[Lace on Race Admin Staff]

https://laceonrace.com/2022/02/11/we-do-our-work-in-the-light/

We Do Our Work in the Light

Discussion

[Kelsi Watters]

The above post is exactly how I would engage Mr. Werner. His attempt to contact members of the LoR community may seem benign on the surface, but it is indeed predatory, and, as stated above, is a triangulation tactic that is the epitome of white supremacy4 That is why doing what Mr. Werner did is against the guidelines. The work of antiracism involves bringing things into the light, essentially, calling a thing a thing. While we should always practice kind candor, I feel there are situations where a slow and gentle approach is best, and at other times, a more firm stance is needed. However, it is a delicate balance and involves unlearning the tendencies of white supremacy which teaches weaponization and violence instead of kind candor. I still have much work to do. I am grateful to be walking here.

[Rebecca McClinton]

Triangulation is a manipulation tool used to pit people against one another, which is exactly what we see here. It’s a reason some of the things we repeat here a lot are about being eye-to-eye, making what’s covert/hidden, overt/addressed. I can’t be in true or real relationship with anyone unless I’m those things, especially with people of color around me. whyte supremacy is full of hidden agenda’s, code switching, and manipulation. I’ve seen those things in my own behavior, things I have to look my own self eye-to-eye about.

[Kelsi Watters]

Yes, white supremacy is all about indirect attacks, no courage or vulnerability, just cowardice and self-preservation and defensiveness. I have seen some of these behaviors in myself. One of the hardest things is to engage in conflict or confrontation in the light, walking eye to eye, holding ourselves accountable. Yet, the practice of antiracism means engaging in this way. Antiracism cannot be achieved through triangulation, manipulation, indirect engagement or threats, because those are harmful and non-inclusive which is the opposite of an antiracist approach.

[Rebecca McClinton]

well said. Holding our own hands well so that we can hold others with hesed kindness + accountability. I can certainly find that cowardice and self-preservation in myself too. equally important to treat myself with hesed as it is others.

[Shannon Brescher Shea]

Divide and conquer – making people turn against each other – is a tactic of division and conflict. Even assuming he means well, this sort of saviorism is so toxic. Assuming he knows better than Kelsi is so dehumanizing.

[Emily Holzknecht]

It is amazing that he expects us to trust him over Lace when he hides and hides and lurks for a year and when he sort of kind of shows himself, he continues to hide while Lace looks us in the eye and lets us into so many places in her life, into beautiful cherished moments and moments of vulnerability and regret. I am thinking about how Lace has talked about how hiding ourselves and hiding our motivations and erasing our comments and not letting the community see us is part of us holding back, part of us keeping a foot out the door so we can run back to our white supremacy when we are challenged.

[Rhonda Freeman]

It forces me to ask myself the question. How to I ensure that I am not divided and conquered? Am I unwilling to engage with other white people on the topic of what happened at the Academy Awards because I am not black and have no right to say, or is that simply an excuse and I have been divided and conquered again?

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