Be Part of the Change

As we continue on the journey of racial justice and reconciliation, what are some actions we can take in our everyday lives? Note, I am a white, straight female, and am the last person to claim to be an expert in this important work; however, I can share with you the things I am doing on a daily basis to continue supporting and uplifting Black lives.

Here are 5 areas where racial work takes shape in my everyday life.

Personal

I am fully responsible for the things I do and do not know, those things I am aware of and what I am ignorant about. As an adult, I have the freedom and the choice to teach myself, learn from others, and help educate those I love. I am no longer confined to a classroom where what the teacher says goes. I am not a part of an institution that upholds and teaches me one way of thought. I am fully my own person, capable of reading, thinking, learning, and doing.

Because I am an adult, and one who wants to better my understanding of others’ experiences of the world, I choose to read at least one thing each day that increases my awareness of race in America. Sure it can be overwhelming at times - there’s so much to learn and so many places to learn from! But that’s why I stick to one thing, at the least.

I have started reading books about race, listening to podcast conversations, taking in audiobooks, and watching documentaries and movies specifically about race in America. It’s easier than ever to educate yourself! You can’t tell me that you’re not already on Netflix every single day. Set aside a couple of hours each week to watch 13th, When They See Us, and Self Made (these are just a few suggestions!).

Professional

As a certified music therapist, I am under obligation to treat all with dignity, respect, kindness, and equality. Beyond that, additional core values within the American Music Therapy Association’s Code of Ethics are Social Responsibility, Accountability, Excellence, Integrity, and Courage. Now, I don’t think these things need to be a precursor for being a good human being in the workplace, but it is nice to know that there are standards set in place for ethical practice - the first principle being “Respect dignity and rights of all.” So, let’s think beyond accepting people of all races, ethnicities, religious backgrounds, sexual gender and identities into our sessions and think into specifics. Let’s look deeper at what we do and how we can apply our values of human dignity and respect into our practices.

Here’s what I’ve been doing. I have been researching each song I plan to bring into my sessions. Most music therapists already read and look into the lyrics of songs, but what if we don’t know the inherent meaning behind the words? I have started to look into the songwriter and what the song is talking about. A seemingly “innocent” song like I’ve Been Working On The Railroad has much more to it than what we know. We sang it in school growing up, it’s in American folk songs books, and it’s super familiar to almost all of our clients. HOWEVER, this song is singing about American black laborers who built the railroads. This song mentions working on the railroad with no breaks, rising early in the morning and using the name “Dinah” to generically reference a Black woman (https://bit.ly/39fEzUR). I am not okay with this. I don’t like how a kid-song is based upon the labor of Black Americans. I have chosen to stop singing this song, and I think you should too. Let’s write new children’s songs instead.

Another thing I am doing is choosing Black music for my sessions when I have the decision-making power. Too often in our history, music has originated with Black voices and then made popular with a white singer. Not cool, so not cool. I want to give the mic back to Black and Brown hands. When I choose to sing songs from my clients’ preferred genres of music, I can easily search for music from a Black artist instead of taking the easy [white] road and sing a song from a well-known white singer who is already very popular and making far more money than the BIPOC artist. Some recent songs I have used in sessions are Sunshine by Raul Midon, Sometimes by H.E.R., and anything by Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, and Stevie Wonder.

One other thing I prioritize in sessions is involving those around me. When I go into a nursing home I make sure to meet the staff, that includes the aides that would rather stand in the background and not engage. I want each person to feel like they are an integral part of music therapy sessions, they are valuable to me, the facility, and the residents. I want to invite them to engage in music making with the residents of the facility AND give them the opportunity to share music that they love. Often, the music selections differ from the residents of the facility and many more styles, genres, and cultures of music come into play, making our music therapy sessions so much richer.

Political

It is no mystery that the structures that govern how we live and move in the country we reside in have an effect on our rights and liberties on said land. We are no longer living in small villages and communities where elders show us the best ways to live. Our communities have become so much larger and business-minded, to the point where America is a superpower in the world. Wow. So interesting! Sure, this can bring a lot of apparent good - we are reaching more people (does this matter?), caring for more people (are we?), and in relationship with people all across the globe (okay, I think this is pretty cool). But this also brings along rules, regulations, policies, and standards that we abide by in order to be a civil nation that lives in freedom and peace (ha!).

Okay, enough of my side remarks 😏.

We have a problem in this country. A small handful of people have too much power and control over far too many people (I know we’re not the only country like this). Our nation was built on and runs on Systemic Racism, making it hard for anyone who does not appear white and well-off to function easily, and things around here don’t change as quickly as they should. I do not get paid the same rate that my male counterparts do; similarly, my black friends do not get paid the same rate that I do. This isn’t fair. And equality is nowhere to be found. If this is news to you, I would encourage you to read, read, listen, and read some more about systemic racism in America. Do your “homework” and learn the things you were never taught in your American history class growing up (#googleit). Form opinions about politics around the people you love and support. Think about your Black and Brown friends and how you’d love for there to be equity, an even-playing field, in their work and life.

