Elizabeth

“White people who expect me to be white have not yet realized that their cultural way of being is not in fact the result of goodness, rightness, or God’s blessing. Pushing back, resisting the lie, is hella work.”
― Austin Channing Brown, I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness

“Anger is not inherently destructive. My anger can be a force for good. My anger can be creative and imaginative, seeing a better world that doesn’t yet exist. It can fuel a righteous movement toward justice and freedom.”
― Austin Channing Brown, I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness

“Even when our babies aren't perfect, even when they are rude or disrespectful, even when they make mistakes or fail, even when their sixteen-year-old brains tell them to do risky, stupid things, we still want them to live.”
― Austin Channing Brown, I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness

“I am trying to clarify what it's like to exist in a Black body in an organization that doesn't understand it is not only Christian but also white. But instead of offering empathy and action, whiteness finds new names for me and offers ominous advice. I am too sensitive, and should be careful with what I report. I am too angry, and should watch my tone when I talk about my experiences. I am too inflexible, and should learn to offer more grace to people who are really trying.
It's exhausting.”
― Austin Channing Brown, I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness