Bringing Regina and Saira to Baltimore!

My name is Diana, my pronouns are she/her, I identify as a cis white woman and it took me until I was in my 40's to realize I was a racist. I grew up in Winnemucca, a small town nestled in Northeast Nevada. .8% of the population when I was growing up was Black/African American.

My anti-racism journey began with the murder of Freddie Gray in 2015 and it started really taking shape after the murder of George Floyd in May of 2020.

From an early age I was taught to not see color. I was taught racists were the ones burning crosses and marching in the streets. It was only when I looked myself in the mirror and stopped talking about racists as 'the others' did I begin to recognize it in myself and acknowledge my own complacency within a larger system. The 'white cocoon' I was raised in and continue to live in is by design. I am not an expert. What I am is a white woman who is willing to share my own experiences and some of my inner most thoughts. I am finally realizing how growing up in a system of white supremacy has shaped who I am and I continuously learn about the ways I uphold that system. I am NOT a bad person AND I DO have racist tendencies. I am learning. I am growing.

Reading 'White Women: Everything You Already Know About Your Own Racism and How to Do Better changed my life. The authors Regina Jackson and Sairo Rao will be in Baltimore on October 10th at 6:00 p.m. I want to invite you in helping me to raise the money to bring them to Baltimore! They will be at the Reginald Lewis Museum for a screening of the film 'Deconstructing Karen' based on the book and I hope you will join me there. This conversation is long over due and again, I invite you to help contribute to making this happen.