The world has witnessed centuries and centuries of racism , discrimination , colonization and slavery .With a number of movements and protests throughout history demanding racial justice , with the most recent one we are witnessing today in the U.S. for the past week , after a video circulated the internet on May 25, 2020 of white police officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeling on George Floyd a man of color while he was pinned to the floor, the former police officer kept his knee on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds , 2 minutes and 53 seconds of that time occurred after Floyd became unresponsive, after telling the police officer several times that he couldn’t breathe and that he was in pain .But what we need to understand here is that George Floyd was the spark that ignited those protest and not the only reason behind them .Black people around the world especially in the U.S. have been dealing with racism and discrimination by a white washed system that looks at them as a threat or danger just because of their skin color. How many times do we read or hear about cases where a man or woman of color gets “ accidently “ killed or beaten for assuming they are on drugs , or they’re carrying a weapon or they’re dangerous regardless of their age just cause they’re black. And those cases get easily brushed away, especially if they were not filmed or they didn’t happen to go viral on social media .And of course let’s not forget to mention the modern slavery that is still occurring especially In the Arab region with the “ Kafala system” being in control of migrant worker’s lives , causing the abuse and death ( usually by suicide ) of migrant workers on a daily basis .And the list of outrageous racist acts goes on and on , but what we as non-black whether you’re white , Arab , Asian or wherever you come from do about this .

Here’s a list of things you can: 1-Educate yourself :

Learn about the history and culture of black people, learn about what is acceptable to do or say and what is Not for example: blackface, cultural appropriation etc. And when you read about their history you will know why at the point saying “All lives matter “or “if it was a white man who got killed “are not acceptable, it’s not acceptable at this point to simply act as if “it has nothing to do with the race “when every single institution in this system works according to the race. Also educate yourself about white privilege and learn the difference between that and General privileges .It is your job to educate yourself don’t wait for someone else to that for you. 2-It is not enough :

You have to know that it is not enough for you to say” I’m not racist” or “I have black friends” , do something about it take some action . It is not enough to say “I don’t see no color “instead your goal should be “I see your color, I value you , I respect you , and I will fight for your justice “. Also if you are a person who benefits from black culture and makes money out of it whether we’re talking about braids, music , dancing , style etc. …well then you have to speak up , you simply can’t love the culture and benefit from it without loving and defending their people . 3-Spread awareness :

Start with your own country, community , family and yourself . spread awareness about racial injustice , have those uncomfortable conversations whenever you in-counter someone being racist even family members , how many times do we get involved in such situations, but we don’t do anything about it to avoid trouble or awkwardness thus making this person feel as if they didn’t do anything wrong .Also, keep talking about it keep doing your work even after the attention on social media have went down 4- Don’t spread traumatic content :

I do understand that you want to talk about it and spread awareness , but you also have to consider that sharing videos of black people being abused can be traumatic and triggering to other black people . Which by the way have been affecting their mental health on so many levels and the sad part is that a lot of black people don’t realize how much weight they have been carrying on inside of them cause of constant fear and trauma until something happens and they let it out. 5-Do not center the narrative about you :

When you see disturbing content or in-counter a racist situation the last thing you should do is tell a black person about it just because you feel guilty . The last thing a black person wants to hear from you is how another black person got abused or what did someone call them , instead you do something about . I mean actions speak louder than words right? 6-What not to say :

At this point it’s better to keep our opinions to ourselves, for example don’t tell a black person how they should express their anger and hurt ,you can do that by avoiding the terms “ violence is not the answer “ , “ riots don’t work “ etc.. Again, don’t make this revolved around you , even though it’s nice to be empathetic but avoid saying “ I can’t believe this is happening “, “ I understand your frustration “ , “ I can imagine what you are going through “ because simply you don’t instead you can show support by saying how much you believe in them and that you stand by them .Checking up on your black friends , colleagues , classmates , etc.. right now means a lot , just choose your words carefully ask them how can provide support . 7-Take action :

Educating yourself and spreading awareness helps ,but its not enough. You have to take actions ! Sign petitions , donate to  and support platforms and initiatives that support black people. Get involved in organizations that work on supporting the black community .Do something that lasts for the long term.

Finally as Desmond Tutu said “ if you are neutral in situations of injustice you have chosen the side of the oppressor “ , it only takes you to be human to stand for your black brothers and sisters during their fight and use your white privilege to make their voices heard and defend them instead of using it against them .