HORNS wrote:
And they didn't get this pushed forward by formulating a cohesive argument, they did it by calling anyone who spoke against it a racist. So no one says anything at this idiocy. They just silently formulate their own opinions without asking for input from the rest of the country - and thats HOW racism festers!
Sigh....I said I wouldn't get dragged back into this, and....since I finished this conference proposal earlier than anticipated...
Firstly, you're not black and don't live in a black community, so forgive me if I don't consider you an expert on what their "real" problems are. If I want to know what the problems are, I'll ask them directly. It's cool that you like to think of these things, and you don't have all the answers because you are not there. It's like you said earlier, don't assume things about someone's life based on the color of their skin, and that includes what their "real" problems are. Ask them! Listen!!
Secondly, you're just now learning about micro-aggressions?? Okay....well, that is indeed progress. Just consider those to be smaller, subtler and more commonplace things that people in marginalized communities have found to be annoying/concerning/offensive for years and years, and have have recently found the voice and power to speak to. That's not a step backwards, that just means that we've made enough progress FORWARD that we can address some of the seemingly smaller things. Micro-aggressions are very real, and no, they're not exclusively committed by white people. That's a larger discussion that I'm not sure that I'm up for at the moment.
Yeah, if you speak out against anti-racist measures, you're going to get called racist, that's pretty cut and dry. It doesn't mean that you're burning crosses on someone's lawn or calling them the "N" word, it just means that you're contributing to a system of oppression that marginalizes people of color. One thing you'll definitely learn doing this work - white people HATE being called racist. We get defensive, dismissive, angry, embarrassed.
You can call me a racist all you want, I know that it's totally true. I do everything I can to be respectful of race, culture, etc, and I grew up in a nearly all white community that was inherently racist. I make micro-aggressive comments from time to time without realizing it. It's internalized at this point in my existence, and I do my best to look deep into myself and analyze my beliefs, my cultural conditioning, and where those things came from.
We all make mistakes, this is how we learn and grow. The best and most helpful thing that people can do is point out when I fall short, when I say something that's not okay. The best thing that people can do is call me racist. I'm not going to get angry, I'll thank them and ask them how I can do better. Because no matter what you may think of my past (yes, I used to be quite a raging asshole, and I sincerely apologize for that), I have worked extremely hard to become a better human being, and I will continue to work extremely hard.
Thirdly....your quote above....that is exactly how racism festered in the first place dude. People of color were marginalized, talked over, silenced, not represented,had their stories and experiences inaccurately misrepresented by white folks, tokenized, etc. They were the rest of the country, they were denied a voice, and they were denied input.
And that's lots of white people are so up in arms, because suddenly, they're not the only ones who feel heard and empowered, as they're so used to. And yes, some are going to want to now fight to "take back their power." So.....does that mean that marginalized communities, people of color, the LBGTQ community etc should just sit down and shut up, that they should know their role and let the old white dudes go back to running the show?
That's not what I want. One of the greatest thrills about my work is the feeling I get knowing that I've helped other people feel heard and empowered, like they have a meaningful voice and can be their own agent in changing their lives. That's literally what gets me up in the morning and puts a smile on my face. Doing this work has been what's transformed me from a colossal douchebag into the man I am today.
Racism has always been festering, much of the underlying issues are just coming to surface right now due to the current political climate. It's like a pimple that was growing under the skin and is just now coming to the surface to be popped. And things may get messy when that sucker finally pops, chances are we're all gonna get a little bit of puss on ourselves. Hell, I'm down to help clean up the mess though, I've got nothing better to do. Who wants to live forever? ;)