June 1st marked the beginning of my internship at National Lutheran Communities and Services at The Village at Rockville location. I am embarking on an 8 week journey and diving right into the intricacies and nuances of the senior living industry. While having no experience within the field, many questions loom through my mind and I find myself overwhelmed with the thoughts and uncertainties I have in regards to the work I am being asked to complete. Getting to know team members and discussing critical components and future plans of the organization through a computer screen with a grainy picture all while troubleshooting poor internet connection is a struggle I am sure many of us are facing today. There is something to be said about the human interaction and social conversations that occur in the workplace compared to dialogue between two computers 1,500 miles away.
“Make sure you put yourself on mute”, “Don’t ask an obvious question”, “Take all the information you can in” are common statements I make to myself in an effort, in my mind, will make me seem responsible and respectful. However, through these efforts, I am choosing to be silent and making the choice to not ask questions and provide input. I hover over the unmute microphone feature waiting for a moment of silence to jump in, but inevitably I accidentally cut someone else off and say “Oh, I’m sorry go ahead!” and eventually I am left with a multitude of questions and thoughts that I failed to ask and share. I become frustrated with myself because I did not have the confidence to speak up, but the thing is I know my words have value. However, I cannot help but to stop and think that while I know my voice has value, why is it that we as a society cannot value the voices of our Black community? It is one thing to be silent, but it is of another magnitude to be silenced.
In the recent social climate with the Black Lives Matter movement and addressing the systemic racism and social injustices that are so evident in today’s society, I learned that it has been my privilege to stay silent. However, if I have learned anything through these past few months following this movement and conversation, it is that I have to use my voice. Acknowledging my privilege and biases and the stereotypes that are so ingrained in our society’s being is one step in becoming aware of the inequalities that perpetuate the racism that exists today. An internal dialogue is crucial when addressing various injustices because society created this issue and to be more specific, white people created this issue. I have a privilege as a white woman that the Black community does not. Being a white woman, I am not exposed to the slandering comments, presumptive stereotypes, and the belittling microaggressions, but it is vital that I use my voice and privilege to support the Black community and demand change. I understand that I will never understand what it means to be a Black person in today’s society.
I have a privilege as a white woman to stay silent because my race is not at jeopardy of discrimination, but I believe it begins with acknowledging your privilege and using your voice effectively to eliminate the injustices and racism within the Black community and other communities of minorities.
Our voices are not necessarily meant to call out those who are being silent as the path they are choosing to take in creating change may look different from the way others are, but our voices are meant to amplify those who are being oppressed. Having meaningful conversations with peers, friends, and families can create a dialogue that has intentional action supporting it.
No longer will I toggle over the microphone feature in my own life in fear of speaking out instead I will use my voice effectively and productively to address my own thoughts, words, and actions, but also to have conversations with others to listen to various experiences and effect a lasting change that is integral to the progression of this country.
Now is the time to unmute ourselves all while listening and being empathetic to the voices that have been silenced for far too long.