Experiencing Racism Is Worse Than Being Called Racist (Believe It or Not)

We need to put more energy into stolen lives, not bruised egos

Jeanette C. Espinoza
Momentum
Published in
5 min readJul 2, 2021

--

I get it. No one wants to be called a derogatory name. We want to be regarded as kind, decent, and loving human beings.

But isn’t it more important to actually be a decent person than a terrible one who hides from accountability?

I’ve witnessed White people become enraged at the mere suggestion they may harbor racist ideals but will see injustice and not bat an eyelash. How is it that we live in a world where a label carries more weight than actual discrimination, brutality, and death?

When a person’s reputation takes precedence over humanity, what does that say about the state of this union? Are appearances more important than creating an equitable society? Or is the real concern all about perception instead of the liberation of human beings?

I’ve kept my ear to the ground since the recent national discussion on race began. It’s always been there, but it was more of a monologue than a dialogue until people started opening up about systemic racism in this country. What I’ve heard is hardly groundbreaking, but it bears repeating. If we can’t get past it, we will never make any strides in the quest for true equity.

--

--

Jeanette C. Espinoza
Momentum

Mom of 2 amazing humans | Author of 3 books, including Rock Your Crown - Amazon.com| Speaker | Activist | Creator of Jeanette’s Jewels www.jeanettecespinoza.com