Elizabeth

“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

“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

“This is partly what makes the fragility of whiteness so damn dangerous. It ignores the personhood of people of color and instead makes the feelings of whiteness the most important thing.”
― Austin Channing Brown, I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness

“The ideology that whiteness is supreme, better, best, permeates the air we breathe - in our schools, in our offices and in our country's common life. White supremacy is a tradition that must be named and a religion that must be renounced. When this work has not been done, those who live in whiteness become oppressive, whether intentional or not”
― Austin Channing Brown, I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness