On The Huffington Post, Dr. Peter T. Coleman, renowned psychologist, expert in conflict resolution, and a professor in the Negotiation and Conflict Resolution program at Columbia’s School of Professional Studies, has some powerful ideas for how anyone can do work against the racism, violence, and inequality that’s dividing America.
Coleman has been working on these issues throughout his career, and he has a nuanced perspective on how white allies in particular can “increase the probability of justice and reform and decrease the probability of violence in our communities.”
There are five steps that Coleman highlights, including understanding the complicated system that leads to inequality, as there are more factors leading to these tragic stories, and recognizing your own privilege, especially white privilege and how that leads to inherent bias.
From these concepts, white allies then have to move forward by having difficult conversations about racism, while staying mindful of the best role to play in the movement.
At the end of the day, the answer is doing the work. This is not a time for indifference. It’s time to vote for the right politicians. It’s a time to talk about racism, to face difficult truths, to play a role in your community and beyond so that today’s troubles can turn into tomorrow’s history.
