Facebook Publication Date: 2/9/2019 9:02

I have a few moments before homeless outreach to say something about this.

This post is full of good intent.. I myself shared it a few days or weeks ago. But I was unsettled then when I did, and someone challenged me, and i was flummoxed as to how to respond. I knew what I felt, but didn’t know quite how to articulate it.

Now I know. This a diagram of how it seems that most white people think of the racial narrative. That things magically got better post Brown v Board.

Um, no. This is a feel good falsity.

The yellow should be orange, and the green should be, at best, a very orange-tinged yellow.

This shows us something that white people desperately want, so they make it up, and that is that the struggle is over, or largely over. And that we (meaning wipipo) can talk about black struggle in the abstract past, while undeservedly taking a victory lap, both in terms of progress robustly and durably achieved, as well as for their vastly overstated role in it.

This is the conundrum of good intentions. This is a permission slip for white people to relax, and to see any further naming of racism or confrontation of same as so much whining.

This is also why even ‘good white liberals’ allow the sentiments of ‘they’ve gotten enough’, or ‘what now?’ or what they euphemistically call ‘compassion fatigue’ to be excuses for inaction, or not so low key hostility to the struggle still being waged. It’s why they think of compensation for labor expended for a fight they think is over as ‘extortion by guilt’, and why the tone is so often one of exasperation and annoyance when they are encouraged to do more and be more.

So let’s unpack this meme. Usually I show something, and then ask for feedback, and then come in again with my own perspective.

This has been less than effective, because out of 4000 of you, less than one percent of that respond, usually far fewer–this despite a self selecting opting in to participating in a site that features race front and center.

So, I do want responses to this. More rather than fewer, and that means you. Don’t do like what is usually done, with both responses and other engagements, and with support asks; wait for someone else to step up.

In order to get the benefit, you have to do the work.

Do you think we’re in the green zone yet?

What have you done to move the needle?

What do you make of wipipo’s compulsive need to get to the resurrection before the walk through the crucible is anywhere near finished?

Looking forward to a robust conversation.

Edited to add: no likes or hearts without responses. I used to say none whatsoever, but I know how much y’all like them, though they do little for me. Responses and engaged thoughful commentary–that’s what warms my heart. So for those who liked and hearted, come back and comment.

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Edited to add the paypal link. It is important, and your participating rather than merely consuming is part of the work, and allows us to take this work further. I am going to do what I keep saying i will do, but have not because of fear, which is to do a pointed money post, but for now, please support this work by clicking on the donate button above, or by clicking below on the link

Thanks to Jordan Wilson for pushing me to do so, despite my trepidation and fear. I fear losing you all if I do, but this place won’t exist if you don’t.

paypal.me/mennolacie

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