While you are learning and growing, vote for the congresspeople who uphold these values of human life and dignity. Call your senators and ask for change. Sign all the petitions you can to see justice in this country. We can do better! It starts with small steps like these. This [Political] area of work is probably the most important one in actually creating change.

I’ve been there, feeling so overwhelmed by politics - candidates, and speeches, and voting, oh my! - but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Take small bite-size pieces and be honest with the future you’d like to see in this country. There are so many resources to help make it easy for the not-so-very-politically-inclined like me. There are emails written out for you to just add your name and email when emailing local representatives. There are phone scripts when calling your mayor, governor, senator, etc.. There are petitions created where all you have to do is type in your name. I’m serious, friends, this work doesn’t have to feel scary. I am working on taking one small step each week to keep moving towards change.

Financial

Unfortunately this world runs on money [insert prophetic/political song about money here]. It’s a sad story to be tied to green paper and plastic cards to stay alive, but it’s the reality. This being said, there are so many ways to align your dollars with your values. Let’s let our bank accounts drive this movement!

To get specific, Greg and I have started supporting the work of an online teacher, Rachel Cargle, financially. We don’t give a lot, maybe $5 a month? (that’s only $60 across the whole year), but it’s something that we feel strongly about doing. She has been a huge voice in this time for us, in learning and unlearning and supporting Black lives better. And so we give, and give on an ongoing basis.

We’ve also started very intentionally buying from Black business owners - when I’m looking for a book, some tea, a face cream, etc., I google (or search on Instagram if I’m honest) Black-owned businesses in that product area. There are so many lists floating around of Black-owned businesses, which makes this process even easier for us to support Black lives. We also started buying food, not just locally, but specifically from Black-owned restaurants.

Another step we’ve taken is to stop supporting businesses (especially the easy-to-buy-from big businesses) that do not support Black Lives. A simple google search on businesses like Amazon or Walmart, and you can quickly find out if they support the #blacklivesmatter movement AND where their money is going. If their money is supporting political candidates I don’t support, I say, “No thanks!” There are so many better alternatives for buying your electronics, groceries, clothing, and art than lifeless, generic big-box stores.

And similarly, we are becoming aware of where our money is going. I had a conversation with our financial and investments advisor stating how important it is for us to not invest in stocks and bonds that are supporting political candidates and not supporting Black lives. This was a weird conversation to have, as investments are all about making the most money out of the big places that are making the most money (ahem, Walmart!), BUT it is more important to me to be on the side of change than the side of money. I want to be part of the solution, part of supporting my friends whose lives have been unfairly difficult. And thus, I have conversations and think about where my money is going (and change where my investments are if need-be!).

Relational

I think the basis of change is conversation. There is a time for shouting, especially if your voice has been silenced or never heard (then, yes, please shout!), but for me, change comes through conversation with others. I need to hear your story in order to understand where you are coming from. I need to get to know your hurts in order to not step near those wounds inadvertently. I genuinely want to hear about your life because I care about you. I believe each and every person deserves this basic form of dignity and respect. Each person’s story has value and is worth hearing. This is the mindset I go into conversations with.

I try to remember that changing someone’s opinion does not happen by proving your point, even if it’s what we seriously want to believe. Helping to open someone’s eyes, and hopefully watching their stance shift into one that’s more loving, happens only through getting to know them. People need to feel trust and safety in a relationship, and the way to do this is by listening. We need to learn to listen well. That’s the only way, friends.

When we listen well, people feel heard and respected, seen and validated. When we listen well, we give the other person power that they don’t feel in a fight. And as we listen well, ask questions, get to know what someone actually believes about this country, politics, racism, etc. then we can add our thoughts. If the person feels heard, they will much more likely feel inclined to listen themselves. Once they feel heard they may then ask you what you think, what you believe, what you know. That’s where growth happens.

My rule of thumb is to inquire more. Say, “Tell me more” in order to hear more and add more value to that person’s story. Ask about how they felt within the memory they are sharing and how they feel today. These things strengthen a relationship and create solid ground for deeper conversations.

Then go into it! Embrace any awkwardness you feel, and talk about racism in America. Share what you’ve learned, what you’ve experienced, what you see. I had the privilege of sharing my thoughts, insights, and research I had found on intergenerational trauma with a friend recently, and the only way I was able to share this information was by first hearing my friend’s thoughts, side, and story. I gave them the space to be heard and have a voice, and without inserting my opinion, they asked me for it.

There’s no formula for change. I wish there was. If there was it would be easier, right? Maybe, but we’d all be robots then. We have the opportunity to strengthen relationships, get more honest with ourselves, and bring education into the spaces we work and live by speaking up and being part of the change. You are not alone in this, I am right here with you, and hopefully sharing what I am doing to continue anti-racism work in my life may inspire you to continue the work you are doing. Let’s do this, friends!