So eloquent and sums up how I often feel myself. http://www.salon.com/2015/04/29/dea...pect_what_black_america_is_feeling_right_now/
Such a thought provoking letter. Unfortunately these things rarely hit those who need to read/hear it. So telling of the state of racism in this country, that she can speak from a few points of privilege yet ultimately none of those privileges can overcome the fact that she's half black.
Yeah I know it's kind of crazy when you think about it. And it is really strange that so many people are so unwilling to listen but have not problem spewing unsupported bs.
Meh it's just simpler to attack and trivialize black plight instead of actually giving a fuck about why protestors are angry
Makes me wonder how we can possibly heal from this. How do we as a, people look at certain groups without a certain amount of contempt. Obviously it's not everyone but damn it's crazy when so many people who grew up with you know you and your family personally can be flippant about the situation it's hard to imagine trusting strangers you don't know. Because everyone is friends until the friendship is tested.
So what do our black Facebook friends want us to do? You want us to try to understand and empathize and all that? That's bullshit, because you'll never believe a white person would ever be able to do such a thing and I'm sure deep down you don't really want us to be able to either. You ain't ready. Like she said, race affects your lives every day. Your whole lives you've dealt with feelings of hopelessness, oppression, pain, internalized oppression, despair, anger, stereotypes, discrimination, segregation, abuse, and being treated unfairly etc etc etc etc. It defines you, it's ingrained in you, maybe there's even some kind of codependency aspect to it. It's been most of what you've known your whole lives. Regardless how good something may seem or how much you think you want it, if it's unfamiliar and opposite of what you've always known, you're going to be scared of it and apprehensive in accepting it. You're never just going to let it go any more than white America is magically going to stop all of it for you. I'm just trying to say that (IMO) it's not up to one side or the other because only one side is at fault or to blame. It's going to take both and neither one is ready to understand that or respect everything it means. Which is exactly why what I'm saying is only going to be dismissed because I'm a retarded white bitch who doesn't know shit or have me bashed for it because I'm just a racist white bitch. Feel me? Nope and how weird is that? No one is trying to meet anyone halfway. That's just how it is and will always stay. My 9th grade education and reclusive lifestyle don't always allow me to communicate as effectively as I wish I could, so excuse me, but I've tried and this just my attempt at sharing my own personal feelings. There's never going to be any equality. Not in this lifetime. No matter how many buildings are destroyed or how many cops are murdered. There's always going to be bad people in this world who hate other people because of something wrong with themselves that they're never going to try to see or fix. Focus on people who love you. Do the best you can in this dumbass life. It's not going to last that long anyway. Worry about things you can control and change. Life is hard for everybody for all kinds of reasons. Shit, who knows? Maybe in your past life you were a white supremacist. Maybe we all take turns being different races, genders, classes, etc. Whatever will be, will be. Nothing happens that isn't meant to be. If we don't understand it now, I think we all will eventually and if we never do, maybe that doesn't matter because it's all so much bigger than any of us anyway.
Brit there are plenty of great white allies who get it hell check out The Young Turks. All most of want is honesty and understanding. No one is asking you to change the broken system for us but at the very least don't be dismissive and dishonest. I get what you're saying but you'd be surprised as hell how much a little sincerity goes for most of us. It's like we are working overtime for a segregated world or another genocide smh.
I will check out The Young Turks. I love to check out things. I saw a video on Facebook I really wish I could find it again. I tried but I couldn't. I love what the woman is saying. I'm still going to try to find it so I can post it because I feel like everything she's saying should be shared. I feel your last sentence and I see it like that too :smt099
I get what you are saying. At times when things like Baltimore go on I get overwhelmed with it all. My heart breaks for my kids and for the things that they an others encounter because they are or are not the "right skin color". The anger, despair, confusion, depression, all of it is valid and can be consuming. Of course there are those who will be paralyzed by it all, and there are also those who will lash out in whatever ways they can. How healing starts is within each person, individually and in doing what we can in our own families and communities. Use all those feelings for something constructive and productive. It can all be a very powerful energy to empower people to do all sorts of things. It's your choice how you choose to use that energy. We need strong leaders. We need them in our homes, in our families, neighborhoods, workplaces, communities. That doesn't come from somewhere else, it comes from us. Each one of us. But that means that we need to stop waiting for someone else and do what we can in our own lives each day. It's easy (and understandable) to give up, become jaded, not want to trust people, and all sorts of other things. And that's ok, really. But, for me I have to ask myself, if that's really how I want life to be? If not, then I might have to take the risk in trusting people and interacting with them. Yah, sometimes (oftentimes maybe) it may mean ending up disappointed or hurt. Everything has costs and benefits in life. Amazing things often come out of horrible tragedies.
