Written by SLAUSONGIRL

During a 2014 performance in Budapest Outkast member Andre 3000 wore a Black jumpsuit that read: “Across cultures darker people suffer most. Why?”

Many Black folks in Los Angeles and beyond, are unaware that the issues they face in their daily lives are part of a larger system of oppression for melanated people worldwide. 

Here are several important guidelines to keep in mind during your journey of navigating systemic racism: 

Understanding, unity, organizing, strategy and execution.

The most important tool of navigating systemic racism is understanding exactly what it is you are dealing with. 

Author, historian and sociologist Neely Fuller Jr., has dedicated his life dissecting and analyzing how the system of slavery and white supremacy impacts African-Americans present day. Fuller says:

“If you don’t understand Racism/White supremacy, what it is and how it works, everything else you think you understand will only confuse you.”

We must understand we are dealing with a global system of white supremacy that manifests in every facet of our everyday lives. 

This includes healthcare, education, incarceration and job access. 

This type of structural racism ensures white domination and control of major industries and institutions. Our society and the global interests of the U.S is rooted in the exploitation and extraction of Black wealth and resources. 

This reality is most illustrated through the conditions of Black communities, especially our inner cities, as well as various African countries.

It is important folks understand that racism and white supremacy is rooted in power, not racial slurs thrown at you by folks triggered over your race or identity. 

Although both are equally hurtful and harmful, it is important to differentiate the difference between racism and prejudice. Prejudices are preconceived notions people have of others, based mainly on negative images from mass media. 

Racism is having the power to alter someone’s life based on their race and these prejudices. 

Once you have a complete and firm understanding of racism, what it is and how it operates, it is important to surround yourself with those in your community doing anti-racism work. 

There is power in numbers, which are needed if you are a community organizer working on fighting issues in your city. 

Once you find a core group that you feel comfortable organizing with, developing a strategy towards issues the group plans to address is crucial. 

There are tons of books and material to gain insight from on organizing, as well as the stories of Black revolutionaries who came before us in this fight for liberation. 

Learn from their triumphs as well as mistakes, then develop and execute new strategies that would serve your community best in present times.