How The Actions Of Just One Person Can End Racism

No doubt, racism is an overwhelming problem.

Systemic racism often feels big. Too big, like something we'll never be able to contain, never mind cure. Where do we even start to tackle an issue of this magnitude, especially one without any clear cut solutions? We ask ourselves, 'What could one single person do to make any kind of meaningful and lasting change anyway? And if we can't affect change, what's the point?'

At one time or another, many of us currently standing on the sidelines may have been inspired to become Black allies. Maybe we even explored the options a little bit. Checked into volunteering opportunities. Started to come up with a plan. But, something stopped us from taking the next step. Maybe we lost momentum. Maybe we got intimidated, worried that we didn't belong or wouldn't be welcome in that space with people who looked different from us. Maybe we never got started because that little voice in our head highjacked our optimism with doubts, saying that even our greatest efforts won't even matter in the end. So instead, we opt to do nothing, hoping that our thoughts and prayers will substitute for real action.

But what if we told you that the actions of just one person, say an inspiring person like you, can be the spark for an incredible amount of change. Really. There's no pressure here. You just have to commit to learning more about the anti-racism mindset. In this class of one, the first objective isn't to change the world -- it's to change your perspective. Your only goal is to begin seeing other people's experiences, not like they exist in some other universe where they don't affect you. Your aim is to understand other people's experiences like they were your own.

How? By starting super small. Maybe with some culture. A restaurant in your city or town that features the delicious home cooking of someone else's heritage. Ask about the ingredients in the recipe. Everyone loves to feed a curious person. Or start with a book. Caste by Isabel Wilkerson is a good one. Or watch a movie. When They See Us on Netflix is incredibly powerful. Observe the current events that are going on in the world right now. Ask yourself how you feel about them. Then ask yourself if you'd feel the same way if they were happening to you. Journal about what your values say about you. Decide how you want to change.

Truth is, you can stop right there. Or maybe even stop right here for now. Because you're already making changes by challenging your belief system. But, when you're ready, you might want to tap into your Spheres of Influence. You might know them already by their more informal names, like your sister, your boss or the nice lady at the bakery that always gives you the broken scone for free.

Spheres of Influence are the different areas of our lives where we may hold formal or informal power. The circles radiate out from ourselves to our family and friends to those in the greater community. And identifying them may have us realize we have even more ability to influence change than we realize. Activate just one of these areas, and we've already increased our potential of winning. Because with them, you have the power in numbers.

But it all starts with one.