Most white people don't have an in depth opportunity in our educational systems, or in our families, to understand the historical context of racism and the complexities of whiteness.
 
One way racism impacts white people differently than Black and brown people is that white people can choose to not think about the complexities of racialization, and therefore white people less frequently wrestle with what it means to be white. In fact, white people are taught that it is polite to be "color-blind." This common practice is a problem that ultimately allows many white people to deny the existence of racial inequities all together. Denying the existence of racial inequities can often amount to a refusal to recognize the pain and the resilience in our Black and brown family, thereby in many ways alienating white people from connection and compassion, in essence, from our own humanity.
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This color-blind culture also means that white people have not learned to deeply listen to the diverse voices of Black and brown people, or to fully engage in complex conversations about race. Fundamentally changing how we understand the impact and responsibility of whiteness is an ongoing practice of honesty, humility, creativity, healing, and - more than anything - love.