“They are afraid, Tayo. They feel something happening, they can see something happening around them, and it scares them. Indians or Mexicans or whites—most people are afraid of change. They think that if their children have the same color of skin, the same color of eyes, that nothing is changing.” She laughed softly. “They are fools. They blame us, the ones who look different. That way they don’t have to think about what has happened inside themselves.”
― Leslie Marmon Silko, Ceremony

Today’s writing prompt is a nonfiction prompt that may be triggering. If you feel it will be too much for you, please don’t do it. Write about a time you felt oppressed. Remember who you are and what privileges you have. As a white person, I know I have the privilege that comes with fair skin. However, as a female-bodied person (non-binary) I have been the but of misogynist human. People look at me and assume I’m weak. Write about your experience feeling oppressed or judged for a part of who you are. How did you handle it? How did you emotionally deal with it? What did you learn from it? And what do you do now to avoid it? Use this as an opportunity to see how you’ve grown. Make this an uplifting activity instead of a depressing one.

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Take a moment this weekend to care for yourself. We’re in a stressful place. With the protests, the pandemic, and everything else going on, we are all struggling, we are all afraid. Donate your time and money where you can, and practice self-care when you can’t. We can only get through this together.