[Laura Berwick]

From Lace:

Only seemingly counter-intuitively , I absolutely endorse her assertion that people should follow and learn from and engage with more than just Black racial justice advocates and educators.

And I say this as a Black racial justice advocate and educator!

Her point is that we are found in every interest and arena.

Outside of anti-racism spaces, dear white people (all of us really; BIPOC often give short shrift *to ourselves*), who do you follow?

Do you follow black Knitters?

Or black people who love making elaborate Legos?

How about black people who have a passionate opinion on raised vegetable beds?

Who can tell you Arcane minutiae about Star Trek, the Original Series, and the Next Generation, and even *Voyager*, FFS!

How about black people who find secret meaning in Led Zeppelin lyrics?

The point is that racial Equity work does not end with racial Equity education.

If the people who influence you in ways both seemingly frivolous and deadly serious are not also Black Faces, you will be much less likely to consider a black accountant, or a black orthodontist, or black landscape architect, or a black insurance salesman who throws you into an annuity.

Seeing us fully and as multifaceted: it’s a big deal.

Make this a part of your NON-NEGOTIABLE Praxis.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKeUjybjwxd/?igshid=kcgnzux3zgjz

At Lace’s direction, moderators will be taking this discussion into specific dining rooms as well in the next day or so. Look for discussion there, and feel free to cross-post here if you’ve already responded on Facebook.

Discussion

[Laura Berwick]

With the caveat that I it’s my goal to be an ally, but that this is not a community I have membership in, I’m also reflecting on this, as an ally. Because wanting to be supportive demands that I be as aware and knowledgeable as I can make myself. It requires work.

I have a friend who Black, a man, and gay, and he’s a voice I try to listen to extra hard, while at the same time I try not to assume a closer familiarity than I have and put on him the burden of keeping me educated. But I’m glad for his voice in my life, because he often reminds me of the intersection of the difficulties his identities can put upon him.

One of the organizations I support is led by an undocumented Latina trans woman. She doesn’t speak much to her experience as trans, because she is much more focused in the contexts where I hear her on her experience as an immigrant. But hers is a voice I have my ears open to.

Because most of the people I know are white, most of the LGBTQ voices I hear most often are white. So there are privileges associated with whiteness that perhaps buffer them from certain dangers, that, without wanting to minimize what they do face, I can’t take as a complete picture?

I feel like, a lot of the other voices I follow are… hmm. How to put it? Well, in the entertainment industry and not specifically activists. So I think their messages can be helpful and important, but I also have to be aware of the ways they might be… prepackaged for sale? And that I am maybe invited to make assumptions that will comfort me? I’m not sure I’m putting this super well. And again, I feel like I’m very peripheral to both this community and its voices. I’m interested in learning more from y’all.

[Laura Berwick]

This entire post was supposed to go to a different forum. I’m super on the ball today!

[Rebecca McClinton]

Rebecca McClinton

Since having grown in seeing things through a racial justice lens, it’s true that my eye is more keen to Black and brown individuals focused on those topics, but if I limit it to that I’m not staying with my praxis. I did make a pointed effort looking for Black and brown owned businesses to support with gifts I buy this year, and to buy books from BIPOC owned stores, but I shouldn’t be limiting things to shopping, I should be actively seeking out the same for all facets and interests in my life.

[Christin Spoolstra]

I’m thinking of the normalization and dehumanization mentioned by @julie on the facebook post and how that relates to the pedalization vs demonization that Lace often speaks to. When I only seek out Black voices to fill a specific need (like education), I am playing into a system that elevates or tears down based on skin color. But filling my life – my joy points – with diverse voices can so much more organically bridge that gap and normalize the fullness of Black lives

[Rhonda Freeman]

Is there a term for being delightfully embarrassed? Twice this year, I have found myself surprised by a person of color that is an expert in birds and a black naturalist. I am disgusted momentarily and then completely in the moment of learning from these people. I am hoping that the surprise will go away soon, but in the meantime, I want to become aware of it quickly and get on with following or learning from the smart, interesting, creative person in front of me.

[Julia Tayler]

I follow a female black fitness expert and several black vegans on Instagram. I also have purchased gifts and treats from black owned businesses I’ve found some great information and like the different point of view. I live in a very white community so I need to make sure I’m listening to the right people. I missed this on Facebook so I’ll go back there too.

[Amanda Swartfager]

This is something that I haven’t paid enough attention to for sure. I mostly follow authors. Some of my favorites are Jesmyn Ward, Stephanie Kuehn, Jason Reynolds, and Dana Davis.

[Kelsi Watters]

This is a good reminder. Black and brown people are MORE than the anti-racist advocates that our white supremacist society has forced them to be! Though many black and brown people are passionate about anti-racism, ending racial oppression and challenging systemic racism and white supremacy, it is white supremacy itself that has forced this burden on their shoulders. If it were not for white supremacy, black people would not have to talk about anti-racism in the first place. Therefore, when a black or brown person dedicates significant time, energy and commitment to focus on racial equity, white people should consider that a gift, NOT a given. And not a free gift either – we white folks need to acknowledge the physical and emotional labor that goes into that work. I am not a BIPOC, so I cannot speak to how it feels for black or brown people to talk about racism, but I imagine it is painful and tiring – because racism hurts and causes trauma. So, when white people (myself included) approach black people to talk about anti-racism as if it is a hobby or simply an interesting topic, that is white supremacy at work because the WP fails to acknowledge the deep-seated trauma and pain behind racism, and lacks accountability. In addition, the expectation that black and brown people’s discussions be limited to only anti-racism, is dehumanizing and strips them of their full identity. If my heart is fully open to walking with black and brown people, then that means listening with my heart and mind to who you are rather than limiting my engagement to how you can educate me.

Lastly, I do believe there is value in listening to white voices in racial justice work. Whitevoices in this work are unique in a few ways: (1) WP do not carry the pain, trauma, and exhaustion from 400 years of racial oppression that BIPOC encounter; and (2) white people can share the experience of confronting their white privilege and their own internalized racism, walking this journey from the perspective of someone in white skin. Tis somethingt black racial justice advocates cannot do because they have not benefited from the privileges of someone living in white skin.

[Shara Cody]

Shared interests are part of relationships and result in connection and support. Including Black people as makers, experts and enthusiasts in all of our areas of interests/life and not just anti-racism will help to, as she said in the video, “normalize Black people in all spaces”. Like Rebecca, I’ve been shopping at Black owned businesses but I will look to follow Black authors, crafters, and artists.

[Author]

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