Allie Russell

White readers: I'm so glad you're interested in this book. It is hard to see the truth sometimes when you've been living in your own "truth". Just because something is true to your experience, does not mean others are experiencing the same. It's hard for us to see from other's perspective because we've only known our own experiences. You may not think you're racist. You may have Black friends. You may think everyone is equal and the skin color doesn't matter. You're not wrong. But you don't have the whole picture. We live in a world where the color of your skin determines how others treat you, what neighborhoods you can live in, what schools you can go to, what kinds of jobs you can get. Those statements might seem false to some people because they have Black co workers and neighbors and friends. But you're not Black. You're not seeing the history of racism that permeates the policies of our country. On paper, "everyone is equal". But racism didn't end with Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech at the March on Washington. Listen to Black people when they are telling you what they've EXPERIENCED. I HIGHLY recommend How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X, Kendi for more insight into how "I don't see skin colors" isn't as progressive as you might think, and is actually a perpetuation of racism in America. It's not enough to simply be "not racist". We should actively be working to change racist policies that persist in our society.