I am a white Karen whose roots began in Africa, like the rest of humanity. Black lives have mattered to me since I was six years old and made my first Black friend at school. Her name was Emma Ruth Jones. She told me her mother had told her that other children at our Catholic school might not like her because of the color of her skin. I knew deep in my heart that she was no different than me and I vowed to myself and to her that very moment that I would never not like someone because our skin color was different.

I loved the first Black Panther movie and I loved the second one which I saw today. Black people I have met throughout my life have made me a better person just by knowing them as my dear friends. I am aware of White Privilege and use mine to call attention to America's sordid past (untold) history of racism and genocide and current crisis of White Supremacy that has reared its ugly head for all to see in our nation. I am an antiracist that will call out racist words and actions every time I am a witness to them--- either in person or on the news. It is my life's work and FB is my platform. Some people do not like me for it. But those people are no longer my FB friends.

(And Black History IS American History and should be taught all year at school and at home.) One month a year to honor and learn about ALL peoples of color who have made historic contributions to American society is clearly not enough--or our children would know the full history of our country. And that is what some people who would like all of us to remain ignorant of our complete history are so afraid of. We cannot change any problem like systemic racism unless and until we are ALL made aware of the origins of it---ideas that were written into our constitution by our white, slave-holding founding fathers. #BlackLivesMatter