For many white people, racism is the elephant in the room.  It’s there even if we ignore it.

Today in downtown Seattle I came across an action by participants in an activism camp called Localize This!.  They had a great flyer of commitments for white allies. I’ve remixed and reproduced it below.  Their original list is here.

1. I commit to reflect on topics that may be uncomfortable.
2. I commit to promote cooperation over self-interest.
3. I commit to recognize the concerns of people different from me.
4. I commit to educate myself on issues that contribute to oppression.
5. Even though I may unintentionally say or do something racist, I commit to view mistakes as opportunities for learning.
6. When challenged on racism, I commit to working on my own defensiveness by calmly listening even if that is not my first reaction.
7. I commit to including the interests of oppressed groups while making decisions that affect them.
8. I commit to disrupt the status quo in order to share power and privilege with all people.