Do You Need a Wake Up Call?

It still amazes me how many people appear to be sleeping through life. I don’t mean simply sleeping through their own life, but to what is “really” going on in the world today. I think when it comes to a deep understanding of social disparities (social justice) many people are in a coma and for some hitting the snooze button is an easier way to deny what is happening. I believe most of us have a general understanding of the “ills” within our American society such as poverity, homelessness, and maybe even racism. Yet on a deep, intimate level I believe many folks are in a coma of denial or “lack of knowing.” Maya Angelou said, “When you know better, you do better.” Sure there are many things going on in the world that I do not know about. There are even some things going on in America that I do not know about. However, I do “know” what’s going on in my own community and how whatever it is, is effecting those in the community.

The real question to ask yourself is “do I want to do better?” By doing better I mean, becoming more knowledgable and “awakened” to what is happening socially in your city, community, workplace, neighborhood and family. A second great question is, how socially conscious are you willing to become? Social consciousness is consciousness shared within a society. It can also be defined as social awareness; to be aware of the problems that different societies and communities face on a day-to-day basis; to be conscious of the difficulties and hardships of society.

What kind of hardships are women of color facing in your city? What kind of issues are women of color dealing with in your community? What barriers are women of color experiencing in your workplace? Do the women of color in your neighborhood feel welcome or are there any in your neighborhood? If you have women of color in your family what is it like for them? These are just a few questions to get the social consciousness juices flowing but there is greater, deeper personal work to be done to really become awakened to what’s happening in the world.

You might be surprised at the number of times I hear statements that suggest people are in a social consciousness coma. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. “You mean, that kind of stuff (racism/discrimination) still happens today?”

2. “I simply see people, I don’t see differences.”

3. “I think that if you just treat people with dignity and respect there’s no need to pay attention to differences.”

4. “You know, I experience discrimination too, we all do.”
(FYI – the statements above are examples of micro-aggressions, or modern racism)

I must say there are many more however those are just a few to help you see how good, well-intended people are asleep. Great relationships are built upon understanding. Therefore, it’s critical that you obtain the best understanding of what is going on with different groups of people as possible. You have to seek the “knowing” so you can be informed and aware of what may be happening in the lives of people who do not look like you. It’s not enough to say “I don’t know what’s going on.” You have the opportunity everyday to wake up and ask yourself, “how can I become more socially conscious today?” This is especially true if you work and live in a “diverse” community. Be careful if you are making statements similar to those I mentioned above, they will be hurtful to your friends, colleagues, students, clients and family members.

Choose to wake up today. Choose to learn about what is going on in the world and in your community. Hitting snooze is a form of denial and when you deny an experience of someone you support the “oppressor.” Know that being silent on issues of race or discrimination is one way to “agree” with it. Each of us can take action everyday to understand the disparities of others and do something to help eliminate them. Being in a coma, hitting snooze, failing to know, and being afraid to take action only perpetuates the problem.

Wake up and make a difference in the world… your world! – “When you know better, you do better.“

By Catrice Jackson