I Love White People — But I Understand Why They’re Afraid to Speak

Written by Festus Joe Addai – The Digital Monk

I’m not here to make a viral statement. I’m here to say something real:

I love white people. Not performatively. Not ironically. But fully — because I understand something most people don’t talk about:

They’re afraid to speak.

Not because they’re weak. Not because they’re secretly hateful. But because they’ve been raised inside a system that trained them to be emotionally polite — even when the truth is uncomfortable.

And That’s the Lie That Follows Them

They’re told not to ask questions. Not to talk about race. Not to express confusion. Not to say anything that might get misinterpreted.

And so… they say nothing.

But silence isn’t always hate. Sometimes silence is survival inside a script you didn’t write.

I Wasn’t Raised to Be Quiet

Where I’m from, we speak freely. Emotion is strategy. Tone is currency. But for many white people, especially in their own country, freedom of speech has been replaced with emotional lockdown — where the wrong sentence can get you cancelled, misjudged, or erased.

I don’t resent that. I see it.

We’re Not All the Same. And That’s the Point.

I’ve seen Black people who turn stereotype into performance. I’ve seen white people who carry guilt like it’s their heritage. And I’ve seen both suffer because no one’s allowed to talk about what’s underneath all the pretending.

That’s why I write. That’s why I build silent systems. That’s why I don’t do debates. Because I’d rather build structures around the truth than argue about who’s allowed to say it.

If You’re White and Reading This, I Don’t Want You to Perform for Me

I want you to be free. Free to ask, to listen, to share what you’ve seen — not because you’re trying to get it right, but because you finally trust someone to hear you.

This blog is for the white man who kept his thoughts in because he didn’t want to hurt anyone. For the white woman who sees injustice but doesn’t want to be called fake. For the kids growing up on both sides, wondering if they’re allowed to talk about it at all.

I Don’t Want to Be a Symbol

I’m not a victim. I’m not a hero. I’m not a statistic. I’m a builder. I’ve created systems, prompts, blogs, vaults — all in silence — because I wanted to show that you don’t have to scream to be truthful.

You just have to care enough to speak before you're certain you’ll be understood.

This Is the Start of a New Conversation

One where we don’t perform race. One where we don’t project stereotypes. One where we allow intelligence to be human, not just categorized.

Until then, I’ll be in my vault. Building tools for the world I wish existed. And loving people — even when they’re afraid to love back out loud.