by Ciara Dolan
If you marinate something in white supremacy, it will probably taste like white supremacy. ISTOCK.COM/AUNT_SPRAY
Trump won, and it really fucking sucks. You're probably pretty upset right now, and you should be—his plan for his first 100 days in office provides a sneak peek at some of the concrete actions he'll take to make his bigoted dreams a reality. If you live in Portland, you probably voted for Hillary, but the majority of white Americans did not. If you're like me, you've got racist/sexist/homophobic family members who support Trump's vision. You are not them—take a deep breath and repeat that to yourself—but you do benefit from the white supremacy they're rallying behind.
Your shock is evidence of this privilege: If you're surprised that America wants Trump, it's likely because a) you live in a community/city/state that insulates you from his supporters and b) your white skin shields you from the very real, visceral threat their beliefs pose to the basic human rights of people of color (POC). You are probably not at risk here. They are. If you're like me and have been a little too quiet about stepping up to support these groups, now's your chance. As many have said before, Trump is a white people problem.
Trump is a white people problem (but it’s not just Trump—it’s the entire white supremacy that our country has marinated in for hundreds of years). Here are a few concrete actions we should all take to work against whatever he's about to sling our way:
• First, don't blame POC who didn't vote or went third party. This is not their fault.
• If you are physically able, consider protesting. There's one tonight at 5 pm at Pioneer Courthouse Square (701 SW 5th).
• Donate your time/money to organizations that protect the rights of POC/queer people/women. Jezebel has a fantastic list right here.
• Support minority businesses in your area.
• Don't forget about the thousands of protestors at Standing Rock trying to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline. If you can't be there, consider donating to the legal defense fund of those involved. Native Americans were largely ignored on both sides of this election, and they shouldn't have been, since our country is *literally* built on their land.
• Don't flirt with expatriating. Sit your bum down and don't even joke about it. There are millions of Americans who can't leave. Stay here and do the work to make it a less shitty place. Plus, whatever Trump does is going to ripple throughout the globe sooooo there's no escaping this.
• Be nice to people. Check in with friends and offer emotional support. We should even try being nice to strangers—everybody's in this together, and acknowledging someone else's humanity could give them the hope they need to get through the coming days.
• Don't stay silent. It shouldn’t have taken us this long to get angry, but going forward your silence will read as tolerance of Trump's ideology.
Portland is considered a "progressive" place, so you might feel like Trump's reign won't affect you. But that's exactly why you should be so moved to act right now—if an accused rapist who spouts hateful racist/sexist/homophobic rhetoric is elected president and it barely affects your day-to-day life, consider yourself massively privileged and start doing whatever you can to support those who aren't.
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