2020 and 2021 may have seemed like alternate realities—like it was something from a horror movie. How many times did you look at the news and ask yourself, ‘Is this real?’
Lynchings, executions, protests, an insurrection, and the list goes on. Many of the victims have been black and brown: George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Elijah McClain. However, we could see the antisemitic sentiments of some Capitol insurrectionists on January 6, 2021. There has also been a steady rise of Asian hate and discrimination (a supreme example of this being the March 16 shooting in Atlanta).
Have you awakened? We’re in a united fight against hate. We at I Cancel That do believe that confronting America’s past is important to an anti-hate future. However, let’s talk about actions that you can take right now.
Get Involved
It seems like the more diverse the USA becomes... Sadly, the more prejudiced it becomes.
We can get unnecessarily defensive and start forming stereotypes and misconceptions about people that live next to us! In fact, in many inner-city communities—black people, in particular—have dealt with being neglected by ‘the powers that be’ despite making up the overwhelming majority. The problem is perception. When you volunteer in your local community, you will see it in a new light. You’ll cultivate empathy by understanding the culture, history, and values of your local community. Find an organization tackling any of these issues: food inequality, prejudice, legal justice, and a fair education system.
Educate Yourself
Martin Luther King Jr. said,
"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."
Fake news is part of this modern-day debacle, and while it’s true that not all news is fake, it’s essential to take some time to detach from all news; mainstream and niche. Yes.
Turn off the TV. Stop scrolling. Put down the newspaper. Instead: read a book, watch a documentary, or watch some great YouTube videos.
But—whatever you do—don’t consume just anything. Embrace something by someone that looks different and talks differently than you. Search for something that will give you a new perspective on race, equality, and society in general.
Meditate
In this modern era, you will come across a situation where you will have to make a conscientious choice not to discriminate or hate. It would be best if you are firm in your resolve to do the right thing. That means that you need to practically write or say what you’re going to do BEFORE IT HAPPENS. You have to state who you are and what your values are. You can do that in many different ways: social media, blogging, in-person conversations, or even through something like a personal notebook. At I Cancel That we use our “What Do You Cancel Today?” notepads to achieve our goals; we write down practical steps to accomplish those goals.
Together, we can cancel hate, and whatever else comes our way! But we have to try hard—really hard. When you find yourself in a nightmare, the way to get out of it is to wake up. The sooner we’re uncomfortable with this nightmarish world, the sooner we’ll wake up. We can get out of this modern nadir, but we have to wake up together.
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