Dear White People:

Many of us remember clearly the 1960s and the Civil Rights movement.  Most of us remember that there were a lot of white faces joined with black ones in the demonstrations and voter registration drives.  And, we know that white Americans died alongside black Americans in the Civil Rights era.  That difficult period made our nation stronger:  we showed that America stands for big ideas and fairness — and that we are willing to sacrifice to implement them.

But, now it appears that stirring partisan hatred of America’s first black president has reignited race issues and latent prejudice.  The blatant racism of 50 years ago was socially frowned upon until recently.  Now, it’s all over social media;  police officers have been video taped yelling racist epithets as they bring snarling dogs to peaceful demonstrations in a black community; and white protesters scream hate at black people like it was 1960 all over again! The open hostility from the right to President Obama, and to African Americans in general, presents an opportunity for the rest of us to stand up, stand together, and stand for something important again!

According to an article in The Nation magazine, titled How Trayvon Martin’s Death Launched a New Generation of Black Activism, there are many new groups that “are reviving the grassroots fight for racial equality.”  We applaud the grassroots activism, and call on Americans of all races and colors to stand together for fairness and America’s ideals.

An interesting article in AlterNet, Need a Bias Cleanse? Here’s How One Campaign Is Tackling Racial and Gender Stereotypes, offers a way “To help people unlearn biases.”  These times call for all Americans to personally “take a bias cleanse” and to question if they have hidden prejudices that they haven’t acknowledged to themselves, such as fearfulness of black males that may be at the root of the “shoot first and ask questions later” attitudes of the police and self-appointed neighborhood watch characters like George Zimmerman.

It’s time to demand an end to unfair and unequal justice under the law.  There needs to be a dismantling of the prison industrial complex, a call for the end of militarized police forces and a  demand for respectful policing.  And there must be accountability for the deaths of unarmed black men and boys.

A more fair America would also mean a real commitment to due process and protection of voting rights.   Minority communities must have equal funding of good public education and basic food security for families and children.  And jobs, jobs, JOBS!

All of us need to call for these changes …  all Americans, side by side once again in the fight together for change.

Dear White People:  THIS is our fight too!

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