Art by Shepard Fairey

Yesterday, I was chatting with a white person in the park. (I meet and chat with lots of people while walking my dog twice a day.) We started talking about racism. They said: This is systemic. So, there’s not a lot I can do.

WHITE PEOPLE: There is so much you can do. There is so much. And not just going to a protest with a sign.

Do you want to do the minimum? Want to do the least and then get back to your life (no disrespect — life is tough). Write to your political reps about criminal justice reform, voting reform, reparations, etc.

Next, step up — speak up when you hear microaggressions. One person in my neighborhood said, “I don’t see color.” What if I weren’t the person pushing back on that? What if it were you? What if you did your homework and you were prepared to respond to this?

One step further? Expand your social circle and your circle of work colleagues. Don’t share job opportunities and contacts or networks with only white people. Actively become inclusive.

Another step? Anti-poverty work. The system has worked for centuries to keep people of color in poverty. When people have money, they spend it on food, on housing, on education. What amount can you give that might actually represent sacrifice? Not just how much you can spare.

Next: STOP AVOIDING THE CONVERSATION, please. I know it’s upsetting. I know you hate arguments. But…