying Curious, Moving Forward and Being Part of the Solution.”

Tom: Becoming conscious of the true history of our country while in college in the late 1960s was a revelation. Through taking classes and reading books like The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin and Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, my eyes were opened. Working in an urban renewal agency in White Plains, New York, inspired me to start a program for inner-city youth from Hartford’s South End where I was attending Trinity College. Living and working with inner-city high school students at the University of Connecticut as an Upward Bound English teacher fueled my commitment. You can’t un-know once you see the inequality and injustice. I taught what I’ve seen and learned to sixth-graders for 40 years.

Here are some roadblocks preventing many white men from becoming involved in the cause of racial justice:

• Being unaware of the history of slavery, Jim Crow, lynchings, mass incarceration, education and housing segregation, and how these historical realities harm black people in 2020.

• Believing black people are the problem.

• Fearing that acknowledging the prevalence of white privilege will require one to feel guilty about benefiting from it.

• Protecting white privilege instead of seeing the need to “privilege” everyone.

• Believing America and white men have done enough to help black people (e.g. affirmative action, the election of Barack Obama).

• Knowing that soon white people will no longer be the in the majority.

Here are some ideas for actions you can take to promote racial justice:

• Write a one-page reflection about your relationship history with black people.

• Read a book, e.g. So you want to talk about race (Ijeoma Oluo) and Just Mercy (Bryan Stevenson) or an article, “The Case for Reparations” (Ta-Nehesi Coates).

• Watch a film, e.g. “13th;” Harriet Tubman.

• Visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

• Join a racial justice organization, e.g. NAACP of Manchester, Black Heritage Trail of N.H., Poor People’s Campaign of N.H., SURJ-Showing Up For Racial Justice.

• Make amends by contributing to a racial justice organization, e.g. Black Lives Matter, Color of Change, NAACP, United Negro College Fund, Movement for Black Lives COVID-19 Mutual Aid Fund.

We white men need to take action in significant numbers if we are to end systemic racism and white supremacy from which we have benefited to the devastation of black people. There is no time to waste.

I am a racial justice advocate and on the coordinating committee of Racial Justice Rising in Greenfield. In 2018, I created, under the auspices of the UMASS/Amherst History Department (1968 B.A.; 1973 Ed.D), the inaugural James Baldwin Lecture. In 2018 and 2019, I organized, with black people at the center of the conversation, “A Conversation About Racism: Staying Curious, Moving Forward, and Being Part of the Solution” in three libraries in western Massachusetts. I have been a teacher and dean at public and private schools and colleges and universities as well as the executive director of nonprofit organizations, including the United Way of Franklin County (1987-1991), 20/20 Vision (1991-1993), a peace and environmental organization in Amherst and Washington, D.C., and the Greenfield Community College Foundation (1996-2012).

Tom Weiner is the author of three books plus a fourth one to be completed soon: Risking It All For Freedom: Little and Unknown Supporters of African Americans Since 1688. He was a teacher for 40 years and is a member of anti-racism dialogue groups. He is a graduate of Trinity College (B.A.) and the University of Massachusetts (Masters in Education).

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