A Slap in the Face:

Why I'm Done with Your Excuses

My name is Vix. I co-founded an organization for European Americans deconstructing white supremacy, funding anti-racism, and building a proactive, pro-humanity community.

Recently, I was speaking with my mentor, Kokayi, about the current state of European Americans. He possesses a deep, astounding empathy for their mental condition. I, on the other hand, find myself simmering in frustration.

The refrain is constant: a litany of excuses for why someone can't do something. We rarely pause to consider that Black and brown people navigate the exact same life challenges—ADHD, autism, depression, full-time jobs, trauma—plus the relentless burden of systemic racism. And yet, they not only survive; they often manage to thrive, lead, and fight.

As a white-bodied person who risks my life and livelihood daily to dismantle this system, the parade of excuses feels like a slap in the face.

I am a disabled person. I have a myriad of autoimmune conditions, ADHD, likely autism, and a TBI. Somehow, I still manage to get up every day and fight. I am tired of the excuses. I know this may sound harsh, but I cannot apologize for it, because this is the raw truth of my experience.

How long are we to accept these excuses about why European Americans can't help end white supremacy?

My anger boiled over today when I saw someone post, "I try to stay silent." My immediate, internal reaction was: What the f* are you staying silent for?

I'll tell you. It serves white supremacy.

I know that waking up to this reality is painful. I have walked that path. Without the system of support that we have today. And yet, it pains me that I must scrape the bottom of my empathy barrel for white folks who offer their diagnoses as a reason for total disengagement. This all happens in Black and Indigenous communities, too, and they are never granted the luxury of opting out. We expect them to persevere.

And you know how I know we expect them to? Because we refuse to dismantle the system that forces them to.

Your excuses are proof (not just to me, but to Black and brown communities) that you are perfectly fine with white supremacy. You are comfortable enough within it to remain silent.

The time for excuses is over.

I am no longer interested in cataloging your reasons for inaction. I am interested in what you can do in spite of them.

This is not about doing everything. It is about doing one thing. Your reason is valid. Using it as an excuse for total inaction is not.

• Too socially anxious for a protest? Send one email to a legislator.

• Too mentally drained to read a book? Listen to a 15-minute podcast on abolition.

• Too overwhelmed to lead? Donate the cost of a coffee to a Black-led organization.

• Scared of saying the wrong thing? Have one difficult conversation with a family member.

Your silence is not neutral. Your inaction is an active choice to uphold the status quo. It is a message that your comfort is more valuable than the liberation and safety of Black and brown people.

The training we've received to sit silent in the face of atrocities is a lie we can no longer afford.

We have to do something. Anything. Find your one thing. Do it today.

Photo by Shiva Kumar Reddy: https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-on-a-crowded-street-in-black-and-white-20632618/

Photo by Christina Watkins: https://www.pexels.com/photo/women-raising-their-fists-in-protest-10959584/