The recent events this past weekend left me with one sentiment and a call to action which is… younger White people come get your grandfather! You know, the older White man in your family who’s racist and probably somebodies grandfather. The man in your family you pacify and casually say “he’s always been this way and doesn’t believe in change.” These type of grandfathers are the reason why America is racist! Come get them!

What I mean by the phrase, come get your grandfather…it means holding older White generations accountable about their racist mindsets. You know the type of grandfathers I’m talking about. The grandfathers who made constitutional laws and systems to oppress Black people. The grandfathers who were slave owners. The grandfathers who were super racist and glorified in statue form. Not to mention, they’re descendant energy lives on in the current grandfathers who are alive today! Hold these grandfathers accountable!

Case in point, this weekend I went to get some service work done on my car. As I am sitting in the waiting area there are two older White men talking. Two grandfathers. These two men were having a loud conversation. The conversation was so loud, I could hear them through my headphones. Now there was this one grandfather in particular… I’m calling him grandfather because I know he has kids and grandkids.

Continuing on…this grandfather began to say…

“They should be happy we brought them to America.”

“We’ve allowed them to make money, why are they so ungrateful?”

As soon as I heard “they” my ears perked up…because “they” is the term older White grandfathers commonly refer to Black people as.

The grandfather continued with…

“They want to erase our history.”

“They want to tear down statues, when our forefathers have done more for Black people then Black people have done for themselves.”

My blood was boiling from listening to his racist manifesto. I had to hold myself back from saying something. Mind you…he was sitting in between two Black people. There was a Black guy sitting on the opposite end of me. We both looked at each other and then looked at the two grandfathers sitting in between us. The “grandfathers” wouldn’t look at us.

The same grandfather then said,

“They should feel blessed we have given them opportunities.”

“Aunt Jemima makes the best syrup and they want to destroy that too.”

“And we can’t talk to them because all they do is argue, yell, and curse.”

Mid-conversation a younger White guy walked by. You could tell he was an ally. He looked at me and smirked. He continued listening to grandpa talk and then said “ohh shit” out loud. Grandfather’s conversation was getting out of control. In that very moment, the younger White guy was supposed to “get his grandfather.”

He didn’t!

Hell, the other White people sitting in the waiting area should have “gotten they’re grandfather” together. Thankfully, God and the ancestors intervened. Something distracted the grandfathers focus and the conversation changed.

Could I have said something to this older man, for sure! Was I going too, absolutely not! As a Black person, it’s not my job to educate White people about racism. I don’t have the time nor the energy. Black people didn’t create the racism/oppression existing in these Unites States of America. It is not our responsibility to educate White people on something we didn’t create. People who care to be an ally will seek to educate themselves and speak up when their grandfathers step out of line.

Holding people accountable for their actions is when the real work begins. In moments when you see the oppression happening in real time, this is when you must speak up. Small actions like holding people accountable is how we continue to make change!

Speaking of holding people accountable, Breonna Taylor still needs justice!

Until next time,

-Peach