Trump ended his final rally with this quote: I will fight for you.
But of course, he didn't mean that he would fight for all of us. He meant that he would fight for the people who are like him and they aren't the ones who need fighting for.
I rewrote Trump's pledge, just as we all must work to rewrite history so that we can stand on the right side of it. This is for my black and brown friends, my LGBTQIA friends, my Muslim friends, my Jewish friends, my atheist friends, my differently abled friends, my immigrant friends, my female friends, and for everyone who is marginalized and fears for their safety under fascism. No one is safe in Trump's America, but I will do my part to fight for you.
I Will Fight For You
I will fight for you.
I will do everything in my power to make you feel safe; to create safe spaces for you.
I will stand up to people who try to harm you, even when that means putting myself at risk. I will not sit idly and gloat in my privilege.
I will not be silent when I know that silence hurts you.
I will acknowledge my privilege. I cannot erase it, but I can acknowledge it and use it for good.
I will love you as you are and not merely practice "tolerance" when you conform to what the majority wants you to be. I will do more than accept you. I will celebrate you and all that is important to you.
I will fight for you.
I will listen to you because you matter and your voice needs to be heard. I will never tell you to calm down, or to not be angry, or to alter your emotions at injustice in any way so that I may be comfortable. My comfort is nothing compared to your pain and I will never discourage you from expressing the pendulum of emotions you feel. Know that all you feel is valid.
I will never blame you for the injustices you experience. You have never been your oppressor. I will never deny the truths of the hardships you face---the assaults on your body, the assaults on your spirit.
I will fight for you.
I will help educate people who genuinely want to learn and provide them with resources to help them understand the realities you face. Hate was never your problem to fix---it has always been white people's problem. I know you are not full time educators and thus that responsibility is not yours to bear.
I will not give you a sense of false hope, especially when doing so invalidates your emotions and puts a wall between us. I will not pretend that every white person will make this same commitment; the cries of "not all white people" is a sorry excuse for centuries of injustice at the expense of marginalized communities.
I will fight for you.
I will encourage my fellow white people to not allow their desire to be apolitical overshadow the need for them to speak out. I will encourage them to use their voices for good because your pain is more important than their comfort.
I will never speak for you when you do not want me to, but I will always speak up for you when you're not in the room.
I will educate myself on the issues that affect you so that I can understand and join you in the fight, when and if you want me there. I will never be your savior, but I will always be your ally.
I will never ask you to fight when you are tired of fighting; you have every right to be tired. I will always encourage you to practice radical self-care and understand that even the strongest among us need time to process and heal.
I will fight for you and I will fight with you.
I will always fight for you. For all of us.
xoxo
If you read this and want to make the same commitment to the people you love, please share and encourage others to do the same.