The late Rep. John Lewis, an icon of the civil rights movement and a leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, left behind a legacy of bravery highlighted in many powerful quotes. One in particular has recently impacted people in Plant City:
“When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something,” Lewis said. “To do something. Our children and their children will ask us, ‘What did you do? What did you say?’ For some, this vote may be hard. But we have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history.”
That quote has been on the minds of residents Vicky Saunders and Alex Rhoades, a pair of social media influencers who run the popular Instagramers of Plant City and Today With Rae accounts, respectively. Talking about race in America is an extremely difficult thing for many people to do — plenty prefer to deflect away from the subject altogether, if possible — but a consensus sweeping the nation is that now is the perfect time to get uncomfortable and speak up about racial injustices.
Through Saunders and Rhoades’ latest Instagram movement, #WeArePlantCity, locals who have been affected by and exposed to racism can now use their platforms to share their stories, to put faces and names to their experiences in hopes that others in Plant City will get a new perspective on the issue. They’ve seen similar movements in Tampa, Lakeland and other cities near Plant City, but sensed there was a silence here that needed to be filled.
“The main mission of #WeArePlantCity is to have a platform for voices, to start a dialogue and start empathizing,” Saunders said. “What I see in the comments and responses to everyone sharing their stories, it’s been very supportive. Conversations are happening and people are talking to each other in the comments section. That’s what this is all about. It’s creating an environment for people to speak without judgment, be in a safe space, make mistakes and learn how to be better for themselves, their family, their friends and the future of the community. It allows people to just be more open and more vulnerable, and get comfortable with being uncomfortable.”
#WeArePlantCity has featured people’s stories about not fitting in with their peers in childhood and taking years to get comfortable in their own skin. Submitters have discussed the struggles of feeling like they belong in the organizations they’ve joined as adults and the experiences that have made them feel unwelcome among their peers. There’s also plenty to read about the experience of raising a family.
One such account, from Alphonso and Naomi Cromartie, offers a unique perspective as the heads of a mixed-race family with young children. Alphonso wrote about overt racism he and his family have dealt with in the past and the microaggressions he faces today.
“People think they’re complimenting me when they say I’m not like normal or other black people,” he wrote. “Literally just spoke to someone, a small business owner in Plant City actually, that told me I’m not like typical black guys, that I’m a good man and I take care of my family and I’m there for my family… I can name 30 black men off the top of my head that ARE in the home taking care of their families. I could name 100 that I personally know if I actually sat down to think about it.”
Naomi’s comments are much like those of people of other races who have submitted writings to #WeArePlantCity. She touched on the fact that even with good hearts and intentions, not all privileged people are aware of what people of color have to deal with on a regular basis until they either have a discussion with a person of color or see it for themselves while with a person of color.
“Before I married (Alphonso) I lived in a white bubble,” she wrote. “I wasn’t racist, I didn’t think of black people as less than me or anything even close, but at the end of the day I’m still a white woman in America that has only known white privilege my whole life… I’m not saying you need to marry outside of your race for your eyes to be opened but I definitely want to encourage every white person that needs this to invite someone into their home, sit down, have dinner, let your kids play with individuals that don’t look like you. Listen to them, ask questions and HEAR THEM… just saying you’re not racist isn’t enough. Just saying you have black ‘friends’ isn’t enough. It takes action.”
Saunders, Rhoades and all who submit stories hope this movement will inspire people to look deeply inside themselves and consider what they may need to do to “be better allies” in the community.
“Just with the stories and things floating around social media, it kind of made me take a step back,” Rhoades said. “Were there times I’ve used my privilege or times I’ve said anything that could be microaggressive? I had to take time and reflect and ask if I’ve been guilty in ways I didn’t even recognize. Then I had to ask how I can stop that, change it and recognize what’s going on.”
The intent of #WeArePlantCity for people who have not been victims of racism, Saunders and Rhoades said, is not to shame them for their microaggressions. It’s a learning tool, a resource they can use to look at new perspectives and talk to people who have lived completely different lives in the same town at the same time.
“It’s OK if you get it wrong,” Rhoades said. “You have time to learn. Use your resources, ask questions and be open to listening.”
#WeArePlantCity content has primarily been posted and reposted on the @igersplantcity and @todaywithrae Instagram accounts, but Saunders and Rhoades are getting ready to move them to a new home in the @weareplantcity account. Anyone interested in sharing their stories for future use is asked to send them and their photos to the new account.