Facebook Publication Date: 4/19/2019 18:04
Reacts and White Supremacy: Reader Reflection.
In the Reacts and White Supremacy threads, there was an interesting exchange that should be of interest to all. To keep it from being buried, I am reposting it here, with lightly revised commentary from me. Read and comment with your own reflections on the points made.
—–
Community Member: Wow. I’m sure I have been guilty of this, and am sorry. However, I never saw an exhortation not to do so. Was this about a particular post, or for all posts? I have no wish to further offend.
Lace on Race: That request has been on most significant posts for at least 4 months now. It is either embedded in the commentary, shown first in the comments, or both. It is an important part of praxis to engage fully; only using reacts dodges the work that needs to be done; limits understanding and retention, and does nothing for the community as a whole.
CM: Good to know. Not sure how I missed it…I sometimes skim the fine print, accustomed as I am to avoiding ads and other extraneous material, and I seldom read the comments because I don’t like the vitriol. I’m usually good about bios, though.
Again, my apologies.
I absolutely accept the premise.
If I may, I do know that, especially when I see a particular friend has reacted to something in my feed, (which may only be there due to their reaction), I’m more likely to read it. Similarly, friends on a mission to become allies, or become more informed, have in turn told me that they seek out things they see I’ve read, and read those. That’s why I use the reacts, even when I don’t share the article. The no react policy may be costing you eyes and minds who need – and are open to – read what you’re writing.
However, I’ll refrain, and share where and when I can.
Thanks for your time!
LoR: Let me answer this. I know you are being helpful, and I thank you. So please don’t personalize. That goes for everyone who has offered their perspective.
Here is why I came to mine.
I understand the impact of reacts; actually, they’re less effective than you’ve been led to believe. But even given their limited effectiveness, I eschew them for this reason: I am less concerned with those who ‘need to read it’ than those who are reading it in the here and now. If people did indeed do both–comment *and* use reacts, I could see your point.
You are right, reacts are a reinforcer. But what, exactly, are they reinforcing? The old way that people, most crucially here for this space, the way that white people “do” racial justice work. Which to say, they don’t. Reacts are not doing the work, and millions of white people pressing ‘like’ aren’t going to move the ball forward; in fact it can be something of a regressive act, making white people think they’re doing something of value.
Speaking of value, hearting and liking is using a micron of social capital. Which white people think actually is real capital; they are less likely to fund and materially support what they only react to via hearts or likes. White people think their approbation is the same as tangible funds. It isn’t.
Finally this. I can’t help but notice that people who heart and like and share do it in a limited, truncated way. Very few people like or heart or share in a public way, so the people who need to see it, whose hearts and minds and behaviors need to be changed the most, never do. The vast majority of you share with those you think are ‘safe’; that is those who already agree with you, at least in principle, and you risk little to no social, political, or economic capital in doing so.
Given all of the above, I prefer the work of being in the crucible of this community here and doing the work here, to trying in some way to ‘get more eyeballs’. We already have eyeballs. Too many. What we need is the rest of those bodies to follow along and actually do durable work.
Again, I appreciate all of the helpful suggestions. I invite you, however, to consider for a moment how that might come across. From what I got from readers today, there seems to be a reluctance to acknowledge that I might really know what I am doing; both from a sociological and from a social psychology standpoint. I kinda do. I also know more than one might first think about how facebook operates and what its algorithms do and do not do.
What nobody thinks of even though I have stated it more than once, is because of the subject matter we deal with, we are actively suppressed on Facebook. You can heart and like to your heart’s content, but no way are you getting around that. Facebook is r$%#st. That i had to do that with the word speaks volumes, or it should. You will not get everything in your feed. You need to have the discipline to come here intentionally. I’m aware of all of this.
You all need to trust me more.
Edited to add: this is not to say we don’t appreciate suggestions for admin and for resources. We do. But there is a distinct difference between offering and assuming you know better. This space is carefully curated, and carefully administered. I am bringing everything I know into this space. And, without arrogance, that is not an insignificant thing.
As to the issue of vitriol: you don’t have to avoid comments here. No vitriol. Kind candor is the order of the day. However, I would invite you to take a close look at what you consider vitriol. Oftentimes, what white people consider ‘vitriol’, especially from black and brown women, is just plan direct speech, offered without primacy about white sensibilities. Kindly but candidly, you are not owed language that is fawning, or obsequious, or encased in bubble wrap. One of the things white people have always been allowed to think is that fawning and coddling is normative; when a black or brown person speaks to them as an equal, it is considered disrespectful and aggressive, to the point of being insubordinate. That needs to be examined.
You are missing a lot when you avoid comments. It’s where the work is. It’s not extraneous; it’s essential. Which is why they are quietly required.
That’s enough for now. I will be monitoring for comments here. I think it lays out our position on a few things that people PM me out fairly frequently.
Permalink: https://www.facebook.com/laceonrace/posts/pfbid029r5YxinUpB64zEcPacJxNibLZtbxkrU35nhn9qDb8wJLcmMGn5kb8e4Z8qCF8uVCl
Post Type: Text
Caption Type: N/A
Is Cross Post: 0
Is Share: 0
Impressions: 2
Reach: 2
Reactions: 0
Comments: 23
Shares: 1