As the author of this website and a woman born into White privilege, I acknowledge and understand that you are tired of explaining the inequities that are yours in American culture. I acknowledge that it is not your responsibility to teach us what we should have learned a long time ago. I’m not asking you to give us guidance. But I am here to listen when you want to talk. And if you come to trust me, I ask you to walk with me on this journey to make sure I keep the message true. Call me out if I go off course. Be honest with me about your pain and my part in creating that pain. We White people here are heading down a new path and starting a new and better journey, because we have been part of the problem for centuries and now want to be part of the solution. But we cannot do that alone—we need your insight and your sensitivity.
On this website, for your personal journey, I invite you to learn, connect, and build.
- Go to the Names tab. Find your name. Read about the meaning and origin. Know that every name on the website is the name of person of African descent. If your name is not in the repository of names, add your name by filling out the African-American Names Questionnaire.
- Go to the People tab. Search on a topic that relates to your life—music, sports, education, and so on. Find the people who share that topic with you. Search on the state in which you live or on a state in which you have lived. Find the people who have also lived in your state. Connect with someone who shares your vocation or passion or who is from your city or state. Search for a favorite historical or famous person and read the mini-bio. If you do not find that person’s bio, submit their name to be added to the website. (See #4 below.)
- Go to the RIP tab. Read about the people in your community who have lost their lives because of racial profiling, police brutality, prejudice, and hate. If you know of others, send the name to the author.
- Take Action. Become a partner in building this website. Submit names of people for mini-bios, submit titles for the resources section, and communicate with the author about issues of racial justice and with ideas for improving the website.