A Few Thoughts with Ava - Two

By Ava Fineza

Hello again! I hope all is well, I haven’t seen you in a week! I suppose this is a part two, though you don’t need to read the first part to understand this. Are you liking this series so far? This is the only other pre-written piece (yes, I know, there were only two) so I’d better get back to thinking sometime soon. Anyways, hope you read and enjoy! And if not enjoy, then at least read!

The Betterment of You

When reading articles, infographics, and social media posts surrounding the Black Lives Matter Movement, the idea of privilege constantly came to my mind - the truth that people can have advantages in everyday life just based on the color of their skin. Knowing you are privileged is one step, but the difficulty with some people(myself included) is the next step - fixing your biases and mistakes, doing something once you have acknowledged it. There are many things you can do - I’ll list a few - and many social media posts and articles online to help you. Make a list of privileges you may have because of your race and keep it in your room, where you can see it(not sure if this can help, although in theory if you see it all the time I’m not sure you could forget). Listen to podcasts, watch movies and TV shows, and read articles and books that educate you on some of the issues in today’s society and why we live like this. Fixing the way you think and act isn’t an easy task. How could it be? It’s what you were raised with and lived with your whole life. A muscle you use every day. But keep in mind that an offhanded comment may not be so casual for someone else, and that a harmless joke from you may be a microaggression to another. The black and LGBTQ+ communities are some of the highest targets for hate, and by giving your time and effort to support them whether from within or outside you are helping to contribute towards a more accepting and safe place for all. Final thoughts: make an effort to discover your faults little by little and work for the betterment of you.

Final final thoughts(sorry, a few more things to say): don’t forget to do more than discover your faults! Wouldn’t want a bunch of people doing nothing but hate themselves(though I’m sure many of us do either way). Now that you’ve removed a faulty tile on your Rooftop of Personality, you better replace it eventually, or else someone walking on your roof might trip and fall. That’s not a metaphor, but it could be 0.0

Second one, on the map! Do people like these? I’m interested to hear your thoughts, or perhaps an idea for something you want me to think about. Though I plan to stay lighthearted for the most part, I think that time to time there will be more serious, self-reflectiony ones. This can be considered one of them. I want to wish you all a wonderful Pride Month, and end by saying that Black Lives Matter, always and forever. I’ll see you later :)

Ava

Microaggressions Are A Big Deal: How To Talk Them Out And When To Walk Away : Life Kit

Microaggressions are the everyday, thinly veiled instances of racism, homophobia, sexism and other biases that come across in gestures, comments or insults. But the "micro" doesn't mean that the acts don't have a big impact. While there's no one right way to address a microaggression, we have some pointers for ways you can begin to respond.

I briefly touched on microaggressions above, but I thought this was a good piece of content to start on, if you want to take a few minutes to read or listen to it. I’ll talk to you later!